TOH Nurses

describes the strategies used to enhance and create new capacity to provide at The Ottawa Hospital - L'Hôpital d'Ottawa. The article includes an in-depth focus on the design, implementation and outcomes of an innovative role for fourth-year bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) students.
TOH Nurses
https://www.longwoods.com/content/26422/nursing-leadership/enhancing-nursing-capacity-to-provide-patient-care-in-a-pandemic

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What is the face of racism in Canada? After 30 the hospital finally opens the discussion on Racism. I am grateful as it a start to a long battle. I am a proud black woman who has been working in the hospital, as an RN for the past 7 years. 7 years ago I left the french hospital to come to TOH as I though the anglophone cannot be worst than the french. Oh boy, I could never be more wrong. The type of racism at the hospital is the same we, black people, and any racialized people face in all the Canadian organizations. As a black person, you are made to feel that the policies are against us and they are used to keep black people at the bottom of the barrel. Hear me out, when I started 7 years, I was in my second year of my PhD in nursing. The reason I wanted to be part of this big organization was that it's a research hospital and as a part teacher of the University of Ottawa ( which is all a systemic racist institution, that is for another debate). My manger at that knew and she was looking for opportunities for me. She linked me to the Nursing research council. I talked to them on the phone, everything was great until I met them. After the first meeting, I never heard of them. They realized that the PhD candidate is a black RN. The next manager was a white male who saw me as a threat, as my fellow white nurses. The white male manager never talked to black nurses. When I complained to the director who is a while male also, told me it's a communication problem. Why a manager can talk to white staff, but cannot talk to black staff. If I did something it was coded as malicious intentions, if white staff did the same, it was not with malicious intentions. The white male director called me an angry black woman. I complained to HR, where everyone is white, and nothing is done. The only time I was able to be in charge, is if I am the only RN on the unit, otherwise, to be in charge you have to be white RN. As I continue to work in the hospital. I completed my PhD. The hospital gave a flower as a sign of recognition, while all the administration board was clapping, but in their mind, I do not deserve more than that. I applied to multiple positions, which are not floor positions, I never got any. I applied for a Nurse Educator position, which requires the applicants to have a master's degree. I was told that I nailed the interview, that was well prepared, that I am brilliant, but I did not get the position because I did not have experience. I have been teaching at the university level for the past 8 years. The position was given to a white RN with no master's degree, who did have experience. Because that was her first time being a nurse educator. Yet, I see my former classmate when was doing my master's degree, she is a nurse educator because she is not black. I applied for the CLL position, I had the interview, but I never got called back to know the result. I know I did not get it. As a black woman, I am not worthy to be the face of a white hospital. The last drop, was when I applied for a Care facilitator position, again I was told that I nailed the interview, that I was well prepared, but the position was given to a white RN whit a diploma, without a university degree. Meanwhile, as a PhD trained black RN, I am still a floor, bedside nurse. This is the racism, as a black woman that I am facing at the Ottawa Hospital which I call vertical racism. As a black RN, I am conjured to another to horizontal racism, which comes from my fellow white nurses, the microaggression, the conscience, and conscience bias when it comes to abiding by the policies and the procedures. White staff can't do no wrong, but when their mistakes are too obvious, they get away with it. Because their white peers cover for them, they gave excuses as they are tired, or they are going through a lot in their personal lives, or they are the new staff. Me as a black RN, I am not held by the same standard. From my white fellow nurses' perspective, If I make a mistake, it's because I am lazy, I don't care for my patients, or I just want to break the rules, or I am not competent, or I am not skilled. If I dare call them on their double standard then I am an angry black woman, I am difficult to work with, I am aggressive, I am violent, or I am intimidating. Then all the white staff will be mobbing against me and report me to the manager. The white colleagues act in their privileges, they believe they can talk to me disrespectfully and they expect to take silently. If I demand to be treated with respect, I become a violent and aggressive one. The worst is the hospital does not create any place for black staff to voice their struggles. If I say that my white colleagues are being racist by making racist jokes about my hair; like if I am being electrified to have an afro, my skin, my culture, my food. Even if I complained, I have been told by the manager that the intention was not malicious. when being racist was not malicious? My white colleagues told if I am going to play the race card and feel that they are racist, my place is not the Ottawa hospital and I do not belong there. As a black RN, I see my work being questioned by white colleagues who have no knowledge and experience to question my work. The only experience these colleagues have is their skin color. As a black RN, my assignment must be heavier than my white colleagues. As a black RN, I will be called to go do bloodwork and insert IV on black patients as my fellow white nurses cannot see the veins on black patients. And I am not the only one. Yes in 2020, as a black RN with a master's degree and a PhD, I can only be the bedside nurse in a research hospital like TOH while my fellow white RNs with a diploma are in management positions. It's a message the hospital sends me as I am only good to work on the floor, but yet my knowledge and experience are being used and abused. So let me get this straight, a white RN with a diploma is more competent, more skilled, more knowledgeable than a black RN with a PhD. Even as a bedside nurse, I would get the worst shifts after the white nurses get the best shifts This is the systemic racism we need to fight in Canada. Because the system was built to keep black people at the bottom of the barrel. This the type of racism we need to dismantle not only with discussions but with concrete actions. We cannot dismantle racism when you have no inclusion and diversity. I am not talking about affirmative action, where a white institution hires one person of color to say that they are not racist. See as a black RN, I have the administration knee on my neck and I have been trying to breathe at TOH for the past 7 years and I CANNOT breathe. This type of racism is killing black people slowly. We don't die instantly we die with a slow death. This racism breaks me to my core. But yet I have to fake a smile to show up to work, if I don't smile, my white colleagues will call me ANGRY BLACK WOMAN. The institution does everything to make me feel that I don't, belong in their vicinity, that I don't matter, I feel undervalued, underappreciated, underestimated, I feel unwelcomed.

Happy Nursing Week to all of the incredible nurses working tirelessly to protect our community! These challenging times have brought to the forefront how selfless, caring and dedicated nurses are. We can't thank them enough for all that they do, today and every day!

We'll be featuring nurses from The Ottawa Hospital and their stories throughout the week. Stay tuned!

Have you thanked a nurse today?

Read some of The Ottawa Hospital's frontline stories, including nurses, during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://bit.ly/35PUojg

TOH Nurses

My neighbour Taiya is making mask straps (that go behind your head to attach mask loops to save your ears!). She is making them out of rainbow looms and has a variety of colours to choose from. She is happily donating these to anyone who can use them. If you are interested please let me know and I will put you in touch with her! 💜

Please share!

We’re sharing some gratitude during Staff Appreciation Week!

Some well-deserved gratitude goes to the folks at Gabriel Pizza for providing staff with delicious pizza throughout the week! 🍕

Who are you grateful for?

TOH Nurses

That's a wrap on day 1 of Staff Appreciation Week... and we're just getting started!

How many slices will be served this week? Gabriel Pizza will donate over 28,000 slices of pizza to staff at The Ottawa Hospital, as a way of saying thank you for their hard work throughout the year.

Want to win a more pizza? Share a pic of your delicious Gabriel Pizza at Staff Appreciation Week, using the hashtag for your chance to win a $25 gift card to Crust & Crate Fast Fired Pizza Pub or Gabriel Pizza!

TOH Nurses