My article describes what racial discrimination is and how it can be present in the nursing profession. I included a personal story of my own experience with racial discrimination and the negative effects that it had on me. I also provided a few tips on how to deal with racial discrimination appropriately and ended the article with an opening for other potential comments or stories.
Racial discrimination is the discrimination of minority individuals based on their race, skin color, or ethnicity. Racial discrimination is a popular topic today evidenced by instances of police shooting unarmed suspects and individuals calling the police on minorities for no reason. The problem is exacerbated by social media videos and political influences. Racial discrimination can occur in any setting including your work setting, stores and restaurants, a job interview, and even applying for credit.
The nursing profession is not immune to the problem of racial discrimination either. Less than 25% of the nursing workforce in the United States are minorities. Racial discrimination can be the basis for failures to promote, termination, patient requests, and disciplinary actions. Have you ever been told that the patient requested "only white nurses", or they stated that they "did not want a black nurse"? These are some examples of racial discrimination demonstrated by patients in the nursing profession. Minority nurses may experience racially motivated bullying and feel as if they are being talked down to by other members of the interprofessional healthcare team, such as physicians, managers, supervisors, administrators, and even colleagues and coworkers. The failure to promote based on racial discrimination has been happening for years and is the basis for many discrimination lawsuits.
My Story: My own personal experience with racial discrimination in nursing stemmed from a situation of failure to promote. I had been an employee working for a healthcare facility for approximately three years. In the course of my employment, I had obtained a Bachelor Degree in Nursing and was working on a Master's Degree in Nursing Administration. A month or so prior to the incident, I was trained in the charge nurse/supervisor role and began to fill in in the absence of the supervisor. When the supervisor was promoted to the nurse manager position it was expected that I would move into the open supervisor position. The position was posted and there were both internal and external candidates. During the application and interview process, I continued to fill in in the supervisor position, which lasted for a little over a month. I was eventually notified that the position had been given to another internal candidate who had not even completed the 90-day probation period. Other contraindications for this promotion included the selected candidate not having a bachelor's degree and not being already trained in the position. We both had charge nurse and supervisory experience, although she had been a nurse longer than me, I had more experience in that specialty and setting. The only major difference between us was race. How can a new employee with less experience and credentials be chosen for promotion over a 3-year employee with the experience and credentials, and already trained and doing the job? I asked myself the same question. Even after the other nurse was promoted, I continued to fill in as the relief charge nurse. So did that mean I was good enough to fill in but not good enough to be the permanent supervisor? The whole situation affected me very negatively. I lost confidence in myself and began to think about quitting the master's degree program. I began to question if it even mattered that I had an advanced degree because my race and skin color would block me from moving up in the nursing profession. I became so discouraged and disillusioned with being in nursing administration and eventually changed my concentration to nursing education. For days it clouded my thoughts and judgment. I had trouble sleeping and just felt bad in general. Eventually, I decided that I had to address the situation in order to move on.
There are measures you can take to protect yourself against racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is a violation of the "Civil Rights Act of 1964". Minority nurses who feel that their civil rights have been violated should first file a complaint with their organization's human resource office. In some cases, a complaint must be filed with your organization's corporate human resources office. If the issue is not resolved, the nurse may choose to take action outside of the company and retain an attorney for the potential of filing a Civil Action Lawsuit. In some instances of racial discrimination, you may react negatively lashing out or becoming indignant. This is the wrong action to take. When dealing with instances of racial discrimination in nursing remember to:
Confront the situation but stay professional
Keep a written record of occurrences
Do not quit your job
Attempt to resolve the issue internally
Seek outside counsel if necessary
Being racially discriminated against may not be a big deal to some, but the truth is discrimination can affect you mentally, emotionally, and even physically. No one should be allowed to make you feel diminished or second best based on the color of your skin. Are there any other minority nurses out there who have experienced racial discrimination in nursing?
Your experience doesn't seem like the clear cut case of racial discrimination you make it out to be. You claim that "The only major difference between us was race." However you also point out that this individual had more overall nursing experience as well as supervisory experience. It can be preferable to move a relatively new person into a different role than upset schedules and dynamics of an established employee. Having a backup trained to fill in could also be an advantage. Some organizations are reluctant to commit individuals pursing advanced degrees into new positions because they might be leaving soon. I'm sure you're aware of some of these factors if you've pursuing a degree in nursing administration.
My point is, not even knowing the details of the situation other than your one-sided summary, I can come up with at least half a dozen reasons not motivated by race for not offering you this particular promotion. While it is entirely possible that racial animus was part of the decision, I would caution you against playing the race card especially with such thin evidence. Have you experienced any other race-based discrimination at this workplace? It was seem odd for them to train you and allow you to serve in a leadership position if they truly believe you were inferior or incapable because of your race.
I understand how this must have been a frustrating experience and a disappointment. I certainly don't deny racism is alive and well in throughout the United States and especially in the South. But not everything can be chalked up to racism and very few things are purely racist. I would also mention that if individuals feel they have been discriminated against in employment matters, they would be wise to consult their local office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which is tasked with investigating and bringing charges against employers when such discrimination actually occurs.
So sad you play the race card here. You say the only difference is race, yet you mentioned other differences. Which is it? And despite your higher education levels, did the board who interviewed/selected, believe they pick the BETTER qualified candidate? Sounds like sour grapes to me, not racism.
While no one may know the heart behind the decision, I think it is important for you to understand that three years of experience puts you at a novice level. I constantly tell new nurses that the first year you will learn everything school didn't and the next two years you will become proficient. You are still a new nurse. I am not saying this is not racial discrimination, but you are not comparing totally equally here. Only new nurses think education is the most important thing. Your charge and leadership experience, by your own admission, were less than their employment at the facility. The other applicant may have had years. I am sick of hearing new nurses thinking they are entitled to positions that other nurses with experience should fill. I have seen discrimination over my years, mostly the way minorities are spoken to by doctors and patients, with a handful of nurses. There were nights when I was the only "majority" on, never realizing it at the time, nor caring. I then worked a LTC where I worked with a majority of Africans, awesome nurses who I enjoyed working with, but even they said that whites were discriminated against when it came to picking up hours and getting days off. I never noticed that until I was told. You know, sometimes when you look for something, you are going to find it. You may have found it here, but I think you only dug until you hit the first rock and stopped. I think there is a goldmine deeper.
I never denied anything. I can, however, read and think critically. Doing so will do exponentially more to advance racial equality than insisting that every time a minority doesn't get their way, racism is at play.
The statement " insisting that every time a minority doesn't get their way, racism is at play."
The OP was speaking about her individual experiences. No one stated ALL minorities claim racism, if " they don't get their way" except you.
That statement alone shows how "critically" this person thinks. Enough said.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
I am a Caucasian woman. Unlike many people, I am very aware of the automatic priviledge that comes with being Caucasian on a very basic level. Part of the reason I am aware of it is because my husband is an African American male. He has a higher degree than me with more extensive educational training. He has served our country and I have not. He is very aware of the automatic bias that often goes against him for being an African American male. He constantly is aware of how people perceive and judge him based on his skin tone alone, and goes out of his way to do all he can to counter this automatic judgements before people even get a chance to get to know him on a daily basis. I could list example after example of discrimination based purely on race that he has encounered over the years we have been together but it is so emotionally exhausting for me to even think about and type, let alone for him to deal with.
All of that to say -
1) Anyone who uses some version of the phrase "playing the race card" can not seriously consider themselves an ally in any way!
2) Just because you haven't gone through racial discrimination yourself, or think you haven't witnessed others go through it, doesn't mean it does not exist nor should you dismiss it like the other person is being dramatic, or as racists love to say, "playing the race card."
3) If you can't acknowledge its existence, then you are part of the problem.
I am a Caucasian woman. Unlike many people, I am very aware of the automatic priviledge that comes with being Caucasian on a very basic level. Part of the reason I am aware of it is because my husband is an African American male. He has a higher degree than me with more extensive educational training. He has served our country and I have not. He is very aware of the automatic bias that often goes against him for being an African American male. He constantly is aware of how people perceive and judge him based on his skin tone alone, and goes out of his way to do all he can to counter this automatic judgements before people even get a chance to get to know him on a daily basis. I could list example after example of discrimination based purely on race that he has encounered over the years we have been together but it is so emotionally exhausting for me to even think about and type, let alone for him to deal with.
All of that to say -
1) Anyone who uses some version of the phrase "playing the race card" can not seriously consider themselves an ally in any way!
2) Just because you haven't gone through racial discrimination yourself, or think you haven't witnessed others go through it, doesn't mean it does not exist nor should you dismiss it like the other person is being dramatic, or as racists love to say, "playing the race card."
3) If you can't acknowledge its existence, then you are part of the problem.
And those who claim it, never have any proof, proof, proof!
Sooo how would anyone ever be able to truly prove racism ?? Just bc they didn't call her the "N"word, doesn't mean it can't be racial bias. That's what's so difficult, it's very subtle at times and unless you're a minority and have seen it first hand, as a white woman, it's something you wouldn't even notice bc it's not happening to YOU. Grow up.
Specializes in 8 years Telemetry/Med Surg, 5 years Stepdown/PCU.
A prime example of how racism plays out at my job:
I'm biracial, but with my light skin and dye job, I am perceived as a white woman. I am treated differently at my job in subtle ways -- I am seen as more approachable and less aggressive. I am the first one to whom OT is offered, more likely to be given cash incentives, and when I cop an attitude, I am never called aggressive or accused of having an attitude problem. I'm perceived as "easier to deal with" and reap the benefits. All of administration, the board of directors, everyone in upper management are white, despite the majority of the nursing staff being black employees who've been with the company for 20-30 years. We promote from within. No one has put in the work to train up, empower and elevate a woman of color. Friends promote friends, and when the people at the top are white, it becomes a self-perpetuating thing.
Management/owners are not overtly racist. They believe equality is important. But they do not have self-awareness of how their bias plays out. If black women disagree, they are labeled aggressive. When they talk with their close circle of friends during report, the cadence/speech changes to reflect who they are versus the professional code-switch they must use in front of patients/coworkers to sound "white" and thus, "appropriate." They are then called clique-ish for this, when really they are finding solidarity with one another. They are more regularly reprimanded and cited for behaviors that the rest of us exhibit, because there is a spotlight on "ghetto" attitude.
The worse thing is black women are called aggressive, but when there are patients whose families are obnoxious/troublesome, management says "hey, let's put them with [black nurse] because she'll keep them in line and scare them into acting right! They'll get intimidated and leave us alone!"
Racism is constantly labeling black women as aggressive to deny them professional respect, accolades and rewards, then weaponizing them in order to do your dirty work. It's not fair, it's not right, and this is why we need to work harder to educate ourselves and elevate people of color to positions of leadership.
True!!! You hit the nail on the head. They always put the difficult patients who have been rude to the other staff or aggressive towards the staff with the black nurses. And if the families are tough to deal with, assign to the black nurses. Because we stand up for ourselves and won't allow someone to mistreat us but then we are labeled🤷ðŸ¿*♀ï¸
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
"Less than 25% of the nursing workforce in the United States are minorities" This cannot be true. I think it is the opposite? Im not saying racism doesn't exist but the majority of my coworkers are minorities including our manager.
I live in a diverse state. My floor has only 2 Black RNs, including myself, on a floor with I think >30 RNs. Yes, minorities are under represented as RNs. There is 1 black CNA. 1 Hispanic RN. I live in California. I've noticed not too many black RNs in the local hospitals I attended in school, as well.
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing that being passed over for this promotion was racially motivated. Frankly I'm not seeing it as such based on the OP, but then I don't work there to see first hand the workplace culture. Just because racism, sexism, ageism, frankly any discrimination isn't blatant doesn't mean it isn't there.
No matter the cause for being passed over for this promotion I'd be angry too. Bypassing experienced staff for a promotion and giving it to a new employee still in the probationary period sends a pretty clear message about how little that employer respects their employees unless of course that new employee is very clearly more qualified.
Guest957596
343 Posts
Concur 100%!