Elizabeth Warren says doctors, nurses don't treat black women same way as other women

[Kallie3006]

Is it bash medical professions month and I just didn't realize it?

Don't get me wrong I do believe that prejudice exists but according to Ms. Warren, the only concievable reason for the increased materials deaths in African American women is due to doctors and nurses being prejudice. This is absolutely ludicrous.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-doctors-nurses-black-women.amp

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

On 4/28/2019 at 10:43 AM, KonichiwaRN said:

No way this nurse will be voting for her now.

I've read your posts in the political forum. You weren't going to vote for her anyway, were you?

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

On 5/2/2019 at 7:38 AM, jd81pn said:

My internal bias tells me that not to pay attention to patients who are *** stirrers and are stealing other patients' time away from them. There is a reason why social services are available. I'll come back when they're less angry.

Documents their complains then everything is fine.

Yeah, that Serena Williams is a real "*** stirer"

http://fortune.com/2018/01/12/serena-williams-birth-story-black-women/

?‍♀️

[DannyBoy8, RN]

On 4/30/2019 at 2:16 PM, rldubz said:

White, male nurse here...

I hate to echo what has already been said, but there's plenty of data that backs up what Warren says.

There's also plenty of nurses on here who have said they've witnessed this phenomenon first hand. I worked for two years in an ER in the deep south and currently work on an inpatient psychiatric unit, and believe me I've seen in plenty.

So, with that said, why are people still arguing that this doesn't happen...? I'm confused.

Ditto.

In the maternity world we like to report black women to social work for behaviors a, b, and c. But when our white patients demonstrate those same behaviors, we tend to explain them away. I've seen it, likely been a party to it, but eventually recognized how we label behaviors by race and often give our white patients the benefit of the doubt. We desperately need more diversity and empathy in nursing. Identity congruence in the patient-clinician dyad is a good place to start.

[guest52816]

On 4/28/2019 at 3:38 PM, MunoRN said:

There's fairly extensive evidence that shows poorer outcomes in black patients results from different treatment, mainly in the primary care setting, this is separate from other know causes of outcome disparities such as lack of insurance, poverty, or genetic linked causes.

For those that apparently disagree with the research, maybe you could be more specific about what you find faulty about it.

Of course, you are absolutely right.

Those who believe that Senator Warren is simply "bashing" doctors and nurses, aren't informed about current statistics regarding maternal health outcomes for women of color.

Actually, the stories surrounding maternal deaths, which began popping up over a year ago, on NPR, are heartbreaking.

But for women color, it is much worse.

We all carry implicit biases within us.

Anyone who says they don't is lying.

Healthcare providers are human beings.

Science just seems to be catching up to the fact that pregnancy is dangerous for women.

I urge those who disagree with Senator Warren, to listen to the NPR story, that told of a highly educated Black woman, a CDC employee, who was dead three months after giving birth because her symptoms were not taken seriously.

Unfortunately, her story is not an outlier.

[guest52816]

1 hour ago, DannyBoy8 said:

Ditto.

In the maternity world we like to report black women to social work for behaviors a, b, and c. But when our white patients demonstrate those same behaviors, we tend to explain them away. I've seen it, likely been a party to it, but eventually recognized how we label behaviors by race and often give our white patients the benefit of the doubt. We desperately need more diversity and empathy in nursing. Identity congruence in the patient-clinician dyad is a good place to start.

You, are a nurse I would enjoy working with.

Completely agree with your post.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 4/29/2019 at 4:17 PM, Wolf at the Door said:

I believe you.

I have had to fight for black patients to receive pain medication when they needed it.

Example 1. A guy had an above the knee amputation. He was black. He was restless in bed. I look to give him something for pain and the only thing he has on his mar was Tylenol. WOW!. I went to the intern and said he needs dialudid now. “Intern asked me do you think he’s in pain. I asked him do you think having your leg amputated doesn’t hurt? It’s a major surgery.” He smiled and chuckle and ordered the man pain medicine. He’s leg was cut off about 8 hours ago and nobody seemed to care to ask him if he was hurting prior to my shift. He was restless in bed.

Perhaps someone had been lazy, distracted, or whatever and simply hadn't ordered pain med? I am not excusing this, just wondering if it was error or oversight, not intentionally deciding to order proper pain med because of race.

I think people jump to the immediate and only possible conclusion that race is always the issue, but I don't believe it always is.

And I have to wonder how many non-white nurses are just as prejudiced as white nurses. A great many I think. Do you really think all non-whites are not prejudiced?

And do you think that prejudiced whites always let this show or that their prejudice always affects their behavior toward their non-white patients?

I think Senator Warren was stupid to say this. It's such a blatant attempt to grab votes.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 4/30/2019 at 8:31 AM, KonichiwaRN said:

“what they’re telling us is they are privileging nonindigenous definitions of being indigenous.”

Membership in a Native American tribe is “very precious to us,” Mr. Hoskin, the Cherokee Nation secretary of state, said in a phone interview. “It’s not just a card that we hold. It’s something that we consider a dear possession, and so we don’t take it lightly (NY Times, 2018).”

Yea. Didn't Elizabeth apologize? Making it all better? ?

She did it to gain a easy ladder to her comfy position.

She did it to gain votes from unsuspecting people (naive, no doubt).

She crossed the line when labeling us, nurses, as being prejudiced.

Take this then. I'm a "ethnic minority" in this nation. My race actually has been SENT into concentration camps in this nation, in states like California.

Could you please explain what in the world you are talking about?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 4/30/2019 at 2:16 PM, rldubz said:

White, male nurse here...

I hate to echo what has already been said, but there's plenty of data that backs up what Warren says.

There's also plenty of nurses on here who have said they've witnessed this phenomenon first hand. I worked for two years in an ER in the deep south and currently work on an inpatient psychiatric unit, and believe me I've seen in plenty.

So, with that said, why are people still arguing that this doesn't happen...? I'm confused.

What have you seen? Examples?

[guest52816]

12 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:

Perhaps someone had been lazy, distracted, or whatever and simply hadn't ordered pain med? I am not excusing this, just wondering if it was error or oversight, not intentionally deciding to order proper pain med because of race.

I think people jump to the immediate and only possible conclusion that race is always the issue, but I don't believe it always is.

And I have to wonder how many non-white nurses are just as prejudiced as white nurses. A great many I think. Do you really think all non-whites are not prejudiced?

And do you think that prejudiced whites always let this show or that their prejudice always affects their behavior toward their non-white patients?

I think Senator Warren was stupid to say this. It's such a blatant attempt to grab votes.

Have you not read any of reports on racial disparities in healthcare?

I was aware of the problem, long before becoming a nurse.

While working as a public reporter, I produced a story about the inequalities in healthcare between Blacks and Whites back in 1999.

Senator Warren is speaking Truth.

Of course non-Whites can be racist.

Nobody is arguing otherwise.

The point is, this is a White majority culture, and the majority of healthcare providers are White.

The unfortunate truth is, inequalities exist throughout the nation.

Vast parts of rural America struggle to receive adequate healthcare services.

[LovingLife123]

I think a lot of this is a woman issue. Personally, I watch my black patients more carefully because of basic genetic differences. I’ve never seen a doctor deny a patient pain medication because they are black. What I see more of, is well, they are an addict, no matter the race of a person. I’m always like, addicts can have pain too.

As a white woman, I have been dismissed on countless occasions. Especially in ERs. My first tonic clinic seizure? Dismissed as a migraine. Gastropariesis, was called constipation and told to take MOM. My ruptured appendix? Woman’s pain as I was told. The PE I had in my left lung? I was called a drug seeker. Abscessed tooth? Again, drug seeker. I’m a woman, it must be my hysteria!!

I think there is more to it than doctors and nurses are racist. I see a lot of younger, black males die on my unit from strokes. I can’t for the life of me get them to understand how important it is to take your blood pressure medication. I’ve asked my fellow black nurses because I would like to tailor my teaching to these men to get through to them. I’m tired of losing young 43 year old black men to something entirely preventable.

Education and poverty are a huge barrier in the treatment of black people. I would like to cite my examples but I can’t for HIPAA reasons.

Im sure maybe I’m an anomaly. I know there are real issues we need to deal with. But for those applauding Elizabeth Warren for what she said, know this, she doesn’t give 2 craps about the medical care of black people. She wants votes. And I find it awful that she uses issues like this in her platform. If she cares, then actively do something for change. She actually a person in a position to create change, yet does nothing but sit in front of tv cameras and waste her time on her hatred of other politicians.

I wish I was in her position so I could create change in our country. Shes not spot on, and if she did a little actual research maybe she could see the problems and try to fix it.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Sadly, I think too many politicians (of both parties) find the problem of the day and try to put their spin on it for votes. Worse, I think women's care in general suffers in the US, even though we've come a long way.

46 minutes ago, LovingLife123 said:

Im sure maybe I’m an anomaly. I know there are real issues we need to deal with. But for those applauding Elizabeth Warren for what she said, know this, she doesn’t give 2 craps about the medical care of black people. She wants votes. And I find it awful that she uses issues like this in her platform. If she cares, then actively do something for change. She actually a person in a position to create change, yet does nothing but sit in front of tv cameras and waste her time on her hatred of other politicians.

I wish I was in her position so I could create change in our country. Shes not spot on, and if she did a little actual research maybe she could see the problems and try to fix it.

Sadly, too many politicians find the cause of the day and put their spin on it for votes. I encourage everyone to vote, do your research, and choose the candidates that best aligns with your values.

I agree, Ms Warren doesn't give 2 craps about the care of anyone outside of her little circle; it's the case with most politicians

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

14 hours ago, Lil Nel said:

Have you not read any of reports on racial disparities in healthcare?

I was aware of the problem, long before becoming a nurse.

While working as a public reporter, I produced a story about the inequalities in healthcare between Blacks and Whites back in 1999.

Senator Warren is speaking Truth.

Of course non-Whites can be racist.

Nobody is arguing otherwise.

The point is, this is a White majority culture, and the majority of healthcare providers are White.

The unfortunate truth is, inequalities exist throughout the nation.

Vast parts of rural America struggle to receive adequate healthcare services.

I have not read any reports.

I personally have never let anyone's color, apparent heritage, religion, gender, age, or any other aspect of their person influence the care I give. It never really occurred to me that other health care workers would be less than "blind" when it came to caring for their patients, nor have I ever witnessed such behavior.

I'm not so sure that whites are always in the majority of the general population or of the population of providers any more. Just as fully half of med students and house staff are now female where I am, there are also many students and staff who are not white.

Many whites are treated by workers of all disciplines who are not white.

And I think the Senator should have left the topic alone because it makes her look silly for not acknowledges all of the aspects of the issue if she mentioned any.

I am glad you acknowledge that non-whites can also be racist.