Hello, everyone out there in the world of allnurses.com I just need to get something that's been bothering me for a while off of my chest. I just want to talk about this issue especially affecting minority nurses. And that issue is that it can be hard to be a nurse of color.
I am part Somoan/part African-American and consider myself Black for the most part. Well, I just feel that after all these years, minority nurses still don't get as much respect as their white colleagues.
Always being mistaken for for support staff even though my name tag boldly states who I am and my credentials. And I even feel that sometimes, patients feel insulted by me being their nurse. It seems like that when I first go into the patient's room, before I can introduce myself properly, they always assume I am a CNA. After I explain that I am their nurse, they seem to loose that "glow". It's like they don't want ME to be their nurse. And when a previous nurse that happens to be white reports how pleasant a patient was, I don't get that "pleasant" behavior from the same patient.
We as nurses know that patients can often be demanding, rude, and downright ridiculous with any nurse. But, to the minority nurses out there, do you sometimes feel that you are being treated with less respect because your a minority? Do you feel like you get treated differently from the other nurses by the same patient?
Sorry that you have, too, experienced discrimination as well. Yes, there have been times that I, too, maybe have taken things too seriously. But, more times than not, that wasn't the case. These people that do this know exactly what they are doing and they don't care. If they cared, they woudn't do it. And it's all because of this superiority complex some people have. It's just something that people need to stop and we don't need to accept even the smallest infraction.
You've started a very thoughtful and insighful thread, thank you.
There are times and places where this issue of a necessity must be taken very seriously. I homeschool my children, and have shown them documentaries, and stopped movies to tell them THIS HAPPENED! These things still affect people and have repercussions. I also remind them people of all colors fought and still fight reacism: our ancestors were Quakers (who could not live in the same colonial town as thier older brother as the Puritans wouldn't let Quakers live there), who were early abolitionists. (Well, also had Puritans in the family). We had family in the Union army in the Civil War.
Change can and has happened, or we would not be able to have this open and frank a discussion of how racism is present and practiced in today's culture. My father would not let us live near AA neighborhoods whatsoever (we moved a lot), today my daughters' best friends are people of color. We do not have to let one generation's attitudes force us into pathways of predjudice, we are free to choose our own beliefs and attitudes.
I agree with you whole heartly. I work in an hospital where the majority of the patients and minorities, and I find myself being thought of as the CNA. I have even had doctors look to the white nurses they see in scrubs and assume that they were the RN and to there suprise when they see me the AFrican American RN they look suprised. I get upset all the time, but force myself to remain professional. All I can say sista is keep your head up, the world if full of racist, so we shouldn't be suprised when we find them in the workplace.
Oh, thank you very much for your words of encouragement. I'm not surprised anymore, just disappointed. I really thought that people were beginning to get away from such behavior. Sad to say that that is not the case.
I've had that same experience numerous times. I agree with you 100%, but I'd like to add that we shouldn't surprised to find racist and insensitive people on the website either. Not all, but definitely a few whether they admit or not. From some of the responses here, I can only imagine what some of you may say in the presence of those you're totally comfortable with. I get so sick of people here acting like racism and segregation happened so long ago in some far away place. My parents, weren't BORN with the right to vote and both grew up in the segrgated south. My father's family has had a firsthand experience with the KKK, sheets and all, when my grandmother registered to vote many years ago. I had a full beer can thrown at me from a moving car not too long ago and was told "go back to Africa!" So, don't act it doesn't exist and that your black or other minority co-workers are just complainers who want to play the race card when they don't get their way. And don't act everyone should just be so accepting b/c there are just a handful of ignorant people out there, because yes, these same ignorant people can be patients and coworkers too; and they can make your shift hell. These things are hurtful and upsetting, and hard to ignore, as are some of the responses here. Again, I know its not everyone; but perhaps some of you that have posted here should re-examine your feeling towards persons of color, and just people who are different from you in general.
You are so right about a couple of people on the website. I thought I was at one of the Neo-Nazi websites for a moment when I read some of the things some people had to say.
A lot of people bash the South, but while racism here is more overt, I actually found the insidious Northern version to be a lot harder to overcome. That's just my experience.
The most virulent racism I have to combat in the place I work now though is black vs. black. I don't hear too many people talk about it but it's a monster.
And that is sad. I don't know why people that are constantly discriminated against would want to discriminate against each other. That's a problem. Change won't come if everyone doesn't unite.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
You are so right about a couple of people on the website. I thought I was at one of the Neo-Nazi websites for a moment when I read some of the things some people had to say.
I'd like to add something. I am actually surprised that this wondrously thought-provoking thread has persisted so long without being abruptly shut down by site administration. Typically, I've observed that threads that mention race or ethnicity are either closed after disintegrating into a sea of bitterness, or are moved to a less-visible forum where it often disappears from our consciousness after a few hours.
The persistence of this particular thread indicates that most of us can honestly and intelligently discuss this topic without becoming obnoxious, caustic, or intolerant. Not all of us, but most...
'd like to add something. I am actually surprised that this wondrously thought-provoking thread has persisted so long without being abruptly shut down by site administration.
People have kept it mature, without resorting to calling people names or accusing them of being this that or whatever (with a couple of exceptions). It's a shame that more people don't do the same in the 'real' world.
In my humble opinion, I think we've digressed somewhat due to a small handful of people who have attempted to discount or dismiss our deeply personal experiences as nurses of color. I'll readily admit that I bear some culpability in this slight digression.
Back to the original question at hand: I am a black female nurse, and I personally find that it is sometimes hard being a nurse of color. To the OP: I dearly hope I've answered your thought-provoking query to the best of my ability. :)
You have and I appeciate it. I haven't lost my focus by a couple of people attempting to throw this discussion off. I am glad that 99% of the posters of this thread have participated in a very resourceful way. Thanks so much.
You've started a very thoughtful and insighful thread, thank you.
There are times and places where this issue of a necessity must be taken very seriously. I homeschool my children, and have shown them documentaries, and stopped movies to tell them THIS HAPPENED! These things still affect people and have repercussions. I also remind them people of all colors fought and still fight reacism: our ancestors were Quakers (who could not live in the same colonial town as thier older brother as the Puritans wouldn't let Quakers live there), who were early abolitionists. (Well, also had Puritans in the family). We had family in the Union army in the Civil War.
Change can and has happened, or we would not be able to have this open and frank a discussion of how racism is present and practiced in today's culture. My father would not let us live near AA neighborhoods whatsoever (we moved a lot), today my daughters' best friends are people of color. We do not have to let one generation's attitudes force us into pathways of predjudice, we are free to choose our own beliefs and attitudes.
Thank you as well. I'm glad that this thread has been interesting and helpful to you. I am so glad to talk to so many people that are living and bringing their children up to be color-blind. Thanks you so much.
I'd like to add something. I am actually surprised that this wondrously thought-provoking thread has persisted so long without being abruptly shut down by site administration. Typically, I've observed that threads that mention race or ethnicity are either closed after disintegrating into a sea of bitterness, or are moved to a less-visible forum where it often disappears from our consciousness after a few hours.
The persistence of this particular thread indicates that most of us can honestly and intelligently discuss this topic without becoming obnoxious, caustic, or intolerant. Not all of us, but most...
You are exactly right. I think most people realize that this is an issue that affects everyone. I am, too, glad that it persists and that the good outweighs the bad.
This thread is not about an "us versus them" issue, Trudy. This thread is about the various difficulties faced by nurses of color. Additionally, not all people of color have this stereotypical "us versus them" mentality.
It would be nice if we could stick to that topic and now how hard it is nowadays to be white with reverse discrimination, etc. That's not what the op intended and that's not really about nursing anyway. :) (Increased size of the above statement added by myself to highlight it.)
leslie :-D
11,191 Posts
i'm always learning.
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored
leslie