Racism at clinical site...what to do?

[ybstressed]

I am currently in my last semester of clinical and I’m appalled at the amount of racism! On my first day of clinical I followed a nurse that made comments such as: Black people are obnoxious and loud! How could a nurse say such things! I also followed a nurse that made sure I knew, during report, that a patients husband was “colored”. Then to make matters worse, a fellow student and I followed a nurse who was taking care of a post-op patient (I do not want to mention what type of surgery) that spoke only Spanish. As we were cleaning the patient she talked about the patient! She made comments such as: Oh…she only speaks Spanish…GREAT... THEY need to learn English. She made other comments that I do not want to repeat. I guess she noticed the look on our faces and said “it’s OK…she doesn’t understand English.” She also provided poor care to the patient. She ignored her call light, never checked on her, and acted as if she did not understand the patient when she was asking for pain medication. Then, at discharge, she gave the patient English discharge papers, explained discharge instructions in English, and ignored me when I asked for Spanish discharge instructions.

I could go on and on! So my question is.....should I report this? I am biracial and take offense to such remarks and I feel really uncomfortable at clinical. Not only am I are uncomfortable but other students are noticing such remarks also. I am afraid if I report the incidents that I will be affected. I hate to say this but the majority of the hospital is this way (the hospital is in very small town). I just don’t know what to do. I HATE going to clinical.

[rn/writer, RN]

I think you were wise to approach your instructor. And, I think you are wise now to back off, as it appears you will not get the support that you deserve.

When your clinical is over, you (and your classmates) may want to write to the upper management of this hospital to let them know what is going on in the trenches. Often, there are things taking place on the floor that the "office folks" never see. People put on their best behavior when the suits come around.

It's entirely possible that management will drop your letter in the circular file. But it is also possible that your complaint will land on the desk of someone who cares--or who at least realizes that prejudicial behavior can come back to bite them.

The best thing you can do right now is go on to get your degree, and consider this exposure to ignorance a part of your education in the kind of nurse you don't want to be.

Thank you for sharing this with us. I wish you the best.

[suanna]

Pockets of outright racists are still around. The climate on the floor seems to permit it and even encourage it. That being the case, any report you make isn't going to change the attitude or beliefs of those nurses one iota. I grew up in Dixie, where racism was practiced out in the open and as ingrained in the culture as if it was in the 40s and 50s. when I moved north I discovered there was just as much racism. It was just a bit meaner, and done more covertly. These nurses are an artifact from the past, and hopefully with the next generation (you) they will become obsolete. The best you can do is display appropriate professional behavior when you start practice and establish a culture of acceptance and respect as the norm on your floor. It is hard to be a bigot when your peers are striving to reach across cultural barriers and provide optimal care. Please also consider, you may have caught them on a tough day, or after a run of difficult patients. I'm sure I've said things I wish I could take back when I'm especialy burnt out and feeling the need to lash out at someone. Simply saying to the nurse: " I've never found that to be true with my relatives who are black" would have done a lot to squelch the comments- and it would have been fun to see her face!

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

CrunchRN said:

Because they deserved it! Not one bit equally offensive in my opinion.

So it is OK to use racist or derogatory statements "if they deserve it". I see. Slavery was built on arguments like this. Sad to see they still exist. Calling someone "inbred" is no better than calling someone any other racial slur. We cannot pick and choose which slurs are acceptable and under which circumstances. None are.

[Music in My Heart]

ybstressed said:

On my first day of clinical I followed a nurse that made comments such as: Black people are obnoxious and loud! How could a nurse say such things!

How? Easy... just the same way that bigoted, narrow-minded people in every other walk of life make similar dumb-@$$ comments.

Were you somehow of the misguided notion that nurses are more open-minded and tolerant than other folks? I'm simultaneously sorry and glad that you've had your eyes opened.

Sad, isn't it?

[Music in My Heart]

ybstressed said:

So my question is.....should I report this?

You are a student and a guest in that facility... You are very vulnerable and you don't know whose loyalties lie where. My advice is keep your mouth shut and plan to look elsewhere for work when you graduate.

Leave it to the employees of the hospital to deal with their own garbage.

I've just witnessed and read of far too many cases where well-meaning people get burned by speaking up. You are a student and you have no power, authority, nor even much credibility in the eyes of many. Do your time and move on.

[MissBrittanyRN]

I am sorry about the outcome but I admire your courage in speaking up. Just curious though, does or has your instructor worked prn or part time at that facility?

[Katie5]

Pfiesty said:

And IF what you say is true, than it is still unethical, unprofessional and ignorant to display ANY such beliefs in the professional workplace - and that is what this thread is about.

I would NEVER dispute this. what I'm saying is that it isn't always so, however much we wanted to believe it.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Purple_Scrubs said:

So it is OK to use racist or derogatory statements "if they deserve it". I see. Slavery was built on arguments like this. Sad to see they still exist. Calling someone "inbred" is no better than calling someone any other racial slur. We cannot pick and choose which slurs are acceptable and under which circumstances. None are.

Yes, if someone is being a racist, and treating patients poorly, then I think it is perfectly fine to use any available derogatory term that comes to mind. Excuse me for not wanting to be polite about someone that would pull that stuff on a vulnerable patient.

[PurpleLVN]

ybstressed said:

update:

I informed my instructor and he told me I should not be so sensitive. I told him that I was not the only student experiencing such issues he pretty much said that we are all stressed and are being sensitive.

since we are a small group (12) we all decided to be the best student nurses ever j, provide the best care possible to each patient, and finish our clinical while trying to avoid such remarks. we decided that this is a battle that we are not ready to take on along with the rest of all our nursing school stress (especially when our instuctor is not concerned).

when I stated that hospital was in a small town I did not mean to offend anyone. I've never experienced such behavior so I didn't know if this could be a contributing factor.

I would like to say that I have never been around such behavior. although I like to believe that I will never run into such behavior again I know I will. if it's a patient I will just provide the best care I can provide and if it's a fellow co-worker I hope I will have awesome managment that will help solve such issues.

thank you for all the replies. :loveya:

I applaud you for going to your instructor to report this incident but it seems he's of the same mindset of the nurse. please be careful, keep your head up, and remember your goal!! this will inspire you to become a better nurse and make a difference!

[leslie :-D]

yb, when i first read your thread, i sensed this was going to happen...

that this attitude and subsequent treatment of colored folks, was going to be pervasive and that this was the likely mindset of the entire town (generally speaking...there are always exceptions).

you can only lead by example at this point, and deliver your care equally to all pts.

it's really a sad state of affairs, to read garbage such as this.

i wish you well, but moreover, i wish all the neglected pts, even more!!!

crap like this, repulses me.

leslie

[Katie5]

yb, when I first read your thread, I sensed this was going to happen...

that this attitude and subsequent treatment of colored folks, was going to be pervasive and that this was the likely mindset of the entire town (generally speaking...there are always exceptions).

you can only lead by example at this point, and deliver your care equally to all pts.

it's really a sad state of affairs, to read garbage such as this.

I wish you well, but moreover, I wish all the neglected pts, even more!

crap like this, repulses me.

leslie

Um,...just wanted to say COLORED FOLKS?You might want to use a better and much more acceptable term.

[Music in My Heart]

ybstressed said:

update:

I informed my instructor and he told me I should not be so sensitive. I told him that I was not the only student experiencing such issues he pretty much said that we are all stressed and are being sensitive.

since we are a small group (12) we all decided to be the best student nurses ever j, provide the best care possible to each patient, and finish our clinical while trying to avoid such remarks. we decided that this is a battle that we are not ready to take on along with the rest of all our nursing school stress (especially when our instuctor is not concerned).

when I stated that hospital was in a small town I did not mean to offend anyone. I've never experienced such behavior so I didn't know if this could be a contributing factor.

I would like to say that I have never been around such behavior. although I like to believe that I will never run into such behavior again I know I will. if it's a patient I will just provide the best care I can provide and if it's a fellow co-worker I hope I will have awesome managment that will help solve such issues.

thank you for all the replies. :loveya:

oops, my advice came too late.

I didn't figure figure this would go anywhere that you wanted it to but at least it seems to not have blown up in your face so that's a good thing.

nursing students are in a very difficult spot and need to really choose their battles... the downside of making waves is so much larger (and, I think, more likely) than the upside.