Ignoring NHS racist abuse does not make it go away
Intended for healthcare professionals
Opinion Previous     Next

Ignoring NHS racist abuse does not make it go away

Michael Baptiste Mental health nurse

Why should black or minority ethnic nurses suffer in silence when they are insulted or degraded by patients?

In my experience, when you report racism from patients in the NHS you become persona non grata. I have been a mental health nurse for more than 25 years and have been on the receiving end of racism from patients my entire career. Patients have called me racially abusive names such as black gorilla, n****r, black Sambo, golliwog, monkey, Chicken George, and I have been told: ‘Go back to your own country.’ It is an issue that refuses to go away.

Mental Health Practice. 25, 4, 7-7. doi: 10.7748/mhp.25.4.7.s4

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more