Prejudice

[Jhawka19]

Prejudice is not just related to race and color.

So often we get upset when we see racial prejudice... and rightly so! We get upset with bullying with our kids at their schools...another form of prejudice. But rarely do we have much to say that will effect the prejudice most of us see every day (and this occurs a lot in nursing) and that is bully management or positions bullying. How many of us have witnessed that "correction" by a manager of an individual while in the presence of a crowd of their piers, or worse yet in front of a patient? How many of us has seen one standard set for one group or individual and that standard is ignored for another group? Here is an example; I worked at a facility that had returning client surveys that showed the families did not like starting their ambulatory clinics late. For example: their appointment was for 9:00 and they desired for it to start at 9:00 not often like when the first medical personnel to come in to the room at 9:20 or so. OK so the hospital wanted to improve their scores on this issue. So the hospital set up goals or standards, trying to improve on this issue. Nursing got right on board and nurses were being held accountable,See the patient within 5 minutes of their clinic time. Now at the same time, some physician/providers would not even show up for the 9:00 first appointment until 9:30, 9:40. Little would be said about this, because they were providers. Nursing management was unwilling to "rock the boat" or take a stand on the issue. I'm sorry, but I don't see the difference between treating someone in a privileged way because of his race or because of his position (making money for the hospital - as providers are viewed as). We ask and teach our kids to take a stand on prejudice in their lives yet we ignore it when its in our daily work lives. We have to be willing to challenge these issues when we see them. Martin Luther King Jr did not wait for the "white man" to see his erroneous ways, he had to speak up, to challenge the system and be willing to put some things on the line in order to initiate change. I wish we had the guts to do it ourselves!

Just a thought and a word of encouragement to make a change and a difference in our daily lives.

[malenurse354]

Very well said,, I got your point! I really wish that nurses will have the courage to a lot of prejudices at work..This might be very hard, but it is doable!

[Jhawka19]

And I think it is more in the male nature to do, but if we don't take those stands, change will not occur on their own!

[amygarside]

Thanks for sharing this. It made me reflect on what really is prejudice especially in the nursing profession.

[oldntiredRN]

Nursing is a bunch of butt kissers, always has been and always will be. Nursing has never stood up for right and wrong. Especially the female nurses- they smile at the most demeaning and inappropraite things- comments, actions and situations. They don't know any different. I personnally know the stood up for sexual harassment of a female nurse by a male physician- that doctor was all right and the nurse was all wrong- it was her fault!! Nursing managmnt sticks up for garbage like this also all the time. Nursing has no backbones never did. and I ve' been a nurse for 32years. Never once have I ever seen nursing stick up or speak out against injustice or unjust treatment. I serious question their"Patient advocacy" they would no more stick up for a patient than for another nurse. How many time have we heard fellow nurses riduculing patients at the desk-- theat's 75 % of the shift. makes you wonder. And for heavens sake- don't know something they rest don't know- you are doomed. Easily threatened and fragile egos and low self esteem filled profession.These should be the criteria to keep these kinds of people out of the profession but it seem to be a magnet for these nincompoops.

[Jhawka19]

It’s true and sad. I don't know if it is too much different in any field though. But I know that the general personality of nurses makes it worse. WE care... and by doing so, we want to serve and help......sometimes that makes it too easy to enable.

I have seen where on single physician covering a meningitis patient complained that the OFC (head circumference) was not measured on an infant. Typically, a nurse SHOULD do this for all meningitis infants, and usually on each shift, as part of an assessment for increased intracranial pressure. But because the physician complained, nursing management set up a whole assessment team to check each chart, each shift to ensure “the best care of the patient”. Now again, I believe action should have been taken to assure this vital measurement was done. However, what do you think happened regarding the physician who got up and left without assessing the OFC himself?? (He could have asked the patient's current nurse for a quick measurement)...........

NOTHING.
Nursing management just decided to spend hundreds to thousands of dollar to take the route they did when the physician did not do his/her job either. The best avenue would have been education for both nursing and the physician!

[Joanneohod]

Nursing management can respond in a matter of fact way without singling people out.
If there is a policy and procedure related to the issue, then there should be a meeting to discuss the policy. The manager could hand out a copy of the policy to everyone at the meeting and then either read the policy or discuss the content. At this point the manager should state the expectation.
From that point on, everyone will know what the policy is and should respond accordingly. If a physician is not following the policy, then the manager needs to take the issue to the medical director.

Yes. There is a sense of privelage among certain disciplines. What everyone should understand is that we are a team and work for the benefit of the patient. With that said, sometimes there is a review of labs, diagnostic results and such that may take the physician some time to review. Additionally, physicians may phone another doc with a request for a consult thereby extending the time it takes to see the patient. As a result, everyone gets backed up. If the policy is not adhered to, then there should be a discussion about whether or not this is the right place for them to work. Nurses should be held to the standard as well and be prepared for push back by certain indivicuals.