racist patients

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 24, 2016

OP- sometimes people are just jerks. Not only in nursing, but in all walks/ aspect of life. Sad, but true.

Kitiger, RN · Sep 24, 2016

My guess is that her family put pressure on her to reject you. It can be hard for a hospital patient who is already feeling vulnerable and sick to resist the pressure from family and/or friends.

Keep your head up, and congratulations on becoming a citizen! :singing:

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Sep 24, 2016

As a black nurse in a very white state, I've dealt with this more than once. During my tour of Nursing Home Hell, two of my patients had notes in their charts and the nurses' station that said "Caucasian caregivers only." Oddly enough, one ended up with a Filipina nurse, and had no complaints.

Honestly, it didn't bother me. They were old, they weren't going to change, and I wasn't going to make their bigotry my problem. If they don't want me, they can't have me.

roser13, ASN, RN · Sep 24, 2016

I tend to give a bit of a "pass" to elderly patients who were raised in a different era. Lifelong habits & prejudices do not change as one ages. In fact, they most often are exaggerated as filters fade away, OP, you should be proud that your patient "allowed" you to care for her during your shift - apparently you did a good job. Please don't take this personally.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 25, 2016

I faced the same more times than I can count. Bad thing is that the Powers almost uniformly supported the rasism/xenophobia in the name of the Holy Customer Service. Good thing, though, is that, once this type of behavior is known, it is 110% legal and justified for a nurse to refuse this assignment. The argument "he/she doesn't like people like myself and what sort of Customer Service we would provide if ..." leaves no room for further discussion and lets permanently avoid any contact with these generally not very pleasant people from then on.

OP, please do not hesitate to do just that. The "customer" doesn't like you because you happened to be born somewhere outside of the USA and nobody got guts to tell him to please stop because he's not on his belowed porch? Great then, let the Powers (and somebody else) to deal with that jerk. Almost always, it is just the beginning of yet another "we all can't wait to see that guy getting outta here - doesn't matter where" unit war story, in which you probably wouldn't like to participate. If you happen to be the "best stick", or just watching the guy for your partner's break while he wants his pain pill, then, well, too bad. Your charge will have to do it, or at least come to the room with you, and hopefully after a few times the Powers will get the message and stop coddling and promoting behaviors which are illegal to begin with.

(I am not talking about 90+ LOLs brought up with "certain ideas" in mind and thinking that Nixon is still the President. That's a different story entirely. But if the LOL's family happens to share her "ideas", do not hesitate to do as above. Eventually, it gets somewhere - if not in terms of discharging patient for "inability to provide required care", then in terms of letting others know that you will stand for yourself and won't accept abuse).

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2016

As a black female, I have dealt with overt and covert racism from patients multiple times over the years. In the last overt instance, the patient called me a "black __" (rhymes with 'ditch' but starts with a 'B') and said, "Go back to Africa."

I prefer to never work with these people again. If a patient or his/her family members dislike me due to racial issues, this is one less difficult assignment I must contend with. And, yes, they make peoples' shifts difficult.

Columnist · Sep 25, 2016

Your comment is right on target and so well said. Thank you! "WKShadowRN, MSN"

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 25, 2016

I find it so hard to deal with this. I am white, but work with a very diverse staff. It is incredible and I am very lucky to be a part of this. I had to switch pts with a friend of mine b/c the patient did not want a "foreign" nurse. The pt grilled this nurse as the what country she was from, where she went to school, the whole nine yards. She thought the other nurse was Muslim.

When I went in to introduce myself, she was trying to bait me into discussing the situation. I really wanted to tell the pt that the NURSE was the one wanting a change. I just cheerfully said that there was an assignment change and went on with my business. It was very hurtful to my friend and I hated seeing it happen.

kelikinz · Sep 25, 2016

I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It's hard to not take something like that personally when you are doing everything professionally. I find at the facility I work, we have patients (mostly women pt's) that refuse care from males, and it is something that comes with the territory. Some women pt's feel uncomfortable having a male taking care of them. I did have an older white female pt refer to a black male nurse in a derogatory term, but since she suffered from dementia, we just brushed it off. I did tell her that it wasn't a nice term to use, but she didn't quite grasp what I was getting at. If that woman was "in her right mind" so to speak, I believe I would have handled the situation differently, and used that window as an opportunity to educate. But as some users have already pointed out, sometimes this is something that is bred into them from a different time. And, some people are just ignorant intolerable jerks. They would be lucky to have you as their nurse.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2016

Unfortunately it happens more often than not, what you have to realize is it you have done NOTHING wrong. There is something intrinsically wrong with their perception of a group based on the actions of a few.

Earlier this month we had an incident where one of our critical care techs who happens to be of Muslim faith and wears a hijab was harassed and ridiculed by a visitor. The primary nurse stepped in and asked the visitor to leave and contacted security. I was so proud of her and how she handled the situation, because I know that if management would have been around they would have floated the tech to a different department to appease the visitor.

urfuturenurse1 · Sep 25, 2016

My partner and I cared for a non-white/non-black resident/patient. My partner was a black lady, was discriminated by our resident/patient. I documented it and I reported the person to our clinical instructor privately. It hurt me to watch my partner/friend to be broken hearted. However, I learned to control myself towards this kind of a person and I know that I will face a similar scenario. I treated her/him like other good residents/patients. I could just walk out, but I reminded myself I was there to do my job.

I hope you will find ways to comfort yourself. Don't take people personally.