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?
I see no problem with it if that's what people want but I wonder - what would the response be if a forum were opened up for White Nurses Only and their unique issues? This is a purely innocent question, just as I think the above poster's suggestion was innocent. I mean no disrespect to anyone so, please, no one take any.
Do white nurses have issues unique to them? That we've had to discuss with long threads on this board--if so, why not a forum for them? We already have a male nurse forum, and LPN forums, student forums.
Did anyone say such a forum would not be open to all people to use? But why would a bunch of whites want to use it? I am a woman, and I don't post on the male nurse forum. I might post there if I had a question that I needed answered by male nurses; I assume that when women post on it, that's why. Otherwise I assume that most of the posters on the male nurse forum are not women.
I'm an athiest; but I wouldn't feel threatened by a Christian/Muslim/Jewish/Whattheheckever nurse's forum, if enough nurses from that particular religion felt that there were issues unique to them that they would want to discuss and for which they wanted to give each other information and support.
I don't understand; why would anyone feel threatened by having a forum for a group of people who are minorities in a profession, particularly if those nurses felt that there *were* issues that they wanted to discuss and support each other in, issues that were relatively unique to them? It's the freakin internet, it's another click, and certainly no skin on my or your or anyone else's back. Why is that such a problem? Do you have a problem with the male nurse forum? The nurses with disabilities forum? How are those any different?
What I find sad in the discussion around ethnicity issues is that it's so polarized on all sides that I'm reluctant to share some observations that might help promote understanding in both directions.
I find myself continuing to weigh possible benefit of increased understanding against the likelihood that I will be misunderstood or have my observations misrepresented.
Although I have a fairly unique perspective being a white guy who lived in rural Africa and who's worked as the only westerner in a Chinese factory and who's worked with professionals (engineers and chemists) from every continent save Antarctica as well as our neighboring countries to the North and South and who saw the perniciousness of blatant racism as a white kid whose mom picked up some black kids and brought them to school with us (because some white a-hole up the street threatened to sic his dog on them - he stood outside with his shotgun glaring at us as we drove by) and whose daughter's best friend, one of three sisters for whom I will be the guardian if their parents pass away, has a black parent and as a person who's learned Spanish in order to better communicate with more people, I'm still afraid to share my observations for fear of being labeled and thought of as something that I'm not.
Save my earlier statement regarding bigots, I'll continue to read this thread with interest but will withhold any additional input.
I hope and pray that one day we move past this historical and current situation with respect to ethnicity and heritage and the judgmental attitudes that derive from it.
The best I can offer is the encouragement to each of you to try to improve the situation in your own personal lives through personal connections to the people around you and to extend grace and mercy even to those that don't deserve them.
What I find sad in the discussion around ethnicity issues is that it's so polarized on all sides that I'm reluctant to share some observations that might help promote understanding in both directions.
What's sad? That it's polarized or that you are reluctant to share your wisdom?
Seriously, I do not see us as being polarized. I see a few people who play the victim card, but most are trying to understand or at least empathize with one another.
What's sad? That it's polarized or that you are reluctant to share your wisdom?
Seriously, I do not see us as being polarized. I see a few people who play the victim card, but most are trying to understand or at least empathize with one another.
The issue seems pretty polarized to me. And yep, I think that's sad because the environment doesn't promote interaction of people with disparate views and opinions.
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?
Being a nurse of color isn't a problem where I'm located. It is a problem if you are a nurse of NON color or white. Here it is reversed. I get the exact same thing (rude, demanding, etc) except it is from the folks of color and 95% of the patients I care for are of color. There is no difference in the care I give. Can't we all just get along and quit passing the poison on from one generation to the next??
I'm a new (about a year) foreign nurse in california. In our unit, we nurses are very much diverse. Some of us are hispanic, middle eastern, filipino, korean, thai, caucasian, ethiopian, etc. And I'm happy to say, I haven't heard any stories of racism. I guess its a lot worse in other areas.
I guess my question is that "Are some nurses of certain minority being subject to worse discrimination than nurses of other minorities?"
And since majority of the thread discuss african-american nurses and (I assume) caucasian patients. "Are caucasian patients more receptive of other minority nurses; aside from african-american nurses?"
I'm sorry if my posts seem inflammatory (I noticed, after reading it again). I'm just trying to understand the emotions that i see in the posts and equate it to my own experiences.
I'm asian with a little caucasian blood. But is usually mistaken for hispanic (even by hispanics themselves)
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
It would be nice if we could stick to the topic and not 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.
Trudy, your reading list was unnecessary. First off, I have read all of the tomes you suggested. *I* suggest that the authors of these social commentaries would be appalled that you are using them to justify your impatience with the oppressed speaking of their experiences. I'm glad you have read them. Maybe someone else here has not. My reading list might help someone else. But I do not understand why you think I'm using them as justifying impatience that you assume I feel. Did I say I am feeling impatient? Where did you get that idea? I am not impatient with anyone expressing anything. I am merely saying that POC are not the only ones who go through the things they are expressing.
As to your history lesson: I am well aware of the plights of various groups at various points in time and space. However, once again, that has nothing to do with the problems being faced by this particular group. I think it has everything to do with it. Their current problem originates from the same well - the well of man's selfishness, man's disregard of God, man's greed. Both come from ignorance, pride, and having been taught to think a certain way about life. Don't you see that? How could anyone not see that? Do you think someone just wakes up one morning and decides, "I don't like ___." and then goes out to be as cruel as possible toward ___? This stuff is learned. Fear might be involved, too. Who knows? At its heart, it is about love of money, putting wealth, power, and the riches of this world above people.
I see absolutely nothing constructive in saying that AA's should stop complaining, and denying what they say is their truth is like a nurse saying, "Your pain can't be a 10. I don't hurt."
If I said they should stop complaining and should deny saying their truth, I apologize. I don't think I said it but if I did, I apologize. They would likely do better, though, to realize that there are, unfortunately, plenty of people out there who are going to dislike them, based on nothing more than their appearance and have a plan for how to handle it if and when it does come their way. IMO, that plan should include courteously confronting the person who offends them. Privately, directly, in a mature manner they should ask the person if whatever gesture was made, whatever indication was given has anything to do with race. Get it out in the open. Let it be known that "It is very troubling to me that you appeared to not like that I am the RN. Is there a problem, Dr. Jones, Ms. Smith, whoever? I am the RN and I am willing and able to help you with whatever you need. In the meantime, I must ask you to refrain from doing _______ because it makes me think that you have something against me for being a POC". That's all, just get it out where it can be discussed. If the other party refuses to engage, it will at least have been brought out and the poison can sart to drain out of the offended party's spirit. They would also want, I would think, to be aware that they are not the only ones who ever experience this and to have empathy for all who are ever oppressed. And they also need to know that probably not every one they think has offended them actually has. Miscommunication occurs all the time in human interaction. No one can say for certain but I think there are some times when one takes offense that was absolutely not intended or even thought of. Sometimes we do see what we are looking for even if it isn't there. As we live, so we judge. That's why it is so important to confront and bring things into the open - to get it out of our system and to try to verify if our impressions are correct. Of course, if the alleged offender denies it, you have another problem - believe him or not. I still think it's better to bring it into the light of day. Just my view. It's how I have handled things and at least, if someone hates me, they quit doing it openly once they know I'm on to them. My approach might work for other people, too.
And I have never, ever, ever taken the view that my absence of
pain = someone else's absence of pain. Where are you getting this, Suesquatch? You will not find a more sympathetic, empathetic nurse if you search to the ends of the earth. I have had enough pain in my own life to know when someone is probably hurting - physically, mentally, spiritually - even if they deny it.
For the record, my patients are NEVER allowed to hurt. I take the INITIATIVE in keeping them comfortable - with positioning, meds, a clean, calm, quiet environment, and common sense + nearly 40 years of experience. And that is ALL of my patients - man, woman, and child, any race, any religion, any anything you wish to name - even the ones who are unfriendly, impatient, or rude to me. It is really presumptuous and just plain wrong for you to assume that I disregard, discount, or deny others' pain, of whatever type. And my coworkers have never been discriminated against by me. Ever. And I do hurt when someone is rude or hurtful to them. I hope they care as much about me.
Sense your first love is history, you should understand why people cant just get over it. would you ever tell a holocaust survivor to get over history?
As an african american nurse I have been slighted, but those same people that slighted me eventually came to see me as a nurse and then requested me for their care. Everyday I wake up and look inthe mirror I love seeing me with this skin color ,this nose, this kinky hair and all, I just love me, and I think that comes across in my everyday dealings with people white, black or otherwise. I have been discriminated against I dont let these people dictate how I respond. You see I believe in God so I let him dictate my actions. I once was called the N word while a work, my response: I laughed and told the pt HONEY I'M BLACK AND I LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA IF YOU WANT TO INSULT ME YOU BETTER DO BETTER THAN THAT the patient was so mad that I did not get mad their head nearly exploded which made me laugh even harder. The patient did eventually apologize and from then on was never a bit of trouble .( for those of you who dont know not a lot of black people in ole WV) My point being once I took power from that word that let them know they couldnt control my happiness or the way I did my job. Some people are just happy knowing they can ruin your day. To the beautiful, and handsome nurses of all colors Love yourselves, dont let anyone steal your joy and continue to do your thing.
Lots of people have been owned besides African Americans, it would depend on where in the world you would like to focus your attention. As far as other types of ownership, I believe women and children would also be among those who could, and have been, sold for profit.
Since my first love in life was history, I would also like to point out that the very sellers of US slaves were their enemies, other people of color. They profited from their brothers, as did those merchants who loaded them into slave ships. While those merchants of many nationalities brought slaves of many backgrounds to the new world, how long ago was the last shipment?
What does that have to do with the young African Americans of today? Do we (people who did not profit for the horrible trade) need to make amends for people (not us) who did horrible things to people (who are no longer with us) ? If so, how? What will erase this part of our history? In my eyes, comraderie and respect with all those we encounter based on their qualities not their looks would be the answer to that question.
Every group has their tale of prejudice, but how long can you say I didn't get the job because: I was dark, light, had an accent, was fat, ugly, had acne, small, too tall, blah blah blah. Because guess what...Those are all the people I work with, maybe it's just you or maybe you are right and the manager didn't like your quirk. Get over it
, go somewhere where you will be appreciated!
Maisy;)
PS SueSquatch I can't help it, we need to move along-not get stuck in the past. I don't believe anyone is helped by dwelling on things that cannot be changed. It is completely non-productive.
Do you think someone just wakes up one morning and decides, "I don't like ___." and then goes out to be as cruel as possible toward ___? 
This stuff is learned. Fear might be involved, too. Who knows? At its heart, it is about love of money, putting wealth, power, and the riches of this world above people.
queenjean
951 Posts
Do white nurses have issues unique to them? That we've had to discuss with long threads on this board--if so, why not a forum for them? We already have a male nurse forum, and LPN forums, student forums.
Did anyone say such a forum would not be open to all people to use? But why would a bunch of whites want to use it? I am a woman, and I don't post on the male nurse forum. I might post there if I had a question that I needed answered by male nurses; I assume that when women post on it, that's why. Otherwise I assume that most of the posters on the male nurse forum are not women.
I'm an athiest; but I wouldn't feel threatened by a Christian/Muslim/Jewish/Whattheheckever nurse's forum, if enough nurses from that particular religion felt that there were issues unique to them that they would want to discuss and for which they wanted to give each other information and support.
I don't understand; why would anyone feel threatened by having a forum for a group of people who are minorities in a profession, particularly if those nurses felt that there *were* issues that they wanted to discuss and support each other in, issues that were relatively unique to them? It's the freakin internet, it's another click, and certainly no skin on my or your or anyone else's back. Why is that such a problem? Do you have a problem with the male nurse forum? The nurses with disabilities forum? How are those any different?