Patients and the race card

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I am a fairly new nurse and many of my co-workers have run into situations where a patient pulls the race card on them. This has not yet happened to me, but I'm sure with time it will.

Just wondering how others have handled this type of situation and how patients have reacted.

Thanks!

Specializes in Oncology; med/surg; geriatric; OB; CM.

The only patient I've ever had pull a "race card" on me (talk about an antiquated term....) was a Caucasian gentleman in his late 70s who only wanted "Irish" nurses working on him! He actually asked everyone what their "nationality" was....I told him I was American and proud of it! When looking at my last name (which is Irish--I am Irish on both sides) he looked at me and said "I bet you married into that name...you're probably a dumb"....I won't repeat what he said. I smiled and said well you're stuck with me and I will take very good care of you.

When the charge nurse came in to see how things were going, he asked for an Irish Nurse and not the blankety-blankety nurse who was taking care of him; she looked at him and said....she IS Irish--100%! And all of our nurses are excellent!

After that he was sweet as pie to me as in "why didn't you tell me you were Irish?" I smiled sweetly again and said because it shouldn't matter if I'm Irish or Martian or whatever...it should matter that I'm a good nurse.

Just remember OP--bigots come in all sizes, shapes, colors, sex, religions AND occupations.....treat people as equal human beings no matter what their station in life is and the "race card" won't be an issue.:eek:

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Can I please interject something here? I was attempting to explain to a black patient yesterday who was complaining about having had an EJ placed by someone in the ED, and also had a peripheral IV placed in her AC. The AC line infiltrated and they proceeded to use the EJ. Afterwards, the EJ site developed dark scarring and a small keloid. While I tried to explain to this pt that dark skin is more prone to keloids, she rolled her eyes and said "Watch it, you are treading on thin ice" and then said "just leave it alone". I am NOT in any way a racist, and my feelings were hurt because she assumed that since I differentiated dark skin vs light skin, I was degrading her, or at least separating black from white. Finally, I told her that it was in the books, look up keloid and see for herself. Some people just want to be divas, and this was one. Did I say anything prejudicial? Nope, just giving her the facts, in as nice a way as I could. I did have a witness who totally agreed that this pt was looking for trouble..

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I hate when ppl make accusations of "pulling the race card". no one pulls the race card. if they say something it's because they feel they have been wronged or mistreated. we sometimes do things we aren't even aware of. but I guarantee you don't know what it's like to be of another race, just as ppl of other races don't know what it's like to be you!

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Most people play the race card at some time or the other and patients are no exceptions. Blacks, whites, hispanics, and others are all guilty of it. I really don't care anymore but take exception only when race causes harm to the nurse, for example, causing a nurse, through malicious complaints, to have action taken against him/her because of his/her skin color, regardless of the color.

I have had people whom I supervise use it against me which caused me a great deal of discomfort and shocked the daylights out of me because I was not exposed to this kind of behavior in the little Caribbean island in which I grew up. I've had someone spit on my car and call me ******. I've had people in New York called me ****** and asked me to speak english because I have an accent different from theirs - a sweet Caribbean accent which alot of native Americans love. I now live in Texas and I see more black-on-white racism than any other place, probably because of past experiences which I understand but do not agree with. Are we making things any better for us?

In the end the Race Card is just that, a race card, and means nothing if no tangible harm is done. We need to ignore this kind of behavior so that we can set the future stage for our children and from my emperical observations our children will be just fine. The oldies, and I love them to death, no pun intended, will soon be gone and a new light will shine on this wonderful country with the coming of a new generation.

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If you mean minorities saying something like, "you don't give me the same amount of attention because I'm (race)!" Some pts will use any tactic to get your attention and yes the race card may be used. Just ignore the comment and continue doing your job.

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Specializes in ortho, urology, neurosurgery, plastics.
This was my first post ever on this website and I have to admit that I was upset that so many responses were so negative and I felt attacked. After the first few responses, I thought that I would never post on here again...not a very good first impression.

I just want to say that we are all professionals and this is a VERY sensitive subject - I thought this would be a safe place to be able to discuss this topic. I have talked with my co-workers and just wanted to expand my knowledge base. I think this website could be a great way for me to reach out to others, share my experiences and learn from others.

I just wanted to thank all of you that have taken the time to read my post and provide advice/share their experiences!!!:yeah:

Welcome to reality kiddo. Don't internalize the negativity you perceive here. Racism is alive and doing well (unfortunately) and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. It exists in patients of all backgrounds. It exists in Doctors of all backgrounds and it exists in Nurses of all backgrounds. It lives among the rocks and trees and roots of the fiber of global societies. North America cannot claim ownership of this pernicious dogma. Racism is international in scope and in some places (where I have lived and worked) it is far more overt and violent (often deadly) than much of what you will hear or see in Canada or the US.

Examine why you went into Nursing. If it was for the money, quit and become a plumber. If it was for the caring for your fellow man, then dive in head first and take the knocks. They will come. But with some experience and wisdom, your ability to deal with the trying times will improve and allow you to move on (perhaps sadder but certainly wiser). Others in this thread have said it more eloquently than I can, but never refuse care and always give care to each and all with equal compassion and such skills as you have. smile.png

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I am a fairly new nurse and many of my co-workers have run into situations where a patient pulls the race card on them. This has not yet happened to me, but I'm sure with time it will.

Just wondering how others have handled this type of situation and how patients have reacted.

Thanks!

A person can't play a card that they're not dealt.

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The OP is being honest...and let's face it, some of us have had patients pull the race card and this has happened to me twice already.

I won't say which racial minority group...because that is unimportant, but both times it has happened with the same ones.

These patients (I work in the NICU), were treated just like any of our other babies, but because the outcome wasn't what these mothers wanted (both babies were drug babies), they blamed it on the staff and said we were not taking the best care of their babies because they were .

It was beyond absurd...and it's funny, because OTHER minority groups, have praised the care we have given...except for this particular one. We personally, don't care who they are and the nurses never know if they are state-welfare recipients or if they are under traditional insurance...like they claim...I am too focused on the care of their baby to concern myself with how they are paying their medical bill...after all, it has ZERO effect on how I do my job.

But I am sick of it too...you show me someone that plays the race card and I'll show you someone who is their own problem...not their race.

Please tell me what playing the race card means and can only minorities play it?

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Specializes in psych.

I am a nurse and very proud of that accomplishment. I would like to think on my journey into this profession that I would learn early on to treat my patients with dignity and respect. That being said, you must understand that you will run into people of all different races, creeds, attitudes and etc. You will never be able to please everyone, you may even encounter people that as you say "play the race card," you are responsible how you treat a patient not how they treat you, govern yourself accordingly.

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Specializes in psych.

You are responsible for how you treat your patients not how they treat you. You will never be able to satisfy everyone. Govern yourself accordingly.

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As a Unit Clerk many years ago, accusations were made by a patient who claims she was ignored because she is a minority. Because I know the Nursing Staff and I treat (ed) everyone as we (our family member) deserves to be treated, I was able to proudly state that this was not the case. There were 2 patients coding and stretchers with admissions from the ER and PACU rolling down the hallway so since she was able to ambulate and had no dietary restrictions, she could help herself to all the water she needed from the water fountain. (This was after our volunteer responded to the call light and the patient insisted she needed a nurse.)

There was also a patient who stated we were wasting our time dealing with women and minorities and we should treat him as if he was the only who mattered because he had excellent insurance, lots of money and he's American!!

In Healthcare, business, retail, service industries - we all experience this and sometimes co-workers will make accusatory statements as well.

It is just as hurtful if the person is of your race as coming from someone of another race so as long as you can truthfully tell that person their statement is not true, you have nothing to worry about!!

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
Can I please interject something here? I was attempting to explain to a black patient yesterday who was complaining about having had an EJ placed by someone in the ED, and also had a peripheral IV placed in her AC. The AC line infiltrated and they proceeded to use the EJ. Afterwards, the EJ site developed dark scarring and a small keloid. While I tried to explain to this pt that dark skin is more prone to keloids, she rolled her eyes and said "Watch it, you are treading on thin ice" and then said "just leave it alone". I am NOT in any way a racist, and my feelings were hurt because she assumed that since I differentiated dark skin vs light skin, I was degrading her, or at least separating black from white. Finally, I told her that it was in the books, look up keloid and see for herself. Some people just want to be divas, and this was one. Did I say anything prejudicial? Nope, just giving her the facts, in as nice a way as I could. I did have a witness who totally agreed that this pt was looking for trouble..

This is way over the top. It's statistically proven that certain health conditions are more prevalent in certain ethnic populations and though the majority already know this, they'll still look for any possible way to be ignorant themselves. It's sort of like "crying wolf", it makes the real and valid accusations less credible which certainly is not doing them, or their culture, any favours.

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