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 am a white female, but have occasionally run into reverse discrimination (isn't that an oxymoron:lol2:) as I live and work in a largely Hispanic area. As someone pointed out earlier, it isn't really the same, but it does give a little taste of it.
I met an AA traveling nurse one night, and asked her how she was being treated traveling (not with racial overtomes in the question). She responded with how she hadn't had any problems at our hospital being AA, when all I was asking was how she was doing traveling, as some other travelers had said they often were treated badly since they were on short contracts. Sometimes I think people have been so sensitized to racial remarks, they hear racism where none was intended. This is not to discount anyone's being insulted or belittled! Just that innocent remarks can be taken wrongly.
i am soo glad that someone has addressed this issue. We people of color have been used and abused both in ways you can easily prove and those that are difficult to prove. Even when our fellow co-workers are unfair, management most times looks the other way. Being of color is extremely difficult. I am disgusted by hospitals that launch diversity programs for PR purposes. we people of color are rarely acknowledged by patients and fellow staff. I see several thank you notes posted but we are always left out. We are always left out when it comes to leadership roles even when we are equally or sometimes more qualified.
Unwritten rule first and last admissions, Isolations hand them to nurses of color.
Where in God's name did we go wrong. Many times I have contemplated giving it all up but it's no different as long as my color stays the same.
My friend is a nurse of color in california and she loves it. She says the diversity is real. There are so many Phillipino nurses, they speak their language and haters are all over but cant say nothing because the Philipinos are in numbers. I am just tired of being last in line.
I just started nursing school this Fall, and I was actually floored to find that less then 10% of ALL RN's are minorities.
I would probably have to be a minority to understand what it would feel like for people to automatically assume I wasn't a nurse in a hospital, when most-likely white women that are in housekeeping, etc..are probably mistaken for nurses all the time.
Male RN's, are probably mistaken for doctors all the time too...which shows a sexist bias in our society.
Just keep doing what you are doing...you will serve as an example to other young people that come into the hospital, that YES, you CAN achieve if this is the path that you want to take.
Hello I am AA male that works OB in a relatively large teaching hospital, while I've been a nurse for about three months now and I have had several patients, only two didn't want a male nurse, but there was a rather interesting incident that happened because of my race I do believe, I was called to be the second nurse in a delivery, and I rushed in as the baby was coming, and the lady (an African American) looks over and tells her mother that I should leave, considering I was an RN now, well when asked if she was uncomfortable with the student being in there a male medical student white, she said he was fine, she was just uncomfortable with me? I was puzzled, ofcourse there was plenty else to do but I just wonder.... To everyone who faces discrimination.. Keep your Head Up!
Yes, discrimination can be seen and felt in all walks of life. However, in the nursing field where there are maybe 10% African American nurses, we will feel discrimination even more. In my LTC facility, there are no African American nurses anymore! Wanna know why? Because they were forced out! They had to prove twice as hard that they deserved to be there. They were nit picked for every little thing and when they stood up for themselves, they were angry Black women. I know there is discrimination for being on the plus side (fat should not be used because that is a derogatory word and as long as we use that to describe volumptous people(of which I'm one) then discrimination will continue! But a volumptous Caucasian nurse will still be respected more over a thin African American nurse because people are used to seeing Caucasian nurses. At the school that I attend, there are 96 people in my class. Of those, 8 are African American and the rest are Caucasian. Of the Caucasians, there are 15 males! By the way, there are two instructors who are African American. They speak their mind when needed and don't allow people to walk over them. Of course, they are also viewed as angry Black women. It just never stops!
The OP was not saying whoa is the African American nurse because there is nothing to feel sad about. The OP posted this just to shed light on a subject that is very prevalent and it was on her/his mind and they felt the need to speak on it which I thought was right on point!
We don't need to sweep these kinds of topics under the rug just because African Americans have made "great strides in the last 50 yrs".
This forum is designed to respectfully speak on all nursing issues and this is certainly one of them.
While I know there is plenty of prejudice from majorities toward minorities, there is also plenty of prejudice from minorities toward majorities. I have been on the receiving end plenty of times. If I dare to say the "N" word, I'd be crucified. But blacks where I have worked can say anything they like - N, whitey, honky, white folks do this or that (and it's always something negative), etc. The ironic thing is, neither my family nor I has ever done a single thing to create hardship for any minority, yet, I have to pay the price for what other whites did years ago. That is unfair.
Furthermore, I happen to be in the minority racially where I work. Yet, whites are not a protected class so the majority (who are minorities) get to say and do whatever they please. That is unfair.
Also, those minority nurses who often experience disrespect, discomfort, rudeness, etc. from whites - are you perhaps expecting it and, therefore, seeing it, feeling it?
Maybe you could try to forget the race issue and other differences, if any, and just do your work and you be you and let them be them and never mind "perceptions". What difference does it really make, anyway, what someone thinks about you? You still have to make a living, I assume. Just be a competent, professional nurse and leave it at that.
Also, don't think for a minute that being white is an automatic trust-builder or guarantee of being respected. That is totally untrue.
I know I'll probably be slammed for saying this, as it not PC, but that's what I think. I wish you well in all that you endeavor to do for Nursing.
i am soo glad that someone has addressed this issue. We people of color have been used and abused both in ways you can easily prove and those that are difficult to prove. Even when our fellow co-workers are unfair, management most times looks the other way. Being of color is extremely difficult. White is a color, too. I am disgusted by hospitals that launch diversity programs for PR purposes. we people of color are rarely acknowledged by patients and fellow staff. I see several thank you notes posted but we are always left out. We are always left out when it comes to leadership roles even when we are equally or sometimes more qualified. This is completely not so in any of the numerous places I have worked for the past nearly 40 years. In fact, with affirmative action, whites can barely ever get promoted where I have worked. Blacks were always hired, whether qualified or not. And I am NOT saying they weren't qualified. I'm saying that, even if a white was more qualified, a black got the position.
Unwritten rule first and last admissions, Isolations hand them to nurses of color. So no white nurse ever gets the first or last admit, never has an isolation?
Where in God's name did we go wrong. Many times I have contemplated giving it all up but it's no different as long as my color stays the same.
Thanks to you all
I'm sorry you have had troubling times but hang in there and God bless.
Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry that you have experienced what so many minorities experience on a daily basis, not just at work. I feel that no one should have to go through it. But, I cannot just "relax" about it. I would relax, but just when I think it's safe to come out of the woods, I'm treated like crap again. So, one day I will relax. And that'll be when people start treating everybody, regardless of skin color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, etc., the same and with respect.
I don't know your age but I don't think it will happen in our lifetimes, unless Jesus comes back first.
I just want to know why I have to get the primary cold shoulder.
I just can't help but wonder if you somehow invite it. You are thinking about it, hoping not to get it, it is totally on your mind, and I'm guessing it somehow shows. I understand you are not doing it on purpose and probably can't help it but try to just be you and don't worry about, wonder about, fret about, etc. what someone else's response will be. I know it's easier said than done but I hope you will find freedom in not caring.
i am a nursing student, and also a minority - asian. i never really had any "in my face" racial attitude, although there were a couple of occasions when people asked me if i was "brought" to this country by my husband, assuming i guess that he "rescued" from some poor third world country, and now i am just stuck at home, cooking and serving him :) no, i met him while finishing my masters, and no, i am not locked in at home, thankyouverymuch. i also faced some pretty tacky general assumptions that people associate with asian race, such as woman being extremely submissive, etc etc. i let the comments roll off. your narrow mind is not my problem. your perception of me is not my reality.....that's all.
this is what i know: .....underneath our skin we are all same. same feelings, same emotions, we all get hurt, we all experience moments of joy. we all love to be loved and respected. life is so short, why waste it hating other human beings? our life would be so much more fun and happy if we just accept other people as they are. and love them. don't look at the skin color, but look into that nurse's eyes....is she caring? is she a great professional? is he supportive and reliable? can she teach you something you have been struggling with?
when people know their stuff, and do their job well - it's magic! i don't care if you are purple, or orange, or bronze, if you are a great nurse - i am gonna stick with you! :biere: :balloons::loveya:
I'm a black female nurse at a LTCF and, yes, I've experienced subtle discrimination at the workplace from patients and their family members.
Some family members mistakenly assume I'm a CNA or housekeeper, and honestly think I'm in the patient room to give a bath. A lot of nurses would love to be able to bathe their patients, as it's a great time to get to know the person and to examine his or her body. Alas, time usually does not permit.
Recently, I was working with an Eastern European female CNA. The male carpet cleaner (a contract worker) and this CNA were down the hall chatting and conversing. A few minutes later, he walks to the nurses station to tell me, "The lady in room 101 needs to go to the bathroom." The white CNA overheard him saying this, and she interrupts, "Oh, that's my job. I would have done that."
That's enough for me. I'm fully aware that racial threads don't last too long on this website, because we all fail to agree on things.
JBudd, MSN
3,836 Posts
I am a white female, but have occasionally run into reverse discrimination (isn't that an oxymoron:lol2:) as I live and work in a largely Hispanic area. As someone pointed out earlier, it isn't really the same, but it does give a little taste of it.
I met an AA traveling nurse one night, and asked her how she was being treated traveling (not with racial overtomes in the question). She responded with how she hadn't had any problems at our hospital being AA, when all I was asking was how she was doing traveling, as some other travelers had said they often were treated badly since they were on short contracts. Sometimes I think people have been so sensitized to racial remarks, they hear racism where none was intended. This is not to discount anyone's being insulted or belittled! Just that innocent remarks can be taken wrongly.