Racial discrimination in Nursing....

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone..I just wish to know if there is some truth to this..well, some of my friends who are now in U.S.A. have talked to us here in the Philippines about some racial problems. When she arrived at Manhattan, she was given a lot of assignments in her area..which she did not mind at all at first. But, there came a time..that she wanted to question herself on why other american nurses are'nt as busy as her..or she has to forego lunch and dinner just to see to it that she has done her duty well...compared to others..who can really smile around and rub elbows with other nurses. She is one of the best nurses we have here..and she can speak the English language well.

She went to the point of really pouring out herself to a friend she had and was there really a great flood of tears.:scrying:

So..may I ask anyone? ..Who do you think really originated in this land of milk and honey? Aren't most of you now in the U.S. also were once from other nations too/? or maybe trace up your ancestors....I hope all nurses will protect nurses and love nurses..be they be black, white, red, yellow or brown. In this way, we stand up in our profession as One.

do not be too hatefull

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Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

Barbie-

Does your friend get a heavier load than others of similar experience (in terms of number or acuity of pts)? Does she get in trouble for small things that other (presumably white) nurses don't? Are any innapropriate/bigoted comments made to her face or behind her back? Has she applied for new jobs or promotions and been passed over for someone with less experience? If so, then she is definitely being discriminated against. This *is* a country where racism is an endemic disease and a long and shameful part of our history.

Or, is she working very hard from her own personal work ethic. Are the nurses just sort of excluding her out of their own lack of cultural competence? I also have worked with many phillipinos and they were just like everyone else in nursing, human beings!

Just last week I was doing a 4 hour clinical in NICU where the nurse who was orienting a phillipino nurse had me follow her orientee. Come to find out that she (Odessa, the Phillipino) gives a three year commitment to the hospital for zipo pay and a real small flat accross from the hospital (well for the 1st 2 months she's here) in exchange for they're arranging citizenship for her and paying for her flight. Well, sounds rather shady to me. She had to pass the NCLEX in the Phillipines. The weird thing was, that I had learned more about her situation in the 4 hours I was there than the NICU nurses bothered to know in the previous 3 months. This was her first experience without her parents let alone in a completely different country. I felt so bad for her.

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In regard to one person's comment about America being a racist country, racism goes both ways. I've encountered many prejudiced, hateful, hate filled, racists who happen to hate whites.

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Originally posted by Teshiee

I guess it depends on how you look at it. Racism exists and I personally think America is the most racist country in the world. I am just glad my parents didn't teach me to be so ignorant.

Teshiee, exactly how many countries have you been in? Not counting the USA, I've been in 13 different countries on 4 different continents. Most of these countries I have lived in for months to years. I can state without reservation that Americans, in general, are some of the LEAST racist people on the planet. Yeah there are exceptions to the rule, there always is. Overall, our society goes to greater lengths to accomodate a wider variety of peoples than any other country on the planet.

But hey, you are not forced to live here. If you find Americans so racist and distasteful, you are free to leave. Go find yourself a more enlightend, less racist country to live in. The Nursing shortage is supposed to be world wide. Travel and see the world! Once you've done that, come back and see if the USA is quite as racist as you think it is now.

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Fortunately for me as a new grad LVN I was oriented by the charge nurses on the 3-11 evening shift. Both had attended nursing school together in the Phillipines. One is still a friend, the other married and moved to another state.

They were excellent communicators and able to teach me the organizational skills for caring for so many patients. When they conversed in Tagolog it was clear this was a private conversation (about people we didn't know). I was asked if it would bother me and promised they were not talking about me.

Now in this city many people are alive because we had the skills and knowledge of the nurses from other countries. Sometimes I am the only American on a shift.

OOH yes a potluck is a great way to socialize.

Among my friends from many countries are those who are even tempered and soft spoken and those who sho anger and raise their voice. Sometimes I am the best suited nurse for a particular patient, other times a coworker communicates best.

A British co worker married a black American. Asked if her family was upset about her mixed marriage she answered, "They knew when I came to America I would likely marry an American."

A couple years ago I was dumbfounded to encounter a clerk from the Phillipines who had to call the manager what to do when one item out of five identicle ones did not have a sticker. I asked, "Can't you scan one twice."

She was confused. I HAD NEVER BEFORE MET A PERSON WITH A PHILIPINO ACCENT WHO WAS NOT VERY SMART!

Very complicated. It is wonderful we can travel and work in so many places. The adjustments are difficult.

After a long night a friend and I stopped in the cafeteris for breakfast. We ended up laughing so hard.

It seemed we were taught by the same nuns and told the same silly stories. We were literally 1/2 way around the world from each other as little girls! Funny things like "the number seven is lucky" and "superstition is wrong"

Well sorry for the long boring post. I am just fortunate to work with a great group of nurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

YEAH Teshiee! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT !!!

:( :( :( :( :(

Dat was just a lil joke from a lefty ;)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Well, here we go: One person made a personal observation based on her personal experience and a bunch of other people took it personally. It makes ya wonder.

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It makes ya wonder what?

Everyone's own observation and everyone's own experience is personal.

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My tuppence

As an islander, I have been to europe, Asia and aroound the region.

I came across different groups of people, that have different views on different people. There are some that are still in the narrow lane of the road and need to be broaden up.

This kind of racism in nursing happens everyone in the world because I noticed it. And even in Asian too.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Racial discrimination IS a PERSONAL issue, Sharon.

If it were not, it would not be so heated. We all have our own perspectives and each is as valuable as the next.

For instance, I take it personally when accused of being discriminaatory simply due to being caucasian....yet it has happened, right here on this esteemed board of professionals. I think in a way, this as real a form of discrimination as any other is.

And those being discriminated agains due to race, religious preferences, sexual orientation, etc. take it personally, too. They are human and that is the nature of this UGLY beast. OF COURSE IT'S PERSONAL, Sharon!!!!:(

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

Racial discrimination IS a PERSONAL issue, Sharon.

If it were not, it would not be so heated. We all have our own perspectives and each is as valuable as the next.

Deb, that was exactly my point. So why would others come along and in response to one woman's personal observation make comments about spewing garbage, etc.

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"I explained to her FOUR TIMES why I didn't want my dad on a certain medication, and it was still obvious to both myself AND the physiotherapist sitting beside her that she just was not understanding me, because of her poor skills in English."

Is that SAFE?

:eek: Doesn't sound that way!

Where I used to work, African-Americans called the shots. One African-American nurse refused to take a patient who had herpes, simply because she didn't want to take care of him, and she loudly announced that she wouldn't take that patient.

When she was informed that she would have to take him, she said she was leaving.

She went down to the Nursing office, told them she was "sick," clocked out and went home.

The Clinical Leader on the floor went to the Unit Mgr. about this, but was told "Well we can't PROVE that she wasn't sick...", already anticipating a LAWSUIT or something!

There was an African-American LPN who worked there and she wouldn't do anything, even take a blanket to a patient.....but did she ever get reprimanded? Not that I know of. She was loud and abusive, but got away with murder. She knew she didn't have to worry.

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