Still encountering racism on the job

Mkue · Jan 14, 2003

nurset/2002, I live in Ohio too and I'm sorry this happend to you and your family. Good Luck in school, stand strong like future-guru mentioned.

Marie

l.rae · Jan 14, 2003

you don't have a PM button for private messages, l donn't exactly want to pinpoint my location on the http://WWW....but we are neighbors...l live about 25 min from mason....close to Americana............LR

sanakruz, ADN · Jan 14, 2003

Come to California-

We need and love all nurses.

Bilingual needed especially:

1)Spanish

2)Vietnamese

3)Russian

4)Mandarin

5)Farsi

These are just the top 5...

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 14, 2003

Quote

Originally posted by nursetl2002
I work for a hospital about 10 miles from Ironton, ashland Ky, Kings Daughters Medical Center. Believe me kentucky isn't much better toward minorities either.

Louisville isn't that bad. Every single one of my bosses are African- American women, as well as half of my co-workers.

thatldo · Jan 14, 2003

Nursenetl,

I could just cry for you. I hate racism w/a passion, I would have chased that dang car down too! People can be so color blind and stuck in a time warp. It will get better, I'm proof. My dad, grandparents were so racist, I grew up w/the "n" word, but thank God, that I listened to what was being preached to me in church. I broke that ugle cycle in raising my children.

Maybe this story will make you smile.

I'm white and my husband is black (he doesn't like African American, he says he wasn't born in Africa, but thats another story..ha), and while we were dating I was apprehensive about how I was going to tell my nursing home bound 90 year Grandmother about my dating a black man.

Well, after much stressing & sweating during one of my visits I finally just told her that Roy was black, and you know what she said? "Well there's no good white men out there anyway"!

Roy bless his heart is one heck of a good man. He stood by me through all the trials I encountered w/my family. He always encouraged me to keep up my relationship w/them (although I was livid w/their small minds) and now we ALL get along wonderfully and can even talk about color blindness and how wrong it is.

True love prevails, and our marriage, I'm sure is Gods plan to educate people. Sure it can be a slow process, but before one grows, a seed has to be planted.

We live in a small town, and I had never experienced racism before in my life so it was a rude awakening. I look at things w/a sense of humor though. I love it when we are out in public, like when we are at the airport, standing together mind you, in line at the ticket counter, and I swear they always ask me or him each and every time....are you traveling by yourself? HELLO we are a couple....ha

Oh my gosh, I've just rambled! So sorry!

Just wanted to let you know how sorry I am that this happened to you!

Heres to a blessed day,

Sherri

moonrose2u · Jan 14, 2003

i am in northern kentucky and work both in cincinnati and this local area.

my ethnicity is jewish/native american/english, but i appear very causasian...no one would know my heritage or culture that i identify with by looking at me..

however, in the cincinnati hospital, i am made acutely aware of my OBVIOUS lack of ethnic appearance......i am a minority....and am identified with in the white group..i listen to the jewish jokes and the "indian" cracks..endure comments about the "slavery" issue (would people understand that jews have many times during history have been captured and identured to nations? i don't think so)......but i never say a word...would it change things? nah...just create more angry feelings between people...and make life more uneasy between us...

reverse discrimination than what you are experiencing, but hurtful just the same.. ALL classes and groups suffer some form of discrimination....i just try to remember that we laugh at that which we don't understand...and go on with my life...

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jan 14, 2003

People can be so stupid- it's their loss.

Go to where you will be appreciated, millions of nurses would love to have you as their coworker.

deespoohbear · Jan 16, 2003

I don't care if the nurse/doctor/resp therapist/etc is white, African-American, Native Indian, Chinese, Pink with Purple Polka dots...as long as they are competent, a good worker, and compassionate, they can take care of me or work beside me!!

About year ago, one of my co-worker's husband made an interesting comment in regards to race. His primary care doc is Oriental. The patient was being referred to an orthopedist who is African-American for a further work-up. The PCP's nurse called "John" and told him that she had scheduled an appointment with the orthopod, Dr. "Do-good." The nurse mentioned to "John" that Dr. "Do-good" was black and did "John" have a problem with that. Without missing a beat, "John's" reply was, "I don't have a problem with Dr. Soo, so I won't have a problem with "Dr. Do-Good." I thought that was an excellent answer!!! :roll

duckie · Jan 16, 2003

Ignorant people of this nature make me want to vomit, plain and simple. Do they think Heaven is divided by color scheme? What

azzes! I love ya Hon, would work beside you and hug your neck just to whizz 'em off. Get out of there and go where the town folks have......brains. What I never could understand is how people can have a racist mind and then spent hundreds of dollars in a tanning bed, to look brown. Hold your head up high and you'll be loved more than you know! Good luck to you. Hugs, Duckie

Love-A-Nurse · Jan 16, 2003

Quote

originally posted by nursetl2002
I love my job as a nurse and I would never think of doing anything else, but I am so sick of the stigma that I am not a real nurse because of my color. maybe it's just the area that I live in, but 8 times out of 10 when I enter a patients room they automatically assume I am housekeeping or a CNA because of my race. I have also had a couple of pts. refuse to have a african american nurse.when will we learn to love eachother? also can anyone give me the names of some minority friendly workplaces?

it has happened to me too.

I once had a white older lady, back in the mid 90's, tell me and I quote, "you are so pretty, to be a black girl". until this day, I have never accepted her statement as a compliment and never will.

mark_LD_RN · Jan 16, 2003

unfortunately discrimination still is alive and well in a lot of areas. fortunately it is not in my area. it is just not against blacks but other races as well, as well as discrimination against gender male and female. good luck hope all works out for you.

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2003

Quote

Originally posted by sanakruz
Come to California-

We need and love all nurses.

Bilingual needed especially:

1)Spanish

2)Vietnamese

3)Russian

4)Mandarin

5)Farsi

These are just the top 5...

this is a little off the topic, but what is Farsi? I have never heard of that! :confused:

I come from a small area that is also not very diversified. Atleast not in the black/asian population. We have many native americans and hispanics. It amazes me how people treat each other! They take one bad act from a person of a particular race, and generalize it to everyone else of that race as well:(