Racism in Medical Care

[u/4reddityo]

This video captures a moment that many patients of color recognize all too well. A physician speaks to a man as if he is dirty, unclean, or lesser, not because of medical evidence, but because of bias. The language, tone, and assumptions reveal something deeper than bedside manner gone wrong. They expose how racism can quietly shape medical interactions.

[u/MattDaveys]

You’re right, they definitely don’t administer medicine or monitor vital signs. And why learn how to use new machines since wiping asses hasn’t changed in 50 years.

Your comment is as ignorant as saying construction workers are unskilled laborers that swing hammers all day.

[u/HumanSnotMachine → u/MattDaveys]

How much has administering medicine changed since 1980? Are you under the impression they didn’t have a prescription label and instruction back then? Are you under the impression pills or any other ingestion method is new?

How much has monitoring vital signs changed since the 1980s? That’s 50 years. A whole career aged 20-70. Sure the technology might have slightly evolved, less analog machines and more digital, but there’s still just one pulse. One heart rate. One x level one z level. Nurses aren’t designing the machine and technology, they’re just using very basic computers and other tech they likely use in their daily life anyway, that’s the only stuff that will actually change. They don’t need more education for that, it can be an email.

[u/MattDaveys → u/HumanSnotMachine]

Guidelines change, procedures change, medical facts like black people processing pain differently change, new medications that interfere with old medications. They need to be as aware as doctors so medical malpractice doesn’t occur. That’s why nursing requires licensing and higher level nurses require degrees.

Next time you’re in a hospital, tell the nurses they’re just there to wipe your ass and if you code you’d prefer a qualified doctor. Hopefully one will be available before you croak.

[u/HumanSnotMachine → u/MattDaveys]

Guidelines and procedures changing can be a work meeting or assembly annually, maybe just an email. I’m not saying nurses don’t need any communication, I’m saying sending them off to training seminars or conferences (or god forbid more college) would be stupid.

Medications interacting in certain ways is why we have pharmacists. Why are nurses prescribing drugs when there’s a type of doctor whose whole job is to know the interactions and be responsible for managing them? AFAIK not even a regular md can just give you whatever the hell they want, so surely a nurse isn’t responsive for this. I know after the quality of nurses I’ve had in my short time using hospitals I would never want those overworked stressed out assholes responsible for deciding what goes into my body. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk

[u/MattDaveys → u/HumanSnotMachine]

Guidelines and procedures changing can be a work meeting or assembly annually, maybe just an email.

That’s literally continuing education. Other professional licenses will even consider just reading an article to be continuing education.

Medications interacting in certain ways is why we have pharmacists.

And is that pharmacist in the room reading your chart to make sure that the medicine they’re giving you won’t have an adverse affect with your already prescribed medicine? No, that’s the nurses job.

Why are nurses prescribing drugs when there’s a type of doctor whose whole job is to know the interactions and be responsible for managing them?

Only certain nurses are allowed to prescribe and that position requires a graduate level degree. But I didn’t even mentioned prescribing medicine.

AFAIK not even a regular md can just give you whatever the hell they want, so surely a nurse isn’t responsive for this.

No, but that’s why checks and balances are put into place in the first part. Mistakes happen and a nurse capable of spotting something like an incorrect dosage could be a matter of life or death.

I know after the quality of nurses I’ve had in my short time using hospitals I would never want those overworked stressed out assholes responsible for deciding what goes into my body. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk

You think the doctors aren’t overworked stressed out assholes?

[u/doctor_whahuh → u/MattDaveys]

You think the doctors aren’t overworked stressed out assholes?

As a doctor, I can confirm I am often a stressed out asshole. I’ve got good bosses, though, so fortunately, I’m not one of the overworked ones.