Experiencing racism and xenophobia when coming to CA to help with Covid

I’m a psych travel nurse who had a horrendous experience at Metropolis State Hospital in Norwalk, CA as I attempted to come help with Covid, putting my life at risk. Nurses Activism Article

As a travel nurse, I expect to experience whatever is thrown at me. What I experienced at Metropolitan State Hospital was beyond my expectations. It was an unbelievable encounter with rudeness, hate, racism, and xenophobia. 

On the first day at the facility, the staff was extremely rude to all of us who picked up to come work and help with COVID. All my travel colleagues would agree and could speak to the disrespect given to us. I thought this may not be a place for me to work and almost quit. Wanting to stay in SoCal I continued the contract. 

The extreme hate began on the inpatient unit. A psych tech and I were having a talk about life. I mentioned my “gay culture” to him and he replied, “what is gay culture.” In an aggressive manner. I saw his body language change, eye contact decrease and his fists even ball up. When I explained gay culture is my lifestyle he harshly stated, “That doesn’t exist. All gay people should come to Nigeria and be killed.” I replied stating that would never happen to me and I would protect myself in any way I needed. But I was fearful and shocked that someone could say that. I never reported this but spoke to a friend about what I could do to protect gay patients in hospitals, especially a state-run facility. 

The next situation happened more recently causing me to resign. The snowball effect of hate forced me to never return. A person who came over risking my own health to care for COVID patients had to run far away. I also signed a lease in Long Beach so could not even return home after such a horrific experience. 

So it started on another unit where I was talking shop with this shift lead on unit 409. We were talking shop and election results. The shift lead name Dia stated, “ I support Donald Trump because he is crazy like our patients so we should take care of him like we do our patients.” Her using the word crazy to describe a person with mental illness was alarming in itself. When you hear what happened next, that doesn’t even compare. I am someone who is asked every day, “Are you Arabic or Muslim? Are you from the Middle East?”, she intensely and rudely stated to me, “All Muslims should go back to where they came from!”

I was beside myself and had to leave the office and go to another unit. I absolutely told her she was xenophobic and doesn’t take care of “crazy” people because she hasn’t moved from the desk. I reported it to the manager right away and said I can not work there. They moved me to another unit. I am unsure if any action was taken, but I highly doubt it. The manager did not take any of my information. I quit and no one from the facility had reached out to me (5 days after I am writing this). 

I believe some form of justice should be served. Staff has said this is the culture of Metro and they are not surprised. Taxpayer money of gay and Muslim civilians alike find this facility and pay the salary of those who hate them and verbally express it freely. I fear for the patients who fit the criteria of what some of these staff members see less than and believe should be dead or deported. 

Please respond with helpful advice? How should I move forward to get justice?

1 hour ago, JadedCPN said:

So do you also believe in the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy for heterosexual coworkers? Would you have an issue if a heterosexual coworker mentioned “blah blah blah my husband blah blah blah” or should they also go the don’t ask don’t tell route. 

I hope you overlooked the part of my statement where I said that I will be cordial, otherwise, I must question your comprehension capacity. 

Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Just now, NurseBlaq said:

But you can't have it both ways. If someone is uncomfortable with one sharing their personal business, regardless of content, then it's a hostile work environment according to your logic. As for why it's causing discomfort, I can't answer because I'm not one of those people. However, I do have an aversion to people behaving like jerks to any and everyone who doesn't agree with them regardless of topic.

Could you please review your employee handbook.  I didn't say regardless of content...that came out of your own words.  I'm sorry you don't see any logic in this.

There was an example made about a gay RT who is a co-worker who constantly divulges "gory details of their sexual exploits" despite being told not to do so and "was crying homophobia" each time they are confronted - that is no doubt an environment that promotes hostility as defined by the law.

You, however, made the assumption that the OP was "intentionally engaging coworkers in possible uncomfortable conversations for the sake of creating conflict" without knowing details of how the conversation with the OP and the co-worker transpired.

1 Votes
11 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Some don't even know I'm married, much less to what sex person I'm married to. I don't have personal pictures in my office, so they wouldn't know. My personal life is just that, personal, no one else's business. 

My brother is very openly gay and married to the most wonderful man. The family and friends network for both is substantial. He is in nursing school, I tried to get him to join AN, and add to this discussion. He is lucky in that he says he's not faced this discrimination, so he doesn't feel he can add to the conversation. He did tell me that often people assume how he feels or tell him how he should feel. That to me is reprehensible. No one has that right either

Your brother sounds quite wise. Similarly, I know people who expect or assume that I should feel a certain way because of my complexion. It is especially annoying when people think I am sympathetic to rioters and looters. Among some narrow-minded ethnocentric prigs, nuanced discourse is a lost art and guilt by association or societal stratification is a foregone conclusion. 

3 Votes
Specializes in Dialysis.
6 minutes ago, cynical-RN said:

Your brother sounds quite wise. Similarly, I know people who expect or assume that I should feel a certain way because of my complexion. It is especially annoying when people think I am sympathetic to rioters and looters. Among some narrow-minded ethnocentric prigs, nuanced discourse is a lost art and guilt by association or societal stratification is a foregone conclusion. 

My sons (biracial) have the same issue. It makes me want to just bop people on the nose for their narrow-mindedness. But that, alas, makes me as bad as those persons. I'm feeling hopeful that it does seem like, overall, the younger generations are more open minded regarding race and sexual orientation. Thank goodness!

2 Votes
Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
1 hour ago, cynical-RN said:

I hope you overlooked the part of my statement where I said that I will be cordial, otherwise, I must question your comprehension capacity. 

Perhaps, the connotation of the phrase "don't ask don't tell" was what colored our response.  Historically, "don't ask don't tell" was a military policy of the Clinton administration to address LGBT issues in the military.  DADT only applied to service members who are LGBT and not straight military personnel.  Regardless, are you advocating a DADT workplace policy for both straight and LGBT employees? because that is just not compatible with how many human's operate.

1 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
1 hour ago, cynical-RN said:

I hope you overlooked the part of my statement where I said that I will be cordial, otherwise, I must question your comprehension capacity. 

A big jump to question my comprehension capacity. I was genuinely asking the question directly.

2 Votes
13 minutes ago, juan de la cruz said:

Perhaps, the connotation of the phrase "don't ask don't tell" was what colored our response.  Historically, "don't ask don't tell" was a military policy of the Clinton administration to address LGBT issues in the military.  DADT only applied to service members who are LGBT and not straight military personnel.  Regardless, are you advocating a DADT workplace policy for both straight and LGBT employees? because that is just not compatible with how many human's operate.

The inference of that connotation is quite a quantum leap. Nonetheless, the military history notwithstanding, if we are in a healthcare setting as coworkers (not patients), if I don’t ask you about your bedroom affairs, and you don’t tell me, the probability of either one of us being offended is nil, zero, zilch, nada! That’s my point. 

Specializes in Psych RN BC.
1 minute ago, cynical-RN said:

The inference of that connotation is quite a quantum leap. Nonetheless, the military history notwithstanding, if we are in a healthcare setting as coworkers (not patients), if I don’t ask you about your bedroom affairs, and you don’t tell me, the probability of either one of us being offended is nil, zero, zilch, nada! That’s my point. 

Military as a reference is great! Trans people have been banned from serving. Do you want to ban trans people from being nurses as well? Or get a different reference? 

9 minutes ago, JadedCPN said:

A big jump to question my comprehension capacity. I was genuinely asking the question directly.

I’m not fond of redundancy, but the genuine and direct answer is that I’ll be cordial, irrespective of the irrelevance. 

1 hour ago, juan de la cruz said:

Could you please review your employee handbook.  I didn't say regardless of content...that came out of your own words.  I'm sorry you don't see any logic in this.

There was an example made about a gay RT who is a co-worker who constantly divulges "gory details of their sexual exploits" despite being told not to do so and "was crying homophobia" each time they are confronted - that is no doubt an environment that promotes hostility as defined by the law.

You, however, made the assumption that the OP was "intentionally engaging coworkers in possible uncomfortable conversations for the sake of creating conflict" without knowing details of how the conversation with the OP and the co-worker transpired.

No I assumed nothing. OP said they will discuss their sexuality no matter what. Don't add things I did or did not say. I'm using your logic and according to you, if someone doesn't want to hear something, then it's a problem, yes REGARDLESS of content. You can't dictate what content someone deems as offensive to suit your narrative. OP gave us his/her details and has been contrary since. Stop trying to pick and choose which part of OP's story you want to argue. We can't all be wrong. You're the only one who doesn't seem to understand and arguing for the sake of it. Stop moving the goal posts.

1 Votes
2 minutes ago, xwill327 said:

Military as a reference is great! Trans people have been banned from serving. Do you want to ban trans people from being nurses as well? Or get a different reference? 

Sir, do you know what a red herring fallacy is? 

Specializes in Psych RN BC.

I don’t identify as sir. Yes. That’s what you are as well as unhinged

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