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

[xwill327]

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?

[Joe V]

This is a public forum. THIS IS OUR HOUSE.

We must ALL be civil. This means no name calling. No finger pointing. No tantrum as if this is your place. By posting here you are asking for comments from all sides all colors. If you stay positive people will respond in kind. If you turn negative you are just pushing people away.

Thank you for understanding. ?

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

Never said I understand. There are no rules when battling discrimination. Once again focusing on the wrong thing. ✌?

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

When I read your original post I was horrified by the statements your coworkers made. (Well... I was horrified by the “come to Nigeria and be killed” comment. The joke about “crazy trump” is just a joke in bad taste, not a discipline-level offense). However, now that I’ve read your responses here, I have a totally different view of what went down. If someone actually looked you in the face and said— actually said, out loud— “All gay people should be killed”, then that person should be fired, period. I got no idea what else went on, but it sounds like it’s good you left. 

[NurseBlaq]

So do you want real answers or only those that you like? You can't ask questions and then bite the heads off of everyone who has a different opinion than your own. That will only shut down dialogue and effective communication. Yes, some people on this forum, any forum, stoke conflict but the people in this thread don't fit that agenda and are genuinely giving you replies from their POV. If you don't agree, fine, that's OK. But engaging in war, as you see it, means you don't really want answers, you want yes men/women.

So again, what are you seeking here since you only want to accept answers that support your POV? And before you come with the rah-rah, what they said to you at that job was wrong, but how did you respond when they said it? There will be people with racism, xenophobia, bigotry, etc at every job so do you plan to never work again? 

I see and experience racism and bigotry simply due to my skin tone on a regular so I get it. However, it won't stop me from living my life and being the greatness that I am. You don't have to get over it but it's how you react, respond that makes you the better person, and make others listen to you for you to get results. If your first reaction is to dismiss any thoughts not kowtowing to your own then no one will care thereafter. I'm tired just reading this thread of you being rude to people responding.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

11 hours ago, xwill327 said:

Never said I understand. There are no rules when battling discrimination. Once again focusing on the wrong thing. ✌?

But there ARE rules when you make an account on AllNurses and agree to the TOS - and those rules include name-calling etc. 

[Wuzzie]

12 hours ago, xwill327 said:

I am sharing my story to make awareness and to FIGHT.

That’s the problem. You’re picking fights, currently with random strangers who have done nothing to you whatsoever, and this approach never, ever works. 
This forum, fortunately, is about as diverse as any forum can get. Sure, we have our troglodytes, but the vast majority are open-minded and more than willing to dialogue with you about your experience. That’s extremely difficult to do with someone who spews acid at everyone. Heck you even attacked a poster who is part of your community. How is that furthering “awareness”? 

11 hours ago, xwill327 said:

There are no rules when battling discrimination.

Who on this forum has discriminated against you?

[Guest856929]

I think some people wake up looking to be conveniently outraged. I say that as a non-native and a person of color (I dislike that ambiguous phrase ? and there goes my outrage of the day ?).
 

OP, having divergent views is okay, being unpleasantly disagreeable as a reaction will only lead you to misery. 

“Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today.” —Malcolm X

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

8 minutes ago, cynical-RN said:

 

??

 

“Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today.” —Malcolm X

Very nice and on topic!

Hppy

[Marc Goodman, BSN]

I'm sorry you've had to endure this environment.  I might recommend you look for assignments at magnet facilities in major cities.  For those that believe that coming out at work is oversharing, I would ask you to compare it to not being able to mention your heterosexual husband or wife as that would be oversharing your personal information.  The facility I work at asks all patients on admission their sexual orientation and gender identity+expression so that we can best address all patient's needs.  We also have a dedicated LGBTQ liaison to ensure patients are comfortable and receive the healthcare they need.  As a HRO (high reliability organization), the offending employees would have been terminated.  

[Guest856929]

6 minutes ago, Marc Goodman said:

I'm sorry you've had to endure this environment.  I might recommend you look for assignments at magnet facilities in major cities.  For those that believe that coming out at work is oversharing, I would ask you to compare it to not being able to mention your heterosexual husband or wife as that would be oversharing your personal information.  The facility I work at asks all patients on admission their sexual orientation and gender identity+expression so that we can best address all patient's needs.  We also have a dedicated LGBTQ liaison to ensure patients are comfortable and receive the healthcare they need.  As a HRO (high reliability organization), the offending employees would have been terminated.  

OP is not a patient. Her/his/it/them (or any other suitable/preferred pronoun) sexual orientation is insignificant if not irrelevant to provision of efficient care. It is a dereliction of duty for a nurse to be preoccupied by dogmatic beliefs and social stratification instead of providing patient-focused care. 

[HiddencatBSN, BSN]

On 11/13/2020 at 6:35 PM, caliotter3 said:

You are in for a rude awakening if you think that your naive way of looking at things is going to coincide with workplace atmospheres in all places.  Nobody new to a workplace should come onboard with such unrealistic expectations, even if your views are considered 'politically correct'.  Keep your head down, your mouth closed as much as possible, and just do your job for the time you are there.  That is the way to come and go without inducing a stroke in yourself from trying to change the behavior of others. 

Except we care for patients who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and patients who aren’t white. Staff expressing those views to coworkers are potentially harming patients with their biases. I don’t think I’d share personal information about myself with coworkers I hadn’t formed a connection and level of trust with yet, but regardless, the staffs’ opinions are a huge concern regarding patient safety and patient care.

OP, I’m sorry you experienced that. Does the hospital have a Diversity and Inclusion office? If so I’d get in touch with them. If not I’d let hospital administration know. You can Google to see if there are any LGBTQ+ or racial justice groups working on healthcare justice locally as well and share your experience with them.

[HiddencatBSN, BSN]

10 hours ago, cynical-RN said:

OP is not a patient. Her/his/it/them (or any other suitable/preferred pronoun) sexual orientation is insignificant if not irrelevant to provision of efficient care. It is a dereliction of duty for a nurse to be preoccupied by dogmatic beliefs and social stratification instead of providing patient-focused care. 

How they treated the OP is not happening in a vacuum hermetically sealed off from patient care. Using a patient’s stated pronouns is incredibly relevant in providing culturally competent patient care. Respecting a colleague is a good barometer for how they will treat their patients. These folks only express their bigotry around travel nurses and not staff? C’mon. 

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-health

Yikes y'all. I know OP got heated, but these responses are super disappointing.