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?
Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.
I know what your talking about. It is a shame that demographically some communities are not integrated. Even in some metro areas,not all, there is an Italian sections. African American sections, Jewish sections, Vietnamese sections, Arab sections, white section..etc. I agree work places especially need to be color blind. Most metro areas have gotten this down.
Well the Native Americans agreed we are a melting pot until the Great White Spirit smacks the great white man into submission for good.....well...we are a nation within a nation because some of us keep breaking the covenant.
I won't forget talking to a black LPN in New Orleans, he moved there to get away from small town racial tension in rural areas of the south. He said, " I need to be around my own kind for awhile."
I knew exactly what he was talking about. I moved from San Fransisco to a small town in the south. I graduated from Martin Luther King Elementary School (80% black), because there was a fear than half of the students would never see a high school graduation. This was a big city for crying out loud.
The town in the south I move to had a Welcome Billboard. It read....
FRIENDLIEST LITTLE TOWN IN THE OZARKS
No blacks allowed.
You can white out the billboard, but relieving the tension if your black takes much more courage than a can of paint....and it is sick.
The town in the south I move to had a Welcome Billboard. It read....
FRIENDLIEST LITTLE TOWN IN THE OZARKS
No blacks allowed.
You can white out the billboard, but relieving the tension if your black takes much more courage than a can of paint....and it is sick.
I have to agree with you there, it's unbelievable that this kind of thing exists to this day. And I know it does, although it's not always spelled out so clearly. When I lived in Metro Atlanta (DeKalb County), everyone knew that blacks were not welcome in another nearby county - Forsyth, an all-white county (no exaggeration). Although metro Atlanta has a large minority population - DeKalb County certainly does - everyone knew that blacks were not allowed to live in Forsyth. Well, "officially" they were, of course, but it was understood that they had better not try. It was said that blacks were not safe there "after dark".
It always horrified me to know that even close to a modern city - an Olympic city, no less - something so outrageous can exist.
DeLana
P.S. It hasn't changed (I left the area in '93) - I recently read an article on the subject that mentioned the "all white Forsyth" as one example.
Here in liberal Northern California, just tonight saw a big pick-up truck with a bunch of decals on it like "Cowgirls Rule" and "Cowgirl Up." What was so shocking to me was to also see a confederate flag bounded by the words "Fear This". Beyond the obvious, I'm not sure what she's hoping to communicate.
I feel what you are saying but I was in a different position. I am white but I was definitely a minority where I was working. 90% of the pt population was either Hispanic or African-American and 95% of the staff. I had to prove my self time and time again to the patients until I had gained their trust and they could see past racial lines. Although it was frustrating in the beginning I learned a lot about different cultures and now it seems weird to work with predominantly white patients. I abhor discrimination in any form whether it comes from a nurse or a patient. We are all people working toward a common goal while in the hospital. Good luck to you. I'm proud to be in a profession that celebrates the intellect and professionalism of many different cultures and races.
Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.
FRIENDLIEST LITTLE TOWN IN THE OZARKS
No blacks allowed.
Actually this sign was whited out around 1974, that is 30 years,(disgusting it was in my lifetime though) also I remember it used an "N" word that I am programmed to never use.
Specializes in med-surg, geriatrics, adult homecare.
There was an article in one of the journals lasy year about how few persons of color go into nursing as a career. I have always wondered if it is a cultural thing or is there still some great degree of discrimination in nursing programs? The point being- we make assumptions based on past experiences. Guy in a lab coat=doctor, person of color- support staff. People in crisis may not have the where-with-all to be politicaly correct in thier assumptions. They have other things on thier minds. As a general rule there are much fewer persons of color working as R.N.s so the patient just jumps to the most common conclusion- support staff. I don't think any patient has ever read my nametag and short of wearing whites and a cap it's difficult to tell who is a nurse at first glance.
In order to get into nursing school,you must be perpared at the high school level academically.Many blacks lack the necessary science courses to enter nursing school. Most blacks do not live in the 'burbs.
In black neighborhoods the schools are substandard. I am African American,and I can tell you black kids have hopes and dreams just like white kids.White kids are just better prepared and equipped to make their dreams come true. We are all born equal but we are not all created equal.For those blacks that do beat the odds,then they have to deal with racism in nursing school,and so it continues into the workplace,which is what this thread is all about. I think the only white people who may have similar experiences are those who have come from an area,where there is generational poverty.Besides racism in America,there is classism.That is why I feel the only type of white people who have been through anything similar as blacks in terms of being part of a disenfranchised group of people in this country,and being systematically excluded is poor white people,such as poor rural whites,and those whites who are in places like Appalachia,and those pockets of white areas in this country that are economically depressed
Just like you, I am a nurse of a different color other than white and I have been a nurse here in the US for 18 yrs. Here's my advice for you: You should tell your pts this, just as nurses are not allowed to choose our pt assignments, pts should not be allowed to choose who they have as their nurses and if they give you hard time. let your charge nurse know. Thank you.
In order to get into nursing school,you must be perpared at the high school level academically.Many blacks lack the necessary science courses to enter nursing school. Most blacks do not live in the 'burbs.
In black neighborhoods the schools are substandard. I am African American,and I can tell you black kids have hopes and dreams just like white kids.White kids are just better prepared and equipped to make their dreams come true. We are all born equal but we are not all created equal.For those blacks that do beat the odds,then they have to deal with racism in nursing school,and so it continues into the workplace,which is what this thread is all about. I think the only white people who may have similar experiences are those who have come from an area,where there is generational poverty.Besides racism in America,there is classism.That is why I feel the only type of white people who have been through anything similar as blacks in terms of being part of a disenfranchised group of people in this country,and being systematically excluded is poor white people,such as poor rural whites,and those whites who are in places like Appalachia,and those pockets of white areas in this country that are economically depressed
To anyone who questions whether urban black kids have the same opportunities as the white kids from the 'burbs let me suggest that you read the book "Savage Inequalities" by Jonathan Kozol. It's a sobering read.
Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.
To anyone who questions whether urban black kids have the same opportunities as the white kids from the 'burbs let me suggest that you read the book "Savage Inequalities" by Jonathan Kozol. It's a sobering read.
I am sure that "Savage Inequalities" is a very sobering read, but being an urban black male I must say that we, at time, are our own worst enemy. I am not saying that racism does not exist and that the playing field is not always level. But look at the mindset of todays young black students. Who is at fault because the kids wont do their homework? Is it the schools responsibility to be the lone enforcer of education standards? Why are the parents let off of the hook? Sure we can say the problem stems from years of discrimination and social economic depravity, but are we as a race holding on this "excuse" because the reality of our plight is harder to deal with. If we valued education more than the "bling bling" and doing the latest dance moves, and other non productive ventures maybe we as a race would garner more respect by others. Every time I hear one black kid say to another "you talk like a white boy" or hear of a black kid being ostracized for doing his/her schoolwork and maintaining good grades, we perpetuate the myths and beliefs that has torn us apart as a race for the past 50 years. As African Americans we often forget that other ethnic groups were vilified and excluded from mainstream society (Jewish ethnicity as an example) yet overcame and have come to dominate through hard work and education. Their parents placed a premium on education and hard work so their children could live better lives. Our situation seems in stark contrast. We view welfare and public assistance a means to "earn" income with little or no effort and create a cycle of dependency as our children watch and become enamored and trapped in this vicious cycle. Yes we must acknowledge racism as it does exist, but we must examine our failure as a race in preparing our children to adequately deal with this issue.
:uhoh3:
leslymill
461 Posts
I know what your talking about. It is a shame that demographically some communities are not integrated. Even in some metro areas,not all, there is an Italian sections. African American sections, Jewish sections, Vietnamese sections, Arab sections, white section..etc. I agree work places especially need to be color blind. Most metro areas have gotten this down.
Well the Native Americans agreed we are a melting pot until the Great White Spirit smacks the great white man into submission for good.....well...we are a nation within a nation because some of us keep breaking the covenant.
I won't forget talking to a black LPN in New Orleans, he moved there to get away from small town racial tension in rural areas of the south. He said, " I need to be around my own kind for awhile."
I knew exactly what he was talking about. I moved from San Fransisco to a small town in the south. I graduated from Martin Luther King Elementary School (80% black), because there was a fear than half of the students would never see a high school graduation. This was a big city for crying out loud.
The town in the south I move to had a Welcome Billboard. It read....
FRIENDLIEST LITTLE TOWN IN THE OZARKS
No blacks allowed.
You can white out the billboard, but relieving the tension if your black takes much more courage than a can of paint....and it is sick.