I have had the "privilege" to care for many who were racist overtly. And know that my husband of 18 years is of a different race than I am, so it makes me much more sensitive, but I care for them none the less. I had one threaten the black staff members and when I asked them to call the police he said "you can't call the police on another white person!" I said indeed I can, every day, and twice on Tuesday (which that day happened to be a Tuesday). He backed off.
Don't take what they say personally if possible, as long as its not a personal statement. They could be berating me all day long but I still go home at the end of the day to my children, husband, and a warm soft bed.
I will however have some folks that just rub me the wrong way. I know I'm going to get worked up over these people and will ask for others to care for them and I'll trade them a patient. Its easier to do this in the ER, not sure how well this would work on the floor.
Even satan worshipers can be shown the light of Christ through you. You never know how you will affect someone else even if their belief system is vastly different than yours.
Even satan worshipers can be shown the light of Christ through you. You never know how you will affect someone else even if their belief system is vastly different than yours.
Anyway, no I wouldn't refuse based on my own morals.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
As long as they don't worship Satan I'm good
Thankfully, that's not how it works. Healthcare would be even more of a mess than it is now if providers and caregivers could pick and choose who they want to take care of because their beliefs clashed.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
As long as they don't worship Satan I'm good
Just had a psychotic female patient the other night tell me, as I was escorting her back to her room for not being fully clad, "You can't have me Dave, I belong to Satan!
My reply in song, to the tune of "Tonight You Belong to Me" was, "Well, tonight... you are... my patient!"
The area I worked in for years is majority black and Hispanic. I had a pt, early 20s, I was allergy testing so he had to remove his shirt for the first part of it (it's applied to the back). Pt had a tattoo on his back of a confederate flag with a noose hanging from it and a certain saying under it. I applied the test and left the room, so mad that someone of that age could be so hateful, so arrogant, so narrow-minded in this day and age. I also felt bad that other people would see that and think that all white people feel the same way. I had to take a few minutes to calm down. When I went back in, I finished the back and had to move to his arms. One arm had a saying about Jesus being fake and the other had a swastika. Bear in mind, I'm the only white employee with three black coworkers, a Hispanic coworker, and midlevel is Jewish. He wound up having to come back for weekly allergy injections, so we all had to deal with him. He was very polite to all of us, yet he never seemed ashamed of his tattoos when my coworkers had to roll his sleeves up for his injections. So no, we can't refuse care because of tattoos. I did, however, question MY morals. I was so quick to judge his character because of three horrible tattoos, yet he was one of the nicest pts we had. Was I the one being judgemental? It made me take a step back and not be so quick based on first impressions.
The area I worked in for years is majority black and Hispanic. I had a pt, early 20s, I was allergy testing so he had to remove his shirt for the first part of it (it's applied to the back). Pt had a tattoo on his back of a confederate flag with a noose hanging from it and a certain saying under it. I applied the test and left the room, so mad that someone of that age could be so hateful, so arrogant, so narrow-minded in this day and age. I also felt bad that other people would see that and think that all white people feel the same way. I had to take a few minutes to calm down. When I went back in, I finished the back and had to move to his arms. One arm had a saying about Jesus being fake and the other had a swastika. Bear in mind, I'm the only white employee with three black coworkers, a Hispanic coworker, and midlevel is Jewish. He wound up having to come back for weekly allergy injections, so we all had to deal with him. He was very polite to all of us, yet he never seemed ashamed of his tattoos when my coworkers had to roll his sleeves up for his injections. So no, we can't refuse care because of tattoos. I did, however, question MY morals. I was so quick to judge his character because of three horrible tattoos, yet he was one of the nicest pts we had. Was I the one being judgemental? It made me take a step back and not be so quick based on first impressions.
I have no problem being judgmental. If a man beats his wife and children at home, and is nice and polite in public, I will still judge him as being a bad person. Some of the most truly evil humans on earth have functioned well in public.
But, like others here, I will treat them based on their behavior at the time I am dealing with them as a nurse. Their belief system is completely irrelevant in that role.
Take swastika guy you mentioned. As a nurse, if I would take care of him professionally, and do a good job. But, if his truck was in a ditch on the side a deserted rural road, and I knew it was him, I would drive right by in my 4wd complete with a tow hitch and chain. To be honest, I probably wouldn't even swerve to avoid the puddle he was standing next to.
On the other hand, if he was standing by that truck bleeding, I would stop and take competent care of him, because I am a nurse and an EMT, and that's what we do.
My past working experiences include Military, Geriatrics and Prison Healthcare, Flight Nursing, and Case Management. These positions are very hard/challenging when it comes to human interaction. I am also Jewish.
I have come across a lot of people in my life, have traveled extensively and witnessed great joy and sorrow. I can honestly say my life is fulfilling if I passed today it would be OK with my soul.
Those people that have crossed my path while working in the medical arena have tested my moral compass to the extreme.
In the military although we tout integration, the divisions of race silos are apparent. Cultures stick together, you are comforted with the familiar.
In Geriatrics this race silo diminishes greatly and you are dealing with patient beliefs/assumptions/biases, and just plain old personality shinning through. I have had elderly people tell me I do not want that person taking care of me (that person was ether a male or black or white or Russian/German). It is the patient choice to want who they are willing to take care of...One patient noticed I was wearing a star and ordered me out of the room. One patient only wanted males to care for her because she would try to have a relationship with them. She was a young 68 year old. My moral thoughts...I just kept shaking my head and ordered if a male went into the room they were to have another staff member.
Now the Prison setting was a petri dish full of hate and discontent. My moral compass was checked daily. There I learned that I can only control my actions, my feelings, my biases/assumptions/and beliefs. Each day I walked away safely knowing I worked hard to provide the best healthcare to those in need. Just because you dislike another person, just because you know you are right with the way you feel, and just because you think this person does not meet societies level of compatibility I still have a duty to render nursing care. More importantly I have a desire to render care to those I find morally objectionable so that maybe my interaction with them will perhaps rub off some kind of life change improvement on their part no matter how small.
Nurses do judge, I do, and we all make "judgments" all the time whether we want to admit it or not. At the very least common sense, experience, and safety come into play. That being said, I give good care to all my patients and I always treat them with respect, including the rapists, molesters, criminals, addicts, drunkards, horrible parents, a**holes, crazies, and abusers. Professional duty calls for that. I may be a little more loving toward a Sweet Granny, and a little more curt & business like with the Guy That Shot His Girlfriend In The Face but patients get assessed, medicated, cleaned, fed, checked on, labs get drawn, etc., regardless of my feelings about them. If I refused care on all the patients I have moral problems with, half the population I take care of would be eliminated.
He was very polite to all of us, yet he never seemed ashamed of his tattoos when my coworkers had to roll his sleeves up for his injections. So no, we can't refuse care because of tattoos. I did, however, question MY morals. I was so quick to judge his character because of three horrible tattoos, yet he was one of the nicest pts we had. Was I the one being judgemental? It made me take a step back and not be so quick based on first impressions.
Hitler was incredibly sweet to many of his secretaries and other ancillary staff.
Buddy Christ
17 Posts
As long as they don't worship Satan I'm good