My first RN job has lead me to a more rural part of the country. As a person of color, I have never experienced racism to this degree.
Some instances are subtle at work, but some are pretty blatant.
My first experience occurred when my preceptor mentioned repeatedly that I have a "black card" so I must be golden at my new position. (I never questioned her on what she meant.) My preceptor also mentioned things like "since you are black things will get stolen from you." Phrases like 'slave driver' have also repeatedly been mentioned in passing with my preceptor. Since I was on orientation, I let a lot of comments go and ignored them, due to fear of being let go or retaliation.
Now, the worst thing is that I have noted on several occasions, confederate flags waving from behind pick up trucks.
I'm not sure if I can stick it out for over a year in this place. What would you do?
Sorry, all this whitesplaining of the confederate flag and "reverse racism" would be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing. I truly hope the OP has skipped all that nonsense. I hoped that he's homed in on the advice offered by those who are also surviving racism. The rest is a waste of his time.
Meanwhile, I want to invite anyone who needs to believe that racism doesn't exist - or exists only when it's white folks who are being criticized - to pursue it in a new thread. Since it's a non-nursing subject, perhaps the breakroom (aka the blue side) would be a good place to do that.
Caucasian people are victims of racism, also. Get used it. "These people were brought up by parents who were racist themselves."
This is not true. Racism is prejudice plus power. The dominant group cannot be oppressed because they have the power.
Racism exists on a systemic level. There have been amazing strides in the last 60 years. AMAZING!! There is still a long way to go. It's like watching a football game where the underdog scored 4 touchdowns in the third quarter but some people forgot that the half time score was 100-0.
..."My exit plan is underway. Thankfully have already even received a call back for an interview! I can not wait to leave!"...
That's good news! Food for thought for the future:
"Sixty percent of new nurses quit their first job within the first six months due to the behavior of their co-workers, and nearly 50 percent of nurses believe that they will experience bullying at some time in their careers, according to research presented in a new e-book from Aurora, Colo.-based American Sentinel University."...
I'm so sorry that you have to experience such hatred. I had a similar experience a while back. My husband took a job in a little town in Virginia. It bordered West Virginia. The rental houses were a lot cheaper in WV so we went to check it out. While we were touring the house, the landlord took my husband aside and told him that he would be worried about my safety in that town. My husband was white and I'm Asian. Needless to say, we did not stay in that town. That was the first time in my life that I had to worry about race issues, but it left an impression on me forever. Now that I'm almost done with my BSN, I think about wanting to do travel nursing once I get experience. But I also think about racism in certain areas of the country. It would be hard to do your best work when you have to worry about your co-workers sabotaging you. I wonder why you were even hired to such a place if they didn't want you there. Can you go to the person who hired you can tell him/her your fears? I'm sending a big hug to you. Good luck.
This is not true. Racism is prejudice plus power. The dominant group cannot be oppressed because they have the power.
Racism exists on a systemic level. There have been amazing strides in the last 60 years. AMAZING!! There is still a long way to go. It's like watching a football game where the underdog scored 4 touchdowns in the third quarter but some people forgot that the half time score was 100-0.
This is just simply not so, based on what I have seen.
The dominant group the past few decades has been those who are in a protected class. Whites are not a protected class. Those who are in a protected class have the power.
I'm from Southern California. When the KKK have a rally here, we put them in the hospital. That being said I live in a rural area with real honest-to-god peckerwoods and aryan nations. The N-word is pretty common and I still slip up and use it. I was raised by ignorant fools. What is amazing to me is how people are so blind to this issue, even to the point of thinking whites can be racist.
News flash - racism means oppression. White people are not now nor have they ever been oppressed. The amount of blatant white privilege displayed in these comments truly stuns me. We are supposed to be educated people who took sociology.
I just think that something needs to give. We need another Malcolm X. It's been too long for stupid white people to get all bent out of shape defending this atrocious behavior, minimizing this, talking about how the rebel rag is "culture"
I at least admit I am racist and privileged and that I need to fight this institutionalized hate. My daughter is better than me about it but this stuff was supposed to be over a generation ago.
This is just simply not so, based on what I have seen.
The dominant group the past few decades has been those who are in a protected class. Whites are not a protected class. Those who are in a protected class have the power.
How so?
Are you referencing social programs designed to help marginalized groups? Those are necessary to a progressive society. The group that has been held down needs to be on an even playing field before true equality can be an attainable reality.
YES!!! YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD..... RUN!!!! LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL. I have faced racism and nothing is worth such disrespect, aggravation. Get out!!!! while you still have your pride intact. Racism will destroy you. Nothing at all is worth the condescension you are going to experience believe me.
Are you referencing social programs designed to help marginalized groups? Those are necessary to a progressive society. The group that has been held down needs to be on an even playing field before true equality can be an attainable reality.
I am referencing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and I think it's been amended a time or 2 since then. (EEO Law - Equal Employment Opportunity law).
The classes protected by this law are: race, physical or mental handicap, age, gender, national origin, color, religion, and reprisal.
Minorities innclude: American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black (except Hispanic), and Hispanic.
Note that women are not included. And Whites are not included, even if they might actually be in the minority on certain jobs or in certain schools. According to some census information I've seen not too long ago, Whites will actually be in the minority in the US before long. And they are already in the minority in some settings. Yet, they have, as you put it, no power because they are not in a protected class.
I am not an expert, please do your own research if you want to know more.
As far as leveling the playing field, I understand what you mean. A few years ago, some lawmakers were in the news because they were questioning the need to continue preferential treatment for the above groups - for example, with regard to college admissions numbers, financial aid, hiring, and promotions.
As you probably know, there are way more women, AA's, Asians, and other groups who are recognized as minorities now in fields which were once almost totally off limits. Medicine, Law, Engineering, being in Congress, being Governors or other officers of various states, federal government, school boards, and localities, business owners, educators, the military, and many more.
People from these protected classes hire, fire, supervise, and preside over whites. Others work alongside of whites, doing the same work for the same pay and benefits. Before the CRA 1964 when did this ever happen? So the playing field is much more level now.
How has it been achieved? By opening the door to these classes and closing it to, in particular, white males. One example - not so long ago, Med schools were almost totally admitting white males. Now we are seeing fully half the students being female. And there are many students of non-European origin, both male and female. When did we ever see a white patient treated by a non-white physician? Yet now it is an everyday occurrence.
Is the playing field level enough? Some say it is, others think it's not.
Hope this helps shed some light.
Federal authorities enforce laws like this against average employers, schools. Yet, the Federal lawmakers who made these laws have exempted themselves from it!
Also, the allegation of discrimination by a protected class member will be decided in favor of the member as long as the defendant cannot reasonably PROVE otherwise. In other words, the defendant is guilty unless proven innocent. That, of course, is a total reversal of the entire American way of law.
Yes, get out of there! You have what is known as a hostile working environment, and you may be in very real danger. I very much appreciate those civil rights pioneers who risked their lives (and those who lost their lives) to further the cause of social equality, but your life may be in danger and no job is worth that!
kidzcare
3,393 Posts
Uh, seriously? Your 2016 advice is that the OP "put up with" racism?
Should I tell my son that he should "put up with" a bully on the playground?
Should I tell my daughter that she should "put up with" a boy making sexual comments to her?
Should I tell my gay friend that he should "put up with" hate speech when he is seen holding hands with his husband?
The days of tolerating ignorance have to end. I will do my part the best I know how.