Are you afraid to approach minority staff members? WHY?

[LasVegasRN]

It's been said that racism and discrimination runs both ways. White nurses complain that minorities gather together and exclude them from conversations. Minorities say that they are passed over for "cream of the crop" jobs that are given to white nurses. Staff members report that minority CNA's and support staff give preferential treatment to their own.

IS THIS ALL TRUE?

Yep, it is. But I want to hear from everyone out there. What's your beef? What's the problem? How can it be addressed?

Don't be shy. Don't be skerred. Are we not professionals? Isn't this the place to discuss these sensitive issues? If you don't contribute how are we going to learn from each other?

So, come on. Leave your inhibitions at the door. Don your flaming suits, get out the dictionaries and thesaurus' and let's get SOME DISCUSSION GOING ON THIS.

Maybe, just maybe we'll learn some great things through discussion. :)

[shannonRN, BSN, RN]

i don't think the word minority works as a descriptive term....i think it is all relative. where i live whites are the majority...where my mother teachers whites are the minority.

Originally posted by LasVegasRN

WHO KNOWS. I'll be one of those crotchety old hags grumbling to myself in the nursing home and pinching the male CNA's butts. Happily.

you left out the part about beating all of your nurses with that big ole coach purse of yours because they are trying to steal from you!

[kimmicoobug]

I am yeller and PROUD of it! I am a minority wherever I go and glad to say I don't get treated differently at all. No, that isn't true. I get asked questions quite frequently as to if I was born in this country and if English is my native language, and questions about food. I take no offense at all. I am a student and am treated no differently in the clinical setting. (Oh, by the way, I am of Asian descent--born and raised here in America. 1st generation.)

[CMERN]

I am me..I have had white and black friends and co workers. I live by the "golden rule" treat others as I wish to be treated, but am not angered when the same treatment is not given in return. why? because we are all human and humans have oh so a diverse way of treating one another. I find that its a persons choice if they use my color to judge me..I cant change my color and cant change their mind. So I carry on, I be me and as a nurse strive to adhere to my professions standards. Ever tried to make a rock mad?...or hurt a rocks feelings...or make a rock cry...or belittle a rock? a rock is a rock is a rock....

[semstr]

I can honestly say here, I don't give a s..t whether someone "belongs" to minorities (or whatever the political right expression is now- a- day), I care about human beings, point made and out.

[shabookitty]

I work in the lab with predominately black females. And I am from GA where you would think there would be tension...but there's not. I relate to people based on gender sometimes...this is probably a bad thing I guess. I see the shared qualities in gender. "We are just a bunch of chics working in a lab" We cut up and have the best time...and we teach each other, confide in each other...No, I think the most intimidating thing was being "new" for me. The thing that intimidates me even more is my older supervisor. Which I have to approach tomorrow and my nerves itch thinking about it! Older ppl in higher positions make me nervous. I have a younger supervisor and I feel like I could tell her the world! Strange?

[LasVegasRN]

Originally posted by shannonRN

...you left out the part about beating all of your nurses with that big ole coach purse of yours because they are trying to steal from you!

Oh, that goes without saying. They will also know to take off running if they see someone holding it for me. :chuckle

[Sleepyeyes]

I had a nurse angrily accuse me of being a racist one afternoon. Well, I really needed to get off the floor and take a much-needed break, and I wasn't interested in listening to any crap.

I heard her rant, "You just don't have any respect for me as a professional; I think you're a RACIST!"

I stood there a second and let it sink in that she'd just MAJORLY overreacted. I sighed, rolled my eyes, looked her straight in the eye and said quietly, "Yes I do, and no I am not a racist."

I didn't want to explain that my grandmother was Spanish and my niece's dad is black, and blood's thicker than stereotypes; that nurse was just plain having a bad day.

However, I ran into one of her buds on break and "somehow" the subject of racism came up. I denounced racism of any kind by saying, "Now how could I possibly explain this to my little 7-year-old niece?"

I did get a giggle out of it when someone was downing Hispanics and I said, grinning over a bite of my sandwich, "Hmmm....well, some of us have gotten so absorbed into the mainstream culture, you just wouldn't know, for instance, that my Gramma was Castilian Spanish--but my sister got the olive skin, so it's almost not fair, huh?"

Shuts 'em up real quick. heehee

[semstr]

sleepeyes: olé!!!

[LasVegasRN]

This thread is going wonderfully. Now this is the kind of discussion that we need to gain mutual understanding! Carry on! :)

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

Let me play the devil for a minute....

I read a lot of posts that imply immunity from prejudices because a Cousin's-Uncle's-Sister's-Dads-Next door neighbor was Black/White/Hispanic/Filipino...whatever. I'm not saying it doesn't matter - Sure, being around another culture does educate you and allow opportunities to become familiar and comfortable. But it doesn't mean you respect or admire the culture. It doesn't mean you automatically stop stereotyping cultures in ways that can be deemed as racist.

Sorry if I sound a little ornery. Just came from another thread dealing with a similar topic. Just wanted to give you something to think about.

[zudy]

No, rebel, I think thats an excellent point

[nursenoelle]

Originally posted by LasVegasRN

This thread is going wonderfully. Now this is the kind of discussion that we need to gain mutual understanding! Carry on! :)

I agree , very cool thread guys. :kiss

-Noelle