I need an experts opinions please !!

Paws2people · Mar 26, 2018

Meanwhile, if they had a patient that spoke only your language, you'd be the first person they would call in to help them translate.

How many languages do they speak? Probably only English. Maybe some "Spanglish" if they are lucky...

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 26, 2018

Meanwhile, if they had a patient that spoke only your language, you'd be the first person they would call in to help them translate.
How many languages do they speak? Probably only English. Maybe some "Spanglish" if they are lucky...

BTW, OP has 110% good reason to refuse to do that. Every respectable hospital has a policy expressively discouraging using employees as translators due to HIPAA and potential conflict of interests.

But nothing bets a cheap phone which was by an accident sitting in pocket and running "dictophone" app. Using it requires knowledge of some little legal tweaks and stuff depending on state (I had to get my family lawyer's letter) but the following effect is something too sweet to forget.

Amethya · Mar 26, 2018

You did nothing wrong, but did the right thing. I hope these idiots get what's coming to them. I'm so sorry you had to go through this.

Amethya · Mar 26, 2018

Meanwhile, if they had a patient that spoke only your language, you'd be the first person they would call in to help them translate.
How many languages do they speak? Probably only English. Maybe some "Spanglish" if they are lucky...

Exactly this!

I used to work at a cardiology clinic and a lot of these patients were elderly, but would love to talk horrible things about Hispanics, but we were an exception. They would sneer at our Spanish-only patients, that they should speak English, but would commend us for translating in Spanish and English.

And the irony is that their doctor was Hispanic, immigrant, who had an accent, but he's a brilliant doctor, so it's fine.

It's a sad reality we live in.

Neats, BSN · Mar 26, 2018

What you are describing is workplace bullying. it is defined as:

Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an employee (or a group of employees), which

are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which create a risk to the health or safety of the employee(s).

There are a number of factors that increase the risk of workplace bullying and it includes workplace relationships, and working place systems.

There should be a zero tolerance of this behavior, if you have a witness have them report this or have them write a short note with date and time and you report it.

The benefit of reporting this behavior includes a respectful working environment for all professionals, staff willingness to speak up, patient safety and quality of work, strong policy development. A great web site resource is Articles & Industry Updates | Studer Group

Maybe speaking to your supervisor alone letting them know how this made you feel, how you were called from patient care to be laughed at and how a supervisor is looked at when they include themselves in this type of behavior. If this does not work then go to HR. I would expect an apology from your supervisor. Sometimes mob mentality makes us have poor decisions.

Eris Discordia BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2018

I wouldn't worry one iota about the negative consequences these nurses will face from HR. Whatever happens to them is a direct result of THEIR behavior. You did not cause them to be disciplined or even fired...their discriminatory, inflammatory, persecutionatory, and unprofessional behavior will cause any and all consequences that they will receive.

You did nothing to cause their behavior and its not your fault whatever HR does to discipline their behavior. Don't let anyone lay a shred of guilt or shame on you about what these nurses may face as consequences. Not your circus, not your monkeys. They violated policy and you reported them. You did your job. Now, the powers that be will do theirs.

This wasn't good natured bantering with friends. This wasn't light teasing about a benign issue. They pulled you away from patient care to engage in public, inflammatory, persecutive, discriminatory, and grossly unprofessional behavior. That was their choice to violate the most basic of HR policies, and in a public fashion. The are responsible for receiving discipline.

I mean, if your coworkers are going to pull a Marie Antoinette and behave in such an publically inflammatory and discriminatory manner, then they are probably gonna have to deal with the HR shouting "Off with their heads!"

You hold your head high. You did not start this fire, they did.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 26, 2018

Thank you guys for all responses it really means a lot to me. I was always nice to everyone and still don't want to get them in troubles but obviously they need some kinds of training in how to respect people who are different than them.

I have worked with many nasty cliques. This group is not going to change with "training". I don't mean to scare you, but get ready to move on.

Best wishes.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2018

OP that is unbelievably awful, I hope it gets sorted for you

As to other people calling troll. I saw this happen during my student days. We had a tutor who was from India. Amazingly intelligent lady and brilliant teacher. I recall being in the clinical room and watching my classmates make snide comments and laughing about her and her accent when her back was turned.

NurseBlaq · Mar 26, 2018

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.

This! Not only are they culturally inappropriate, but to call someone out of a patient's room as an emergency just to mock them is completely ridiculous! Who does that?

Every action taken thereafter was necessary. It's not about getting them in trouble, it's about respecting a coworker and boundaries. Cultural incompetence is unnacceptable, especially in our profession because we interact with many cultures daily.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Mar 26, 2018

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.

Your manager is right. And you are right to report it. Retaliation for something like this is illegal. If you were being made fun of, it sounds like you have plenty of witnesses to back you up anyway. Please share your concerns regarding retaliation and if it happens, document it including names, dates, times, and quotes. This will help H.R.

If they are made to uncomfortable around you, they have no one to blame but themselves.

It concerns me that you were called to the desk when you were with a patient, simply to be mocked at. That is not ok.

Just do what you are suppose to do. Care for your patients, keep them safe and offer to assist your colleagues when you are able. Keep a professional and bright spirit.

Emeldine A · Mar 27, 2018

my dear they deserve to be punished becuz its very wrong wat they did,i kno how u are feeling but u have to be strong or if u feel uncomfortable,u can always leave,rn dont lack jobs,stay away of face dem and be strong

JS McCabe, RN, BSN · Mar 27, 2018

Reading this broke my heart and I'm so sorry that happened to you. I agree with what so many have already stated-you did the RIGHT THING! It was incredibly unprofessional and cruel and I am really hoping there will be stern consequences for all of those involved. Keep your head up!