I hope that this is the correct place for this post, but I am in need of help.
My brother ( black male working in a town which is 96% white, 3.8% other) who is also a nurse is currently working in the Dakotas and has been there for over a year and loves it there. He confided in me today that two of the CNA workers who work for him spit into his bottle of water when he was away from his desk. He stated that he was "wondering why they were laughing so profusely when he started to drink his water after assisting a patient on his floor". The sad thing is that the two other CNA workers who witnessed the incident did not say anything for a few days, but after careful reflection, they then told my brother and the management what they had witnessed. My brother immediately went to management and they told him to "stop making a big fuss over this". As a result, ONE of the CNA workers has been fired, but the other remains employed there. He has had testing for any possible bodily fluid diseases which he could have contracted, but is still bothered by the incident.
I am so disappointed in what happened because my brother is the one who encouraged me to become an RN to help others, but I have reservations now about possibly working in "rural areas" because of what happened to him. I am currently in a large metropolitan area and have not experienced this type of behavior (at least not yet). I treat ALL of my patients the same no matter what race, nationality, gender, or sexual preference ( I am in an area with a large"alternative" lifestyle population). In my opinion 'PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE' no matter what they look like or believe.
PLEASE let me know what avenues you may suggest for my brother to explore. He nor I want this to be "swept under the rug" because as healthcare professionals, I CAN NOT tolerate this type of behavior to no matter who it may happen.
I worked with a nurse at a nursing home many, many years ago during my LPN years. She was the type that always had to be the one to save the day....even would go so far as to wreck the day just so that she could save it. She and I both had keys to the med room. In there, it was OK to store our lunch and drinks as long as everything had a cover. Management even provided us with covers for opened soft drink cans. (As I said, this was many years ago).
It was well-known that I had, and still have, a very strong sensitivity to bleach. Long story short, this woman poured bleach in my Pepsi. When I returned to the med room for my soda, the smell of bleach grew stronger as the can got closer to my mouth; so much so, that I knew my soda had been tampered with. I was like WT*!! I know godd**** well this b**** didn't put bleach in my drink!
I put the can down, walked out of the room to find her literally staring me in the face. My thoughts were, "today, b****, let's see you save your own a**"! I went straight to management, told them my concern; we all went back to the med room, got the can of soda and sent it to one of the local hospital's lab for testing. The results indeed came back positive for bleach, and she was fired on the spot. A load of BS, yes. Racism, no.
That was a defining moment in my life. Now, today as result of that experience, anything (food or drink) that I don't finish at work once I open it, is thrown out at the moment I'm called away from it. Lots of nurses have these fancy water bottles at the nurses desk, and are constantly not within line of sight of them. Brave souls, they are...
I cannot believe someone would do such a thing! Was she trying to kill you?? What is wrong with that woman?? I am so glad you realized before you drank that. She is lucky if being fired was the only consequence that she got.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
TriciaJ said:
Employees tainting each other's food and beverages? That should be immediate grounds for dismissal.
It seems to be fairly common in certain work environments. I worked with an NP who was fired from the transport team (as an RN) for putting Lasix in someone's beverage. She went back to school to become an NP and was rehired by the same institution, different department. She said she'd put the Lasix in the guy's drink in response to his giving her brownies laced with Ex-lax on more than one occasion. (I don't think I'd have taken a brownie from him after the first time.)
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
hppygr8ful said:
I also feel that there is little evidence that this was racially motivated based on the information you gave. The fact that you brother is black and these co-workers were white may be only coincidental.
It could be and I may be entirely wrong that the CNAs in question felt disrespected by your brother and retaliated. This is not OK at all and no excuse but I have seen a lot of nurses men and women alike treat ancillary staff like something you would wipe off your shoes.
Your argument that you treat all patients is a good reflection on your practice - now ask yourself how you treat ancillary staff from Housekeeping all the way up to your CNAs.
Everyone wants to feel respected in their jobs
Again these thoughts in no way excuse what happened to your brother.
Hppy
I agree. Unless the CNAs were overheard discussing a racial motivation, we don't know that there is one. I've seen far more CNA vs. RN issues from CNAs who feel that the nurse in question is disrespecting them and nurses who feel that the CNAs in question don't deserve respect because they're lazy.
I can't really say if it was racist or not based on the information.
I think your brother would be the best barometer to say since it was his experience.
Tampering with anyone's food or drink is scary. There should be severe repercussions for that.
A delay in speaking up or even nor speaking up is sad and scary. "It's not a big deal" attitude is the same.
Small town life can be a hard experience if you don't fit the 'mold' for the area. I know from experience. I had to move on from one to regain sanity and sense of well being again.
I hope that this is the correct place for this post, but I am in need of help.
My brother ( black male working in a town which is 96% white, 3.8% other) who is also a nurse is currently working in the Dakotas and has been there for over a year and loves it there. He confided in me today that two of the CNA workers who work for him spit into his bottle of water when he was away from his desk. He stated that he was "wondering why they were laughing so profusely when he started to drink his water after assisting a patient on his floor". The sad thing is that the two other CNA workers who witnessed the incident did not say anything for a few days, but after careful reflection, they then told my brother and the management what they had witnessed. My brother immediately went to management and they told him to "stop making a big fuss over this". As a result, ONE of the CNA workers has been fired, but the other remains employed there. He has had testing for any possible bodily fluid diseases which he could have contracted, but is still bothered by the incident.
I am so disappointed in what happened because my brother is the one who encouraged me to become an RN to help others, but I have reservations now about possibly working in "rural areas" because of what happened to him. I am currently in a large metropolitan area and have not experienced this type of behavior (at least not yet). I treat ALL of my patients the same no matter what race, nationality, gender, or sexual preference ( I am in an area with a large"alternative" lifestyle population). In my opinion 'PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE' no matter what they look like or believe.
PLEASE let me know what avenues you may suggest for my brother to explore. He nor I want this to be "swept under the rug" because as healthcare professionals, I CAN NOT tolerate this type of behavior to no matter who it may happen.
Please advise.
Why was one fired but not the other?
What "Management" did he go to?
Since you are getting the story secondhand, are you certain you have the whole story?
I know you don't want your brother hurt, but you do need all of the facts. And he needs to decide about taking action, not you. NOt saying you shouldn't act, but be sure he is willing to deal with the firestorm that could result.
I agree. Unless the CNAs were overheard discussing a racial motivation, we don't know that there is one. I've seen far more CNA vs. RN issues from CNAs who feel that the nurse in question is disrespecting them and nurses who feel that the CNAs in question don't deserve respect because they're lazy.
And just because a CNA thinks an RN is lazy doesn't mean he or she is lazy.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Ruby Vee said:
It seems to be fairly common in certain work environments. I worked with an NP who was fired from the transport team (as an RN) for putting Lasix in someone's beverage. She went back to school to become an NP and was rehired by the same institution, different department. She said she'd put the Lasix in the guy's drink in response to his giving her brownies laced with Ex-lax on more than one occasion. (I don't think I'd have taken a brownie from him after the first time.)
Yikes. I must live a sheltered life. I'd be giving potlucks a big swerve in a workplace like that.
I worked with a nurse at a nursing home many, many years ago during my LPN years. She was the type that always had to be the one to save the day....even would go so far as to wreck the day just so that she could save it. She and I both had keys to the med room. In there, it was OK to store our lunch and drinks as long as everything had a cover. Management even provided us with covers for opened soft drink cans. (As I said, this was many years ago).
It was well-known that I had, and still have, a very strong sensitivity to bleach. Long story short, this woman poured bleach in my Pepsi. When I returned to the med room for my soda, the smell of bleach grew stronger as the can got closer to my mouth; so much so, that I knew my soda had been tampered with. I was like WT*!! I know god**** well this **** didn't put bleach in my drink!
I put the can down, walked out of the room to find her literally staring me in the face. My thoughts were, "today, ****, let's see you save your own ***"! I went straight to management, told them my concern; we all went back to the med room, got the can of soda and sent it to one of the local hospital's lab for testing. The results indeed came back positive for bleach, and she was fired on the spot. A load of BS, yes. Racism, no.
That was a defining moment in my life. Now, today as result of that experience, anything (food or drink) that I don't finish at work once I open it, is thrown out at the moment I'm called away from it. Lots of nurses have these fancy water bottles at the nurses desk, and are constantly not within line of sight of them. Brave souls, they are...
Read about Genene Jones, former LVN, now in prison in Texas. The type who would wreck the day so she could save it, indeed.
The one who did the bleach to you - where is she now?
the commenters that are talking about the CNAs possibly feeling disrespected, should realize that it may be his Blackness that is causing that feeling. that they resent being supervised by a Black man.
There are a myriad of possible scenarios, including but not limited to active racist harassment. We have no way to know or even guess with the information provided.
I do think that the OP and her brother need to proceed rationally ... going after a certification or filing criminal charges could conceivably backfire to their detriment.
Julius Seizure
1 Article; 2,282 Posts
I cannot believe someone would do such a thing! Was she trying to kill you?? What is wrong with that woman?? I am so glad you realized before you drank that. She is lucky if being fired was the only consequence that she got.