It's sometimes hard being a nurse of color isn't it?

Hi there,

Yes, I agree with you. I am not a RN (rencent grad though) and phlebotomist. I have experienced discrimination from patients and even have one asked to have a non-colored student assigned in one of my clinical rotations. While drawing blood on my clients I have gotten very rude remarks and assumptions as to where I live or am from. I have even been asked to practically prove I am a citizen (I was born here but parents are hispanic immigrants from Puerto Rico). Yes, I do have a slight Spanish accent. It's very sad at times more than upsetting.

I carry myself in a very professional way, but unfortunately I can't hide my skin color and so some ppl treat us differently.

I can't wait to see how I will be treated as an RN. During clinicals, I would get puzzled faces when I would introduce as the student nurse and got interrogated many times.

It's a sticky topic and there will be many who cannot understand because they have never lived it or because they are not colored.

Keep your head up, I do.......some people are very ignorant and it is not worth taking it to the heart. I learned not to.

Jess

I'm not excusing people's prejudices but maybe you can look forward to taking care of patients of color who perk up and are relieved at having 'someone like them' as their nurse.

I do think it's human nature to prefer the familiar - people "like us." Thus, we may find comfort in realizing that someone went to the same school we went to or belongs to the same religious group or enjoys the same kind of music as we do, etc. That doesn't mean I think we should treat people differently or assume that the unfamiliar is bad or inferior.

I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to feel one's professionalism constantly questioned, even if only by subtle shifts in attitude.

Kanani,

Yes, unfortunately I do know where you are coming from. I am half black and half white, however, I consider myself black, and when asked I say that I'm black. Thankfully, I do not have that problem right now because the hospital I work at has majority black patients.

In my last job, most of the patients were white and on more than one occasion there were patients who requested only white nurses, and that's fine just as long as I'm not verbally abused by racial slurs.

I go to work everyday willing and ready to care for ALL, but if some do not want my care because I'm black then so be it.

Take care!

I understand completely what you are talking about. i work on a unit where for the longest time i was the only african american nurse working there (excluding the occasional pool nurse). i have experienced the looks of surprise when i have introduced myself as their nurse. (i once had a pts wife shoo me out of the room, demanding privacy, only to later apologize to me " i had no idea the you were his nurse!" she said to me, somewhat embarassed) i usually ignore the looks/comments. i am here to provide the best care for my patients regardless of their race, sex or religion. i expect the same respect. once they get to know me, they usually relax and become more comfortable around me ("wow, you really know your stuff!")

my mother always taught me that if someone had a problem with me b/c of my skin color, it was THEIR problem, not mine, and to treat everyone with respect.

~shakira

I hope to be like all of you. To be able to carry myself with dignity, and be able to provide patient care regardless of what their individual feelings for me are. I havent encountered racism from patients personally, Coworkers are a different story.

Thank you for your words of encouragement..

I am a student. The moment someone asks me what my major is and I tell them nursing, their jaw instantly drops. I can read them by their expression and that burns me up. Now I have come to the realization that some people can be judgemental and not to worry about what others think. I have other things to think about than to worry about what someone thinks about me. One thing is for certain, I am going to be a nurse and I will have the same education as a white nurse. I can totally relate and I am sorry this is happening. I just say to myself the Lord made me in HIS image and out of HIS likeness.That is all that matters to me.

I am happy that someone actaully adressed this. Kudos for talking about it.

I'm very sorry this is happening to you.

I was trying to think of something "but on the bright side..." and this is all I could come up with. I hope it doesn't come off sounding insincere...

There are all different kinds of prejudices out there. Some people are truly bigoted, some people are ignorant, and some people just are unfomfortable with changes and new experiences.

Hopefully, to those patients who have not experienced much diversity in their lives, they will see from you that differences are only superficial. And next time such a situation arises for that person, since they had such a good experience with you, it won't even be an issue for them!

THANX for addressing this topic...I am a male RN(white)and as a traveler worked at a Native facility in Alaska for a while, 13 weeks. While there, I was "reminded" at least 2-3 times a week that I was "taking a native nurses job." I became known as "the white boy" in ICU:uhoh3:. So...Relax...Prejudice is not just toward "your kind"...It can be against us ALL. Male/Female/Black/White/Native/Hispanic/ectectect...

Sorry to hijack the thread...

I have been discriminated against because I am fat and homely. I have also had patients assume I'm everything (housekeeping, cafeteria worker, tech, etc) other than a nurse. I admit, I dress kind of raddy and look very humble and the OB nurse who took care of me when I had my baby asked if I was a "tech" when I mentioned I understood the stress of working in the health care field after she apologized for being out of the room for so long.

Then she looked taken back when I mentioned I was an RN.

I have had patients in home health refuse to have me back. I never got an exact answer as to why but I guess it is because of the way I look.

Even in my personal relationships I am discriminated against. My husband doesn't find me attractive, he never has. He doesn't want me in any pictures, he doesn't even want me to have his last name. I'm a reject to him, but four kids later what is the point in kicking him to the curb now?

I understand how it could feel to be discriminated against because of who you are. My family is very colorful: my husband is Italian and while my kids all look different my oldest son is the most ethnic-looking-dark hair and eyes and dark complected. A couple of weeks ago he mentioned that the only kids who would play with him were the Mexican kids, everyone thinks he is Mexican and the white kids play separate. I say, to he!! with those other kids. I have a neice and nephew who are 1/2 black and a niece and nephew who are 1/2 hispanic and I care for them every bit as much as I care for my white nieces and nephews. In fact, when I think of them their color doesn't factor in at all.

THANX for addressing this topic...I am a male RN(white)and as a traveler worked at a Native facility in Alaska for a while, 13 weeks. While there, I was "reminded" at least 2-3 times a week that I was "taking a native nurses job." I became known as "the white boy" in ICU:uhoh3:. So...Relax...Prejudice is not just toward "your kind"...It can be against us ALL. Male/Female/Black/White/Native/Hispanic/ectectect...

Sorry to hijack the thread...

Well, yeah, but as "the white boy" you have far more options and freedom.

As your basic middle class white woman I can't say that I relate. But I am sorry that this is happening to youse guys.