I need an experts opinions please !!

[Rn 1979]

Hello, I'm and RN who work in ICU unit since 3 years. I'm very nice open mind and very social person that I like to talk a lot to people around me. Anyway English is my second language and I had an incidents with some nurses that were making fun of my name or the way I spell some words which was not a big deal for me and I always considered that as a jock and it never got me to the point that I been mad or anything. Last week I got called on my phone by my charge nurse and she said its important to come to the nursing station and I was busy in a patient's room so she said to come asap because it's important. Any way I walked to the nursing station and there was my charge with 4 staff nurses and many people around there and she was telling me to repeat words and started to laugh loudly about the way I said it and all the other nurses were encouraging her and mocking my accent loudly and that made me really mad, I told her this is inappropriate and not professional and I walked a way while they kept laughing. I reported that to my manger and she immediately reported that to HR. Anyway I'm so worry because I never been involved in any situation like this, and I'm worry about what HR will do, I don't want anyone to get fire or discipline and I really don't know if I even did the right thing by reporting that to my manger. I feel like it's not a big deal but obviously according to my manger it is a huge deal. I need your opinion guys of what to do in cases like these because I'm really very confused because I don't want people to start avoiding me or retaliate against me after this.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

I think you did the right thing, I'm sorry they treated you that way. No one should be made fun of because of the way they talk. Hopefully HR can assign some cultural awareness training to these knuckleheads so that it doesn't happen again.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am also a nurse with quite heavy foreign accent and was in situations like you described for quite some time.

What your so-called "colleagues" do is not acceptable but people differ in their attitude toward it. Some feel like it is no bid deal, and some go to farther ends pursuing "accent reduction" (which is expensive and rarely effective).

At the end, it is completely up to you, but when I gained some time and reputation under my belt, I came straight to my then NM office and said plain and simple in my very accented English that, if something like this happens one. more. time., I will walk out of there. And if they would let me do it, there would be a sort of exit interview they wouldn't like to see, ever, and that it will be only beginning of coming troubles. Because I, yes, take it VERY personally. For me, it is not "fun". It is discrimination.

After I did it once for real, the "incidents" came to screeching stop.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Being cruel to another human being is always a big deal and in some situations can be discrimination.Idealy, you should have nipped this in the bud when it first started happening by confronting the offenders privately.(not in front of patients or visitors).If this did not stop the behaviour then I would have reported it then.Now it has escalated and your report, which I agree with, has been lodged! All you can do now is let HR take over and answer any questions they have for you honestly.You can't control how others will now respond to you all you can do is control your responses.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

You are not the one that behaved inappropriately, they are. To call you out of a patient room, and then act in the way they did is completely unprofessional and if there are consequences, they are on them. I hope that your colleagues will learn how to treat people, and that it does not affect you negatively after this. Good luck.

[AceOfHearts<3]

Nobody should have to put up with behavior like that. They created a hostile work environment for you and if they did it to you they would do it to somebody else (maybe they already have). If a patient or their family overheard this, especially if they themselves have an accent, how do you think they would feel? I wouldn't feel comfortable having a nurse that mocked another nurse like that taking care of my family. I think you did the right thing by reporting it. They made their bed and now it's time to lie in it and deal with any discipline that comes their way.

[CoolKidsRN]

I'm very sorry to hear that you were treated poorly. You do not deserve this at all. What is even more disturbing is the fact that you were taken away from patient care for a so called "important" matter. Neither is acceptable, and you did the right thing by reporting it to your manager.

[Crush]

I would report that too. There is no excuses. I would have been so mad. That was not right, not ok at all.

I think there were 2 issues here that for sure needed the manager's attention. One it is not ok to make fun of anyone. Two, you were pulled away from patient care for this. You did the right thing.

[caliotter3]

No matter what happens because of this, please remember that you are not the one who initiated this. Stop worrying about your part in it. The others are the people who need to be worrying about the consequences of their unprofessional behavior.

[Sour Lemon]

They were clearly wrong, but I'd have one foot out the door just in case. It's possible there's a ring leader who can be put in their place, but if there's a cohesive group who think this is OK and will be supportive of their leader, I sense troubled times ahead.

[brownbook]

Sorry, I getting way to jaded, thanks All nurses. This sounds like a troll. I hope I'm wrong, prove me wrong and I will humbly apologize.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

You absolutely did the right thing and I'm glad your manager is taking the situation seriously and involved HR. HR should be very interested in this as they want to protect the hospital from a potential discrimination or harassment suit. Likely those involved will have to go to some sort of diversity or sensitivity training.

A few jobs ago when we had a situation like this (an employee came across a text message about her that was racist between two other employees), the entire staff had to attend a sensitivity training.