What in the world are we supposed to do when a patient makes it known that they "don't want any nurses of color taking care of them"?
There was a patient on my unit last week who mentioned this (I have no idea who she told this to, administration, the doctors, I have no idea who she notified). She was in her 20s and was not on the unit for mental illness issues at all, she had an OBGYN related surgery and was not under any sedative medications, she was able-bodied with full mental capacity! Thank goodness for the patient none of the nurses (all of whom but 2 out of 50-something nurses are people of color) knew about this patient's odd request until she was discharged from the hospital.
What I really wanted to do and say were unprofessional. What are we supposed to do when someone comes to hospital with this request?
You sound surprised that someone who is racist doesn't have a mental illness? Most racists I know are average joes. But I guess if you're not always on the receiving end of racism you would be surprised.
Ha! I was thinking the SAME THING! I wasn't aware that racism was a mental illness.
ditto to that....i hope it does not say something bad about me, but if i am getting care, I would like to be able to understand and communicate with my caregivers.
Thing is it can be the start of a slippery slope. Where do you draw the line? If you start allowing patients to dictate (where possible) the race of the nurse whom cares for them where does it end? Will you allow requests based upon religion, sexual preference, nationality?People who make such requests need to realise they are in hospital because they require care, and it is the nursing staff charged with providing that care. Sadly for them there aren't nurses of every race, religion, creed and what not hanging around on tenter hooks waiting to be summoned for duty. Long as the care is being provided by a competent, caring and professional nurse you take what is on offer or deal with two main options; transfer to another facility and let them deal with your maddness and or sign out AMA.
In an ideal world where racism comes merely from bad parenting, I would be inclined to agree. However, racism has its roots in many terrible places, and rather than decide that this patients' needs for comfort and feeling of safety aren't a priority because you don't sympathize or identify with their request, we need to recognize that there is more to a patient than illness and there could very well be a justifiable reason for the way they feel. I believe this for race, religion, or any reason. I think we should all have the right to refuse care from someone who makes us uncomfortable. If the feeling is that deep, and it cannot be accommodated, then yes, transfer them or let them sign out AMA. Racism isn't always based on simple ignorance, though. Believe me, I'd take the hate, fear, and sadness from every single heart if I could, but until that's possible, we can only begin to build understanding with respect. Maybe they are being disrespectful, but that's a reflection on them. You can only control your own actions. Show them respect, and don't put a staff member in a position of having to care for someone who hates them based on skin color. No employee should have to deal with that.
I am sorry that this young woman would say such a thing, however, we don't know what may have happened in her past that may make her feel this way. If she had been attacked or something like that, I can understand her emotion. If she is just being racist, then shame on her!!
I'm a black female who lives in a region where racial refusals are common.
Anyhow, these requests are usually accomodated at my place of employment because management wishes to keep the facility's Press Gainey patient satisfaction scores above a certain threshold.
However, the facility where I work cannot always accomodate the request, especially on night shift, due to the fact that all of the night shift nurses might be 'people of color' on certain evenings.
One more thought. . .I would prefer that these patients have their requests accomodated, as weird as this may seem. A patient who does not want me to provide any care for him/her can conjure up lies and false accusations that could make my life absolutely miserable. I'd much rather live and let live.
You have such a good attitude. While on a personal level I find these racist comments/requests offensive and innappropriate, while at work there is a responsibility on us to remain professional and cater to the pt as much as possible.
Trying to "accommodate the request," I believe, is the right thing to do, in the interest of patient care and comfort of the staff as well. However, the pt will probably need to be told that at some times the request cannot be accommodated and that any innappropriate comments toward staff will not be tolerated (if it comes up).
PS - has anyone seen Marigold Hotel? There is a geriatric pt like this in that movie who eventually has a turn of character and it's a beautiful story :) (maybe not very realistic, but touching none-the-less).
I have never had that request and I have worked in the deep rural south for over 30 years. If I did it would genrally honored unless there was no one available. Patients have often asked that me or other nurses not to care for them because something did not click. We are not here to judge patients only to provide the best care we can. Bigotry if that is the cause of the request is generally not what we are treating and should just be ignored. as time goes on people change and the patient may or not. So nurses should not let requests like this go to their heads.
As a nurse of color, I don't know. I'm tempted to say, "Honor her request." But that seems like giving in. Usually racism is more covert... I don't know the answer when it's this overt. I think nursing, administration, medicine, and possibly HR need to sit down and figure out what they want to do in this unlikely, exceptional situation... This is really a good question-- everybody's not kind...
I think it amazing that people are yet surprised by the small-mindedness of individuals in 2012. As a Afrian American Nurse, absolutly NO THING shocks me, especially having worked in this field for over 25 years. In my early years as a home health nurse, I had a patient call the office and tell my supervisor that he didn't want any ***** in his home. I could hear my supervisor inform him that it was in his best interest to find another Home Agency that would cater his needs. That the nurses employed on her staff were more than qualified to care for patients in true need and she would not subject them to a hostile environment or any person who would belittle them or make their job difficult & stressful than it had to be. She told him he was immediately discharged. After stammering over his words and begging for our agency not to "kick him out" he apologized and said he just needed help. He met us 3 times a wk with a half cocked smile and always ended our visit with "thank you for coming." It's nice when management will set a standard and not be intimidated or bullied to accomadate the racist tandrums of individuals.
Ha! I was thinking the SAME THING! I wasn't aware that racism was a mental illness.
I think the point was that is wasn't someone who say had paranoid delusions that a non white person was coming to kill them. There was no clinical reason behind this that they were aware of.
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CrazierThanYou
1,917 Posts
Ha! I was thinking the SAME THING! I wasn't aware that racism was a mental illness.