Race relations and nursing enviroments

Baby G · Mar 27, 2004

Thank you. I am a born, bred and educated Jamaican. I was born in Manchester (Jamaica) and lived there for most of my life, then moved to Kingston where I did my general training. I worked there for five years then came to England to gain some more experience and to further educate myself. And yes, to get a better pay than what I was receiving at the time.

Don't get me wrong, Birmingham is nice and has got a large West Indian community, and there are plays and cultural events that I go to. However there are people who make you feel that you are not welcomed in the workplace and in society as well. I have few white friends who I wouldn't swap for the world, but that doesn't mean that there isn't racism. In some cases these friends can't even invite you into their homes because they know their family and friends would be outraged to have you in their houses.

As you said Bizzy, I'm just being honest. I don't beat around the bush to make things appear prettier than they are. Anyway, I'm planning to move to Houston. I hope that's a good choice, cause I hear Texas is notoriously racist. Oh, why can't we all just get along !!!!????

If there is anyway I can help, let me know.

bizzymum919 · Mar 27, 2004

Houston TX has some of the best food places, but the racism is even unbearable for other Texans. My family lives in the Dallas area, but Houston for such a large city is terrible. I know for fact that the nursing conditions and pay is wonderful down there, but the ignorance is rampant. A town, just outside of Houston, off I-10 called Vider, TX is completely ran by racists to the point that the Federal gov't will not provide any aid to that city. The government tried to integrate the city and asked blacks to move in and they would provide the homes and bonuses and jobs and such, but the white residents of this all white city chased the black children home from school in their trucks throwing sticks and rocks and the adults were given death threats and their homes were shot at with shot guns and pistols. The black people with the government's help were relocated within a year.

I find that the US is going full circle with the racism. People are getting evenmore less tolerant of others and people are trying to move further away from any sort of person of colour that is different that themselves (white and black and hispanic). You will find many people will live very far away from the hospitals. They will work in an intergrated environment, but not live in one.

I think the same reason that is driving you out of the UK and to the US is the same thing that is driving me out of the US and to the UK. :wink2:

bizzymum919 · Mar 28, 2004

Not to leave anyone out. I thank everyone for sharing what they see in their hospitals.:kiss It seems that most hospitals are trying to do proactive measures to keep racial tension down to a minimum and also letting people of colour express themselves and not feel shut out of the system.

There are thousands of hospitals to choose from in the UK and where some are laggging behind it seems that other are making strides in leaps and bounds in respect to diversity and providing a friendly work environment for everyone.

I am looking for both a friendly work environment AND home environment. In my opinion, I feel I am more likely to find them in the UK rather than in the US. I have met so many friendly Northerners (esp Yorkshire and Birmingham areas) and I even have not ruled out Scotland, or N. Ireland as a possibility of places. :rolleyes: I know there is shortage of nurses there also. :)

:balloons:

Baby G · Mar 28, 2004

Thanks for the info.. but how long ago did this happen? I can always reconsider going to Houston, but I'll go there first to see why the 23% of the population who is black still live there. In the same breath, I will never reconsider leaving the UK.

I have been to the States countless times, and in my experience things are different there. I'm neither British nor American so I weigh things from a neutral point of view. Saying that, Britain is now losing a lot of their nurses (Brits and overseas recruited nurses) to the US than they are receiving.

bizzymum919 · Mar 28, 2004

Houston has some of the best hospitals on the country due to the private organizations that fund some research areas of medicine. The pay and job market in Houston is also quite good.

I understand that nurses from the UK and other countries are coming to the US due to the pay. When a starting LPN can make $35,000/yr with $2-5,000 sign on bonuses to start in some states and a RN can make $45-60,000/yr to start with and $5-10,000 sign on bonuses, how can anyone pass that up. There are so much research and specializations for nurses. Do British RN's insert PICC lines in patients ? I know that some hospitals in Australia have RN's that do so.

Nurse practitioners have nearly complete autonomy here in the US, but he/she must pay and arm and a leg for malpractice insurance. Also nurse anethetists also must retain VERY high malpractice insurance. RN's and LPN's do not need as much. A nurse with any sort of specialization/certification such as oncology, neurology, radiology can pretty much write their own pay cheque and the hospitals will gladly pay.

Also Britons are going for the warmer climates. TX, CA, FL and HI are getting flooded with Brits. I love the snow !

:balloons:

bizzymum919 · Mar 28, 2004

Thanks for the info.. but how long ago did this happen?
This happened in 1992 and they still have not integrated that city. It is just known as a no-go/pass through zone for people of colour.

Mike RGN · Mar 28, 2004

Do British RN's insert PICC lines in patients ? I know that some hospitals in Australia have RN's that do so.
:balloons:

The same here in the UK some nurses do some don't insert PICC

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 28, 2004

I understand that nurses from the UK and other countries are coming to the US due to the pay. When a starting LPN can make $35,000/yr with $2-5,000 sign on bonuses to start in some states and a RN can make $45-60,000/yr to start with and $5-10,000 sign on bonuses, how can anyone pass that up.
Also Britons are going for the warmer climates. TX, CA, FL and HI are getting flooded with Brits. I love the snow !

I have just passed my NCLEX and have been told by the end of the year I should be out in AZ. The hospital who is sponcering me for my green card appears a very nice hospital and is paying me on my experience as a nurse which is 18 years.

I am expecting alot of change but have been assured that the hospital provides a good orientation period and ongoing support for their foreign trained nurses so time will tell.

Being AZ the climate is a nice bonus but we was happy to move anywhere within the US where there would be a job for both of us.

Don't expect alot of snow in the UK as it is in very much short supply and alot of time because we don't get alot of the white fluffy stuff as soon as it comes the people cannot cope (Especially driving) and things shut down.

Hope you enjoy your visit to this country it is a beautiful country but my husband and I are just wanting a chance to do something different before it is too late. I also hope that you do not come across any racial problems and if you do remember we are not all like that.

Anna

OC_An Khe · Mar 28, 2004

Just a reminder people, there is only ONE race and that is the HUMAN race.

Good_Queen_Bess · Mar 28, 2004

Just a reminder people, there is only ONE race and that is the HUMAN race.

Well said Ocanke.

I am very sad to hear of the bad experience's of racism that some people have had. It is very wrong and should never be tolerated. I work with a couple of people who are racist and I hate it. They know not to say anything infront of me as they usually get a lecture back from me. Fortunatley, I think most people aren't racist and racism is confined to individual's rather than group's. It is still wrong, however.

latone · Mar 28, 2004

hi there i must put my two cents in about this topic,i'm from trinidad and came to the uk in 98,i've worked in wales,west yorkshire,surreyand the isle of man,i've worked with some really nice people and for most part my experience has been good (i've done the nclex and moving on to the usa) i've experienced racism in surrey (wd mger) and once from a 90 yr old pt and on both occasions i cried but the nice people i've met far outweigh the two,i hope the usa will be just as good but i do feel better equiped.

bizzymum919 · Mar 28, 2004

Wow ! Wales and the Isle of Man. I bet that was an experience. Excuse my ignorance, but I was afraid if I went to those parts of the UK, that I would stand out like a sore thumb. :imbar How was the nursing environment in those places in regards to nursing practices and progress and of course, how did the local and professional people perceive and receive you?

Also it is good to know that there are PICC nurses in the UK. I would like to get experienced with that since I worked in the Interventional Radiology dept and was quite impressed with the skills involved. Sometimes I feel that the more versed and skilled I become the more people will see past my skin colour. It is just what I have experienced here in the US. With affirmative action people feel that you got job soley because the employer had to hire you because you were black and not based on your skill and qualifications, but when people realize that I am quite qualified and then some, they are not as resentful, but then they may mock you for being "too smart". It is a vicious cycle, but a reality here in the US.