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Just curious, what's the meanest, rudest, nastiest thing a patient has said to you? Tonight I had someone tell me they wished I would die and go straight to he!! Then they said they hoped it rained everywhere I went. They also told someone they were a son of a b. What's your best line?
A mean old lady in her 80's whom I took care of as if she were family, said to me, "You know this is the United States of America, better make sure you have your papers, because I am calling the immigration on you. You are not supposed to be in this country, this is the 'real whites' country." She picked up her phone and stated that she was calling her Grandson who was in some ranger or force, I don't even remember now. I cried the remaining hours of that shift, not for fear, but because that was the VERY FIRST time in my life that the difference in my skin color affected me emotionally. .. I tell you what, It was indeed the VERY LAST time I let it affect me... lol...
I had a patient recognize my accent (north west of Ireland) and ask me if I was Catholic or Protestant. Went on to tell me he donated to the IRA and started a whole spiel about the Troubles in NI. When I cut him off and told him it was irrelevant as it was 2011 in Australia he called me a proddy b****.
Well, I do think he enjoyed his bowel prep that evening.
A mean old lady in her 80's whom I took care of as if she were family, said to me, "You know this is the United States of America, better make sure you have your papers, because I am calling the immigration on you. You are not supposed to be in this country, this is the 'real whites' country." She picked up her phone and stated that she was calling her Grandson who was in some ranger or force, I don't even remember now. I cried the remaining hours of that shift, not for fear, but because that was the VERY FIRST time in my life that the difference in my skin color affected me emotionally... I tell you what, It was indeed the VERY LAST time I let it affect me... lol...
Even though the bigotry is never accepted, I understand it from the older generation, because they either had slaves or their parents did. So I my opinion, they will never see anything good/significant coming from people of color. Its just how they were raised, and that was instilled in them. You know the saying "you cant teach old dog new tricks?" I think it applies to most of them. Sometimes I wonder if they really mean it or even aware of the time they now live in. Some of them are still trapped in the past.
This is where our characters play a huge role in separating us from them. just take it with a smile, even though it hurts like hell. What doesn't kill us will definitely make us stronger.
Tenebrae, BSN, RN
2,021 Posts
A patient called me 'a fat b***h"
I had to bite my tounge hard to refrain from saying "have you looked in a mirror. Your ass is biggger than mine"