A family member of 2 of my patients (twins) told me about an unfortunate experience they had during their admission. A staff member of the hospital, threatened not to perform their duty because the family member and one of the nurses were speaking to each other in Spanish. This was pretty shocking and upsetting for me to hear, and I can only imagine how it must have affected this family member. Our hospital serves a diverse community, but with a large majority of that population being Spanish-speaking, so the fact that someone in who works here can carry that kind of attitude in their heart made my heart sink.
I just sat for a while and listened to what this woman had to say, as she was understandably angry and shaken. What surprised me though was the good things she had to say about this hospital besides this isolated event. That, at least prior to this incident, she felt this hospital genuinely cared about the community and the patients that came through our doors. And how she trusted this hospital to see her and her family members as people, not just as patients. It was affirming to hear that many of the reason I wanted to stay here for residency, are ways the people in the community view this hospital. It was a good reminder to always do right by our community in the face of emboldening bigotry, and actively fight against it.
nANIMOv 