Racism Is Stopping Black Men From Solving Our Nursing Shortage

Racism Is Stopping Black Men From Solving Our Nursing Shortage

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BETTER LIFE LAB

THE FUTURE OF WORK, GENDER, AND SOCIAL POLICY

NOV. 27 2017 11:21 AM

Racism Is Stopping Black Men From Solving Our Nursing Shortage

ByAdia Harvey Wingfield
Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. Photos by Thinkstock.

Chris, a nurse I interviewed recently, is regularly mistaken for hospital housekeeping staff: “I come [to work] in my white uniform. That’s what I wear. Being a black man, I know they won’t look at me the same, so I dress the part. I said, ‘Good evening, my name’s Chris, and I’m going to be your nurse.’ She says to me, ‘Are you from housekeeping?’ ” This wasn’t the only time he’s had his occupation questioned while he’s practicing it: “I’ve walked in and had a lady look at me and ask if I’m the janitor.”

>With a rapidly aging population, longer life spans, and few care facilities in many rural areas, the demand for nurses is high, and the profession has deliberately sought to recruit more men. At the same time, fields that have traditionally been male-dominated—especially manufacturing and construction—have been hit hard over the years, and especially since the 2008 recession. Consequently, some have hoped men would be attracted to nursing given that it is a field that offers stable, well-paying work in a growing industry. Yet nursing still remains predominantly female and white. While many have focused on the barriers to getting men in general to enter nursing, my research shows that black men, who are drastically underrepresented in nursing, may in fact be the group of men most motivated to enter the field, even despite an often racist environment.

When ever blacks fail to do something that they should be it's racism.

>151625736▶

>Nursing is dominated by white women / over-represented
>Let's stick as many black men in there as we can

Literally just part of the plan.

>one old lady asks if he's housekeeping
>stretch that into entire article about racism

Honestly, most hospital housekeeping staff are black because hospitals are in cities and most blacks are too stupid to do any other kind of work. If I see 10 black housekeepers and 10 white nurses, is it really that bad to assume the 11th black person is a housekeeper?

I knew a black guy who was in the nursing program at my university.

He got expelled on his first practicum for stealing a patients medicine.

>Yet nursing still remains predominantly female and white.

Wow this shitter needs to get her head out of her ass and visit an actual hospital.
something like 70% of nurses in the South have to be black. Go to Emory or to Vanderbilt or anywhere else. AT LEAST every other nurse is black.

And you know, good for them. They're working, and the senior black nurses keep the junior ones doing a good job (at least in my experience).

no, stupid black jamaican niggers and nigresses are stopping the nursing problem because it's all fixed at a certain rate and if you think these people are oppressed then you got another thing coming to you when you openly defend them and find out first hand at the hands of these baboons that all that racism was stopping them from killing you in your sleep at the hospital.

Also, as for black male nurses, I had a positive experience with a Christian one from Togo. I conjecture that most of the good black male nurses are native Africans.

This. I’m sure being in Atlanta colors my perspective a bit, but there are tons of black nurses and doctors. a Fair amount of black male nurses as well, mostly gay though.

this is what im talking about who the fuck write an essay about someone asking if youre there to help or not stupid millenials get offended just for breathing.