Supervisors at Abington Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia have explained that they sought only to avoid a confrontation when they told African American employees to stay out of a patient's room after a man ordered that no blacks assist in the delivery of his child.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 3, 2003
NAACP wants hospital supervisors punished
Local leaders call for Abington hospital to discipline those who told minority staffers to stay out of a patient's room.
Local NAACP leaders yesterday called on Abington Memorial Hospital to discipline supervisors who told minority employees to stay out of a patient's room after a man demanded that only white staffers assist in the delivery of his baby.
( By Oliver Prichard, Inquirer Staff Writer, 10/04/2003 03:01 AM EDT)
And who are the "you guys" that are so more sensitive that we?
I would like to know the answer to both questions.
It is interesting to note that Jewish patients/nurses and Middle Eastern patients/nurses frequently get on better together than you would give us credit for, and yet you seem disappointed and dismissive of that. I am so sorry that we do not "start World War III" just to validate your beliefs.
But it is inappropriate for you to be rude to me on this Bulletin Board in regards to an honestly posed question.
Did you ever go back and read the original post like she said? You keep asking her how would a patient know they were a jew? She was only responding to a previous posts were jews were explictly told not to enter the room or work on the floor, a request they all honored. She was trying to say that if they had not obeyed or honored that request and went into the room then there would have been world war III, it was never a question about whether he knew who wasn't jewish, they honored his request.
Your probably right, how could she? The question that is being asked was totally irrelevant to her post and since you can't force people to go back and reread what they are responding to, its easier to just ignore them.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
discrimination and racism in health care
summary: discrimination and racism continue to be a part of the fabric and tradition of american society and have adversely affected minority populations, the health care system in general, and the profession of nursing. discrimination may be based on differences due to age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic by which people differ. the american nurses association (ana) is committed to working toward the eradication of discrimination and racism in the profession of nursing, in the education of nurses, in the practice of nursing, as well as in the organizations in which nurses work. the ana is further committed to working toward egalitarianism and the promotion of justice in access and delivery of health care to all people.
risk versus responsibility in providing nursing care
summary: the american nurses association (ana) believes that nurses are obligated to care for clients in a non-discriminatory manner, with respect for all human persons, yet recognizes that there may be limits to the personal risk of harm the nurse can be expected to accept as an ethical duty. nurses are challenged to thoughtfully analyze the balance of responsibility and risk in particular situations in order to preserve the ethical mandates of the profession.
background: the first plank of the code for nurses with interpretive statements (code for nurses) states "the nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems." this central axiom of respect for persons directs the profession. nursing creates a special relationship between nurse and client, with special duties for the nurse. the nurse is not at liberty to abandon those in need of nursing care. according to the code for nurses, nurses may morally refuse to participate in care, but only on the grounds of either client advocacy or moral objection to a specific type of intervention. in those situations, the nurse is obligated to provide for the client's safety and assure that alternate sources of nursing care are available. nursing is resolute in its position that care should be delivered without prejudice, and it makes no allowance for use of the client's personal attributes, socioeconomic or health status as grounds for discrimination.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
interesting but I don't see any where in the ANA's statements or any of the other resources quoted that specifically address the patients right to refuse care from an individual based upon that individuals race.Seems to me that this should specifically be addressed....
This is not male vs. female but an ENTIRELY different issue ! While I agree with those who would say avoid direct confrontaion in the hospital setting (as in FORCING the issue or care on them)... I stil do NOT condone "accomodating" these foolish requests as they DO continue the cycle and enable this type of racism to ciontinue.
I think I'd have simply told them that if this is what their wishes were, then they could just pack up and find a hospital which had the type of staffing they desired. That if this one did not, they were more than welcome to find one that did. And I would have smiled ever so sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetly as I delivered their options.
Sorry jnette, but you are dead wrong on that one. A female patient refusing the care of a male nurse (SEXISM) is EXACTLY the same as a white patient refusing the care of black nurse (RACISM). SEXISM = RACISM as DISCRIMINATION = DISCRIMINATION. If you change assignments due to "religious reasons" for female patient refusing the male nurse than you open the door for everyone to refuse to allow anyone to work on the due to "religious reasons". You can't have it both ways, it just doesn't work like that. If one group of patients can refuse to allow any group of care givers to work on them for cultural or religeous reasons then ALL groups have that right regardless of how we feel about it. It is all or nothing, there is no middle road. The equalty under the law we all want demands that kind of hard line. No one group gets to choose while another is not allowed to choose. Cultural and religeous reasons are not valid unless they are valid for all people who claim them, not just those we find socially acceptable.
Having said that, what do we do in a situation like that? Beats me. In the USA, patients are no longer patients they are customers or consumers. The customer is always right. Right? In countries where they have socialized medicine it may be different. I'm afraid the answer to this issue is going to be decided in the courts and not this forum. Feelings are too strong across the board and logic does not apply.
Sorry jnette, but you are dead wrong on that one. A female patient refusing the care of a male nurse (SEXISM) is EXACTLY the same as a white patient refusing the care of black nurse (RACISM).
It is NOT the same thing. When a female pt. refuses the care of a male nurse, rarely is it based on prejudice and hate.
It is NOT the same thing. When a female pt. refuses the care of a male nurse, rarely is it based on prejudice and hate.
Then tell me, exatly what IS it based on? Why is it OK for a female patient to refuse the care of an otherwise wholly qualified nurse? Explain this to me in legal sense. Because I truly do not see the difference.
(Something went haywire with the computer, i type a line and it keeps posting the message)
What it's based on is going to depend on a variety of things. It's not going to be the same reason with each pt., so you're not going to clear answer for that one.
I did ask for a female nurse for an extremely personal reason. Typically i don't care what the nurse is be it race or gender, but that moment in time i was not comfortable with a male looking at me. And he completely understood.
Legal-wise, i didn't give a **** at the moment. That was not a moment to debate and argue over what's sex discrimination. His qualifications had nothing to do with my request.
Nope, you did not. You stated what you feel it is rarely based on. I asked you what it IS based on. That is not the same thing at all. Is it based on fear or ignorance? Fear that the male nurse is going to "lose control" and sexually abuse them? Ignorance in the fact that a male nurse is still a nurse? Is it based on gender discomfort? I don't a strange male seeing my female "private area"? Because all of those feelings come into play in the other situation as well. Fear, ignorance, and discomfort (gender or racial) are all precursors to prejudice and hate. Which goes back to making them the same issue.
TristateRN
74 Posts
Did you ever go back and read the original post like she said? You keep asking her how would a patient know they were a jew? She was only responding to a previous posts were jews were explictly told not to enter the room or work on the floor, a request they all honored. She was trying to say that if they had not obeyed or honored that request and went into the room then there would have been world war III, it was never a question about whether he knew who wasn't jewish, they honored his request.