An African-American nurse is suing a Michigan hospital after she says staff there agreed to a swastika-tattooed father’s request that no black nurses care for his new baby.

 

Hospital granted dad's request: no black nurses, lawsuit says - Vitals

Who has the "right" here? Does a family have the right to make requests like this? Do the employees have the right to work?

Sorta like that M*A*S*H episode years ago.

Who has the "right" here? Does a family have the right to make requests like this? Do the employees have the right to work?

 

I guess the family has the right to make the request but they shouldn't have the expectation that it will be granted. They came to the hospital, right?

 

I wish the hospital would have moved every african american they had available on staff to that particular floor.

I suppose the hospital has the right to place any employee where they want, or relocate them I suppose. While I think it's absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever heard of, I would think that the hospital was fully within it's right to make it's patient happy. I see it as asking for a particular surgeon over another, while I think everyone would agree that the bigoted request was beyond ignorant, I guess he is fully within his rights.

 

What would be poetic is that somewhere down the line, the patient had no choice, it was a black person who could help him or none at all. That would be priceless.

An African-American nurse is suing a Michigan hospital after she says staff there agreed to a swastika-tattooed father’s request that no black nurses care for his new baby.

 

Hospital granted dad's request: no black nurses, lawsuit says - Vitals

 

Was this Archie Bunker?????????????

While I think it's absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever heard of, I would think that the hospital was fully within it's right to make it's patient happy.

 

I doubt it. If you boil that hypothetical conversation down to its fundamentals, it ends up looking like this:

 

"We're reassigning you."

"Why?"

"Because you're black."

 

And so you're stuck with a hospital admitting that it reassigned an employee based solely on race which, despite my ignorance of the law in this area, strikes me as a big problem.

I suppose the hospital has the right to place any employee where they want, or relocate them I suppose. While I think it's absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever heard of, I would think that the hospital was fully within it's right to make it's patient happy. I see it as asking for a particular surgeon over another, while I think everyone would agree that the bigoted request was beyond ignorant, I guess he is fully within his rights.

 

What would be poetic is that somewhere down the line, the patient had no choice, it was a black person who could help him or none at all. That would be priceless.

 

I agree its dumb but as a hospital being a place that serves the public and conflicts and intenese situations probably need to be avoided to me good move by hospital, keep the peace best interest of baby, and mother. While we may not agree, what did it hurt?? The nurses feeling may have been effected but I think she was also protected from a potential problem as well.

How was the nurse harmed?

Clearly, this is wrong,and the man is an idiot. I work in a very racially integrated hospital. I can look at this in a couple of ways.

 

I am white and work in the department of psychiatry. Occasionally there are black patients who do not trust/like white people and respond better to our African American staff members. I have no problem with this as we try to do what is in the best interests of the patient. When the situation is reversed, my black co workers don't have a problem either. However, we would never post a sign to that effect. The charge nurse tries make assignments keeping in mind all of the patients' needs and matching them up with nurses most appropriate to meet those needs.

 

Secondly, the hospital did seem to cave into this man, however, it could be also viewed that they tried to protect this nurse. Nothing this woman could ever do for his child would be right in his eyes, and God forbid something happened, she would be to blame. Also, a racist like that may physically put her in danger.

 

Bottom line is, you are not going to change this man's bigoted ways. What is in the best interest of this child? Personally, I would think it would be to be cared for by a nurse with 25 years experience, but he was obviously too ignorant to see this.

While we may not agree, what did it hurt??

 

The hospital also has a legal duty to be staffed with trained, capable nurses. What if something had happened -- to that child or another -- and it's discovered that the hospital had pulled a 25-year veteran out of the room to accommodate this request?

Clearly, this is wrong,and the man is an idiot. I work in a very racially integrated hospital. I can look at this in a couple of ways.

 

I am white and work in the department of psychiatry. Occasionally there are black patients who do not trust/like white people and respond better to our African American staff members. I have no problem with this as we try to do what is in the best interests of the patient. When the situation is reversed, my black co workers don't have a problem either. However, we would never post a sign to that effect. The charge nurse tries make assignments keeping in mind all of the patients' needs and matching them up with nurses most appropriate to meet those needs.

 

Secondly, the hospital did seem to cave into this man, however, it could be also viewed that they tried to protect this nurse. Nothing this woman could ever do for his child would be right in his eyes, and God forbid something happened, she would be to blame. Also, a racist like that may physically put her in danger.

 

Bottom line is, you are not going to change this man's bigoted ways. What is in the best interest of this child? Personally, I would think it would be to be cared for by a nurse with 25 years experience, but he was obviously too ignorant to see this.

 

With all that in mind do you believe (your opinion, not as a matter of law) the nurse deserves a payout from the hospital?

The hospital also has a legal duty to be staffed with trained, capable nurses. What if something had happened -- to that child or another -- and it's discovered that the hospital had pulled a 25-year veteran out of the room to accommodate this request?

 

What if something happened that was deemed to be a judgment call? I think it is a double edged sword from a malpractice perspective.

The hospital is a business. The patient is a consumer. Unethical as it may seem, I think the hospital is well within it's rights.

How is this different from a religious belief request?