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?

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

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[Guest856929]

7 minutes ago, NurseBlaq said:

They don't have to hide it but why go around throwing it in conversations randomly then feigning victim when they don't accept it. Is there not more to you as a person than your sexuality? Does that need to be the center of your initial interactions with people? I've worked with people who were obviously gay and/or transgender and said nothing about it as first, it wasn't important to me, second I didn't give a damn, and lastly, what the hell does that have to do with what we're doing at work? Nothing, so it needed to not be addressed. If they wanted to talk about it fine, but they didn't until we were actually acclimated and friends. Otherwise, it was irrelevant, as was my personal life.

Well said. Whenever I start working somewhere or meet new people, I do not start talking about my sexual lifestyle/preference, religion or lack thereof, nationality, political affiliation, race (despite its conspicuousness unlike the others), etc. until when asked, and even then, I may or may not choose to indulge, depending on a variety of factors. Until then, we are all at work for one reason -to deliver patient-centered healthcare.

In healthcare, there is a reason we check vital signs prior to developing a diagnosis in most cases. One must feel the temperature of the environment first before deciding how to dress, undress, or address those within that environment. If OP is consistently running to these same issues, one has to wonder what the underlying issue is. Sometimes it's not the subject being raised, it is how (tone and delivery) it is conveyed that is the issue. "The cure is inherently within the problem" Jidu Krishnamurti 

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

Can’t believe I’m even commenting on this post but: it’s not a preference AMY!

[Tacocat, ADN, RN]

I'm an LGBT millennial living in a major city in the Northeast. It's as liberal as they come. I don't understand the need to make one's sexuality the first topic of conversation in a brand-new job? I started a new job three weeks ago and nobody needs to know about my gayness. All they need to know is I'm a competent nurse. 

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

Missing the point of the post... Don’t be a follower! First nursing lesson

[Tacocat, ADN, RN]

I'm speaking my personal truth. 

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

You mean opinion. If you read back the 60 comments your type of comment is irrelevant to the topic. To be honest for a gay millennial to not condemn this comment made disgraceful. Cheers m good luck ? 

[Tacocat, ADN, RN]

So...you dare tell me I'm wrong for how I personally manage my sexual orientation, and then call ME disgraceful? Nah. Your treatment of other LGBT posters is shameful. 

Not all gays explode rainbows, nor do we all keep our sexuality the primary facet of our personalities. Being gay is part of who I am, not ALL of who I am.

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

Wrong for not seeing the overt hate in the comment made. Instead saying to be kept quiet. Don’t jump to conclusions hun. 

[Tacocat, ADN, RN]

I'd prefer it if you'd not call me "hun." I don't know you. 

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

Explored rainbows. Wow. Let’s leave it at that. Like I said: disgraceful 

 

[RatchedAfterMidnight, MSN, APRN]

6 minutes ago, xwill327 said:

Missing the point of the post... Don’t be a follower! First nursing lesson

You have a terrible attitude. You have a savior complex and it's not cute. If you believe you're the most intelligent person in the room, you're super nurse I don't know why we're having a conversation. You don't want feedback, you already know you're right. I don't know what you expect people on the internet to say when we weren't there. Context matters and you have presented that you will be an activist anywhere, even on the job. That is inappropriate, hospitals aren't paying you for social activism. If you're bringing up these topics at work you cannot control how people will react. Based on the tone of your various posts in this thread I strongly doubt things went down how you say they did and you were the instigator. Just like you want to control the narrative of this thread you want to control how your coworkers think and feel. If you don't want constructive feedback this thread should end.