Because of unique cultural differences, ANA President Beverly L. Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, says nurses should not adopt a color-blind mentality. It's not a badge of honor. It means there's something wrong with the sight. Nurses need to see who the patients are. We want to see the whole person, including their color.
People are uniquely different, and treatment decisions are uniquely different.
It turned out he just couldn't deal with having a black nurse. I had the supervisor, who doubted me on this, check by using other, white nurses. He was much better. It wasn't appropriate to risk his health, which was very precarious, by putting him in a position where he had to confront his prejudices right at that moment. Serlin advises a nurse who faces apparent patient prejudice to first double-check his or her own perceptions and biases about working with that patient.