WARNING: This is a controversial topic. Some readers may object to the viewpoints to be posted within. If you are one that cannot tolerate controversy, you have the right to not read this thread. Otherwise, all viewpoints are welcome.
Hello, this is Olive Vines here. I have been wanting to post a thread on this topic for a while. However, I have postponed doing that until now.
My observation is one that many minority nurses can relate too. Especially minorties in small southern towns such as the one I reside in. Here we go.
It seems to me that non-white, non-female nurses have the hardest time getting a job outside of acute care facilities. I live in a small town that is about an hour away from a metropolitan area. I have noticed that when it comes to needing nurses, a lot of physician offices, healthcare clinics, schools seem to overlook equally qualified minority nurses. I am including male nurses as being a minority because that is what they are in this profession.
When I take my daughter or accompany my mother to the doctor's or dentist's office, the staff is 9 times out of 10, overwhelmingly caucasian. But on the other hand, you go to any hospital and you will find that black females abd male nurses account for a large percentage of staff in those areas. We all know that non-acute care can be stressful, but not as near as stressful as primary care or any other branch of nursing. I see this strange trend in long term care facilities as well.
The only places where I have seen the exception is in large metropolitan areas where white people do not tend to reside. And I see a lot of black and male nurses relocating to Birmingham and Atlanta to get top notch jobs because the opportunities have been denied in small cities such as where I live. And while most of the jobs they garner happen to be in acute care facilities in those large cities, there seems to be more job satisfaction for some reason.
And while I'm on the topic. I also have noticed that I have better nights when most of my patients are African-American. Those patients tend to be less demanding of my time and take me more seriously as a health-care provider. But, on the other hand, when I have white patients, especially older white males, I see myself being ran up and down the hall for the non-essential things. And also, I get a lot of lip from the patient as to what they are NOT going to do or what medicine they are NOT going to take until they talk to their doctor. But, hold it right there, here's the kicker. When a nurse, who happens to be white, has had that same patient before, they seem not get that same attitude or disrespect from that same patient. They get a very nice, compliant patient while I put up with crap from them.
And one last thing, and this is just a personal vent: I am so tired of being mistaken for Environmental Services, Dietary or the PCA by white patients. And this is all while I have my namebadge that has RN, BSN on it. That's a big pet peeve of mine.
Now, I welcome any viewpoints on this topic because I feel it needs to be addressed. With a nursing shortage, why be so picky? Why do minorities have to be destined to work in acute care while white female nurses can have their pick and choose? And why aren't male nurses as accepted by older patients as female nurses are? And before I get bashed and called out for being prejudiced against whites, let me just say, my father is white so that pretty much kills that notion. I just call it like I see it and what I experience. What do you all think? I welcome all with open arms and I promise, I will not be offended by anything you say.
I work in a 26-bed Adult critical care unit-Our staff looks like the UN-Over 50% of our staff is "non-white" (whatever that remark means-personally, I'm kind of peachy-tan)-and we have quite a few men (of all nationalities)-it is really wonderful to be around so many different cultures and ways of thinking. I guess it depends on where you work, live, opportunities and peoples' career choices. I feel uncomfortable about this because I have never seen people as a "race" or "minority" or anything other than-"Hey, there's Dahlia, she's really nice" or "Hey there's Tom, he's not very friendly, but whatever."
Thank you so much for that enlightenment. I know that one day, righteousness will triumph all. May God bless you and keep you.
So true! It seems this old world doesn't get any better, sometimes it seem to be getting worse and worse. I look to that day, when His righteousness prevails!
Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.
I have to agree in large part with Motrocycle mama. But also add to that males aren't typically drawn to office nursing, to slow, no trauma, not glamourous enough, whathave you. Is there still racism? Damn skippy. Only now it's more insidious, like someone said earlier if you don't use the N-word then you are not raciest, by the way isn't saying the "N-word" just as offensive as the say the actual word? I mean we all know what it means, right? So it's just the same. Sorry I digress. As to your patients with the BA. Just as your grandfather still has fear in his heart:crying2: the intorlerant is still lodged in the southern white boys. My grandfather was an intollerant white boy I guess because he didn't know any better. I just blow those people off and pitty their life. I have been the subject of overt racism, in korea. Only the cops didn't hassle me because they would have had to get a translator, and it was more trouble than it was worth in their eyes I guess. My heart goes out to you dude, but perservire(sp?)(when will they put spell check on this thing:uhoh3: ) I can't tell you I know how you feel because I was only in the korea situation for 6 months and could leave anytime I wanted to, so it doesn't count really. As far as having foriegner employers go, in most of their countries racism is more overt, So don't expect fair treatment based on that fact alone. Anyway Nurse, just keep going forward, try to enlighten as you go, but don't waste the time and energy on those that refuse to see your light. Later Gator Tim
They talk in their language to each other so who knows what they say.
Thsi always annoyed me once when i worked with a few Hispanic aides. I learned enough Spanish to find out that they were talking about several people like DOGS right in front of them, which is just flat-out RUDE. They thought it was hilarious too.
Before someone takes that statement and runs with it, that was just one experience in my own life, and i certainly don't use that as a reflection of my general views on an entire population.
In response to lostdruid's post: Isn't the statement "low class trailer park residents" prejudiced? In light of the fact that your post was about biases, I found your assessment that people who live in trailers are low class interesting.
In response to lostdruid's post: Isn't the statement "low class trailer park residents" prejudiced? In light of the fact that your post was about biases, I found your assessment that people who live in trailers are low class interesting.
hmmmmm.....i can't speak for lostdruid but was thinking that when these trailer people were compared to upstanding citizens, my 1st thought was that these upstanding people were nothing but a bunch of lowlife bigots. just because one has a white collar job does not negate their shallow, superficial characters.
Personally, while I love the South with my heart and soul, you couldn't pay me enough money to live in a small town in the South.
QUOTE]
I have had the opportunity to live in Miami, Frankfurt, Athens, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Trenton N.J., and a couple of small towns in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Race relations are MUCH worst in larger cities. Give me the true South ANYDAY.
And if you don't like the South- then kiss my grits ya'll:chair: - (Joke here please no flames.)
That may be true. Bigger cities have larger populations and thus can be more inflammatory and indeed dangerous, as evidenced by the riots we had here a few years ago.
But I've found as a gay man, living in cities is a bit easier than the small town South because it's not just black people they prejudge. But that's off topic.
I have never seen discrimination based on race until I have moved to a small Texas city. I have lived in Europe my whole life and I did not know why people were asking me, how my parents reacted to my marriage to my (wonderfull) black husband. My family never seen him as black. They have only seen him as American. I am really getting tired of all the negative comments I hear in this small town about different races. I have already told my husband, as soon as I graduate I plan to move up North. People just seem to be more open minded there. Sorry for my frustration, but all of this is coming from a girl who has seen racism for the first time 6 years ago, when moving to Texas. And I just don't get it!
I've dealt with it in an odd form about a month ago. I almost posted a thread about it, but then decided it would be a flame war, because peopel would interpret it in their own way.
A (now former) friend of mine made a remark at dinner that any white girl he dated (he's white) was self-centered, after money, and needy, which is why he said he didn't date them, and dated black girls instead, and would only date black girls. THEN made the remark that white girls gave him crap over it and they were racists.
I'm looking at him in disbelief and said "So in other words, you're choosing to date a specific race because ANOTHER race is racist and stereotypes others? So in other words, you're a hypocrite, and definitely not the person i thought you were." I wound up breaking off the friendship. I didn't want a friend like that. It wasn't the interracial aspect that i had a problem with, but his reasoning for doing it.
TypicalFish
278 Posts
I work in a 26-bed Adult critical care unit-Our staff looks like the UN-Over 50% of our staff is "non-white" (whatever that remark means-personally, I'm kind of peachy-tan)-and we have quite a few men (of all nationalities)-it is really wonderful to be around so many different cultures and ways of thinking. I guess it depends on where you work, live, opportunities and peoples' career choices. I feel uncomfortable about this because I have never seen people as a "race" or "minority" or anything other than-"Hey, there's Dahlia, she's really nice" or "Hey there's Tom, he's not very friendly, but whatever."