Why a Philadelphia hospital gave in to a racist demand?

[NRSKarenRN]

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)

Archived at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/994789/posts

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

SharonMH31 said:

Interesting. This is not unique by the way. There was a situation in Tennessee a couple of years ago where a white man didn't want a black male working in the OR where his wife was undergoing open heart surgery and didn't want him to see his wife's exposed body. What a freaking moron. And then, as now, the surgeon and the hospital accommodated the racist.

 And I suppose had the wife been involved in a MVA and sustained life threatening injuries to the chest, and the paramedic team was not "white", he would have preferred to just let his wife die rather than to allow them to treat her??? How sick IS that ??? 

[Furball]

I think I remember Archie Bunker receiving blood from a black man...funny episode....blood is blood...a human being is a human being. Hospitals should not be accommodating racist pts.

[fab4fan]

Personally, I feel sorry for the supervisors, who were caught between a rock and a hard place. If they didn't acquiesce to the pt. demands and something happened either to the mother or the baby, would the hospital have backed them up? Doubtful.

It sounds like the hospital is trying to rectify the situation; if it were to happen again, then I might feel there was a real problem. "Punishing" the supervisors...what kind of punishment would be necessary to satisfy everyone? Suspension? Fines?

This is an opportunity for the staff to learn (and maybe the community, too). Personally, I wouldn't want to take care of someone that felt that way about me ("your loss, sucker").

I can just see how this whole thing came about, and think that the supervisors were probably trying to keep this jerk settled down; it may have been the wrong way to go about it, but I have a hard time believing that there was malice involved.

[imenid37]

Obviously, the pt's husband is a real idiot. He is certainly not alone in this world, though. If I were African American, I honestly don't think I'd want to be subjected to this idiot and I'd be happy to stay out of this room. I don't often side w/ administration and I don't know if they are right or wrong in this case. Pt's have the right to demand or decline specific are givers. As for hospitals not accomodating racist pt's. They have to accomodate and care for anyone who shows up at the door and that's it. If this idiot made his wishes known to the hospital at least several weeks before the delivery maybe he could have been sent a letter stating that the hospital couldn't do this and advising him to look elsewhere. Other than that I don't know what else they should've done differently. I have cared for some OB pt's of the Islamic faith before who have refused all males in their room. This means lab, respiratory, dietary, etc. Personally, I don't understand it, but we have gone along w/ it. (i know the Islamic pt's are not irrational ,but have cultural/ religious reasons for their request- so don't crucify me on that one please!). It's hard when we (the healthcare providers) have to find a rational way to deal w/ an irrational person. I'd want to stay as far away from this person as possible. It's no fun to have to take verbal abuse from an a** like this. I am not African American or Latino, but I had a tiny taste of this as a student when a pt. called anther girl and I a couple of white p---ies. It would be awful to have to have this happening often. What a treat! It's his problem, not the hospital's, they're just left holding the bag in this fun world where some attorney would be ready to step right up and sue for this joker's rights having been violated.

[SnowieRN]

So I guess im the only one that didnt see it as racist. There might be other reasons behind it. If I had a patient and I walked in and the man said "I dont want a gay male nurse" I would think "ok, I can see where this guy is comming from.." and I would accept it as making him uncomfortable, not as him being particularly rude toward me. Make your patient comfortable!!

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Quote

Originally posted by SnowieRN

So I guess I'm the only one that didn't see it as racist. There might be other reasons behind it. If I had a patient and I walked in and the man said "I don't want a gay male nurse" I would think "OK, I can see where this guy is coming from.." and I would accept it as making him uncomfortable, not as him being particularly rude toward me. Make your patient comfortable!!

This is not male vs. female but an ENTIRELY different issue ! While I agree with those who would say avoid direct confrontation in the hospital setting (as in FORCING the issue or care on them)... I stil do NOT condone "accommodating" these foolish requests as they DO continue the cycle and enable this type of racism to continue.

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 sweeeetly as I delivered their options.

[SharonH, RN]

Quote

Originally posted by SnowieRN

So I guess im the only one that didn't see it as racist.

What other reason could there be for not wanting African-Americans to care for you other than racism? Yes, it's "personal choice" but what is motivating that choice? I would honestly like to know your answer to this.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Or better yet... perhaps glancing at the staffing schedule while scratching the chin, and a "hmmmmmmmmmm, now let's see... we DO have a 'white' nurse coming on duty tomorrow evening at 1930 hrs.... perhaps your wife can ask the baby to wait? Or perhaps you would like to tie her legs together until then? No ?

Well then... might we suggest you drive around to the other local hospitals and see what you can find to you liking? "

*smiling sweetly*

[fab4fan]

Sure, that's an option, assuming that your administration will back you up.

But then, none of us here have ever seen admin. talk out of both sides of its mouth, have we?

What probably should have been done is have the supervisors/mgrs. take the issue to admin. from day one, and let them sort it out.

I am not saying that what was done was OK; it wasn't. I guess I just feel sorry for people who were put in the middle of an impossible situation.

[Furball]

If I requested only skinny nurses and MD's to care for me 2 weeks in advance because I hate fat people do you think that demand would be accommodated? Of course not...it's as ludicrous a request as asking for only caucasian healthcare workers.

Nobody ever suggested that racist pts not be cared for... just not accommodate racist demands. If they leave it's due to their own stupidity and not the hospitals fault.

I agree with Fab...the supervisors shouldn't be punished but have protocols developed for these situations. It's easy to Monday quarterback. I don't know...post humongous signs in the ER, parking lot...all over the hospital that the hospital employs folks of all races, sexes, religion and sexual preference and all are to be respected....hand out flyers when pts come into the facility that racist demands will not be accommodated.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

I guess I am appalled that there ARE NOT already protocols in PLACE to adresse these situations when they arise ! I can't believe that this has not been an issue before, and that there are no guidelines in place. THAT is unbelievable to me !

[maureeno]

There was a policy in place, it was disregarded.

Says one quoted medical ethicist:

"This was a fundamental disrespect of these professionals' skills and their fundamental dignities. Hospitals are public citizens, and like any other big institution, they have to stand for integrity. A hospital needs to stand against this undercurrent of racism in our society."

>>>Despite a hospital policy stating that "care will be provided on a nondiscriminatory basis," maternity ward staffers accommodated the man's wishes.

Abington is a 508-bed hospital that serves patients from Montgomery and Bucks Counties and Philadelphia. Following the breach of policy, hospital administrators have taken several steps, including:

Personally apologizing to staffers who were told not to enter the patient's room.

Sending a letter on Sept. 16 to all employees and volunteers, in which Jones promised to "better address unconscionable circumstances like this."

Holding staff meetings and forming a "diversity task force" of hospital employees to develop a plan for similar problems in the future.

Hiring consultants to help managers handle sensitive cultural issues.

Revising the hospital's anti-discrimination policy to immediately notify high-level administrators when such problems occur.