Topic of the Day: GO AWAY FOREIGN NURSES!

[yoginurse2b]

This is exactly how I feel each time I log into the International Forum. I don't feel welcome as a foreign born nurse. I don't feel respected as a minority in this country. All I feel is the hatred and insults thrown at us simply because we are not Americans.

So let's talk about it, since threads were locked and posts were deleted because they were "out of the topic" hence we could not freely express and justify how we feel about the criticisms on foreign born and/or foreign trained nurses. Each and every time I read something that "put down" certain minorities, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Being discriminated all my life, I truly understand how other foreign nurses, especially the Filipino nurses, feel. No, you simply won't understand if you were not in our shoes.

Every one has his/her point of view on certain issues, but attacking, criticizing and (worst) making generalizations of other races, cultures and beliefs is just not right, insensitive and ethnocentric. Yes, we are immigrants, but you don't have to yell it to our face. The US would not have prosper if not for the immigrants. Don't forget your family or ancestors were once immigrants as well, unless you are Native Americans. So you have no rights to ask us get out if we are legally here, unless this is your native land. Remember, America is the land of opportunity that were built through slavery from Africa and Asia.

I wonder sometimes, how could you be a professional nurse if you are culturally insensitive? How could you offer the best care if all you think is your own self and your own beliefs, and disregard other culture and belief systems? I see nurses here with 30 plus years of experience do not practice the basic fundamental of nursing. Maybe they should go back to square one and learn it from Potter and Perry.

This IS an International forum. This forum is for every one regardless of age, gender, color, etc. If you say something culturally insensitive in other forum, maybe we will think that you are just plain stupid or has never been out of the country. But, if you are persistently saying something that insult and disgrace other cultures, races, nationality and etc, I think something should be done by the moderators...unless the moderators themselves are not sensitive enough on this issue as well.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone (no, I'm not Christian...but I know many are here) and thank you for listening.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Of course, if I see one, I will do that. But I am trying to justify that some of the comments and criticisms made upon us were shallow and plain insensitive. Do not get me wrong. I am not just talking because many Filipino nurses were not able to come to the US. I am talking the way some posters made us feel "incompetent" and "unprofessional" by using generalizations and assuming that every foreign nurses are in the same category. Please it has nothing to do with the US economy. It is all about insensitivity and ethnocentrism.

Americans are indeed the most ethnocentric people on earth. I hope we all can stop for a minute before we post about another country and just think about how we are making others feel.

Unforutnately during tough times, we do intend to take it out on others. Another ugly thing about us Americans.

[yoginurse2b]

I am bringing this to the awareness of each and every posters here, including the moderators, that we should be careful whenever you are communicating with another person with a different culture. Yes, constructive criticisms is OK, but criticizing someone for his/her cultural background, ethnicity and nationality can be perceived as rude and insensitive. For where I come from, it is considered discrimination. If someone from another culture criticize your own culture, how would you feel?

[greenjungle]

This conflict of ideas is not new and will be around as long as humanity is alive. Tribalism and the threat of "others" is built into our brains. Conflict is unavoidable and must be welcomed as part of change and growth in any system.

:stone

[yoginurse2b]

I feel sick just because I posted how I felt about this forum, I got bombarded by many moderators. This is really unfair.

I am married to an American man and I believe my husband is not ethnocentric at all.

[5cats]

I haven't seen hate or racism here what I've seen are misunderstandings and generalizations on several sides. Means from several nationalities.

I do see there's a lot of frustration and probably fear around about immigration, loosing jobs, other country demands and so on.

Many things cannot be changed unfortunatly, but we should be polite to each other, help eath other if we can and exchange knowledge and opinions.

We are all Nurses or to be Nurses here and we do deserve respect and should give it to each other.

5cats

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Hallelujah. It does really get tiring to see "foreign nurses" assumed to be either Filipino, poorly trained, desperate to escape our own country etc...

One of the great things about nursing as a career is the portability and ability to experience different cultures and different experiences.

[Atheos]

Hallelujah. It does really get tiring to see "foreign nurses" assumed to be either Filipino, poorly trained, desperate to escape our own country etc...

The other thing that gets tiring is being lumped in as an 'American.'

Americans do this and that.

I hope everyone realizes that MOST Americans don't look alike, ARE from other places, don't think alike and aren't the same race,religion,creed or whatnot.

[stormforce]

I feel sick just because I posted how I felt about this forum, I got bombarded by many moderators. This is really unfair.

I am married to an American man and I believe my husband is not ethnocentric at all.

Yogi I have read this thead and I don't think you have been bombarded by the moderators, within your first post you actually addressed the moderation within the forum

But, if you are persistently saying something that insult and disgrace other cultures, races, nationality and etc, I think something should be done by the moderators...unless the moderators themselves are not sensitive enough on this issue as well.

from what I can see Tweety, Trauma and Sharrie are just trying to answer your post.

[redranger]

Hallelujah. It does really get tiring to see "foreign nurses" assumed to be either Filipino, poorly trained, desperate to escape our own country etc...

One of the great things about nursing as a career is the portability and ability to experience different cultures and different experiences.

Amen,

I am an American, My wife is Filipina.

The basic message I see on this board and on the Philippine board is:

If you are not an American Educated Nurse then you are 2nd Class.

Not smart enough, not capable enough, trying to come to USA illegally, And I find it very insensitive to any forgien trained people on this board.

They ask question and they get rode into the ground. If I was an foreign trained nurse I would be almost scared to post on this board.

To me a forum is to help people, and to answer their questions, not to ridicule them for being foreign, and especially on a International Section on this forum.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Sorry guys but this thread is closed for staff review

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I would say that most of the posts on the International Forum and the Filipino forum are helpful and supportive. Sure there are a few negative threads, but the other forums are like that too, why judge an entire forum based on a few threads and a few people?

As a mod it's tough to answer things like "all I see is hatred......", "the basic message I on the boards is........".....when most of the posts are people asking questions and getting answers.

But I know the feeling, I get weary of the Americans posting to each other "nurses are nothing but a bunch of catty, back biting, young-eating witches".

[SilverSurfer]

This is exactly how I feel each time I log into the International Forum. I don't feel welcome as a foreign born nurse. I don't feel respected as a minority in this country. All I feel is the hatred and insults thrown at us simply because we are not Americans.

So let's talk about it, since threads were locked and posts were deleted because they were "out of the topic" hence we could not freely express and justify how we feel about the criticisms on foreign born and/or foreign trained nurses. Each and every time I read something that "put down" certain minorities, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Being discriminated all my life, I truly understand how other foreign nurses, especially the Filipino nurses, feel. No, you simply won't understand if you were not in our shoes.

Every one has his/her point of view on certain issues, but attacking, criticizing and (worst) making generalizations of other races, cultures and beliefs is just not right, insensitive and ethnocentric. Yes, we are immigrants, but you don't have to yell it to our face. The US would not have prosper if not for the immigrants. Don't forget your family or ancestors were once immigrants as well, unless you are Native Americans. So you have no rights to ask us get out if we are legally here, unless this is your native land. Remember, America is the land of opportunity that were built through slavery from Africa and Asia.

I wonder sometimes, how could you be a professional nurse if you are culturally insensitive? How could you offer the best care if all you think is your own self and your own beliefs, and disregard other culture and belief systems? I see nurses here with 30 plus years of experience do not practice the basic fundamental of nursing. Maybe they should go back to square one and learn it from Potter and Perry.

This IS an International forum. This forum is for every one regardless of age, gender, color, etc. If you say something culturally insensitive in other forum, maybe we will think that you are just plain stupid or has never been out of the country. But, if you are persistently saying something that insult and disgrace other cultures, races, nationality and etc, I think something should be done by the moderators...unless the moderators themselves are not sensitive enough on this issue as well.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone (no, I'm not Christian...but I know many are here) and thank you for listening.

Thank you for posting this, as a Filipino Nurse, I also felt the same way. Every time a Filipino Nurse post a topic in this forum (especially Immigration related), they easily gang up upon by those so -called"American- 1st class Nurses". We always feel 2nd class to them. Generalizations and Judgemental comments are easily laid on us. Some of my colleagues have already left Allnurses Forum, but I feel the need to always come back here and defend what I believe in. Some posters here are very Insensitive to our culture. We Filipinos, consider ourselves lucky, coz sensitivity and respect to other culture is part of our lives. Thank you for posting this important issue. I hope the Administrator of this site will take notice and monitor "some" moderators who are so anti-immigrant and unwelcome!