I was at a patient’s house the other day. The patient is a 93 year old hispanic female and has a really great family who takes care of her. Problem is she doesn’t speak a lick of English.

The family seems to like me but they keep asking for a spanish speaking home health aid to assist with her bath. My agency does not have a spanish speaking home health aid.

The other day they finally came out with the real problem. The home health aid my agency had assigned their frail mother was black. The son said his mother did not like black people.

I had to hold back and not erupt in anger. Then he said the most common cliche’ that prejudiced people say, “I have had best friends who are black.”

The patient’s son said that the black boys used to protect him when he was in high school. I felt like saying “Well, they shouldn’t have wasted their time.” But I didn’t, I just held my tongue and figured I would sit on this a while and find a retort that would force him to shut up next time he wanted to complain about someone’s color from my agency.

I have been thinking about this for two days now and this afternoon I went clear across town to see a new patient. I had no idea they were black and they had no idea I was white. As soon as I entered in the home they asked where their normal LVN was. You guessed it, their normal nurse was black. I guess they didn’t think a white registered nurse could be as good as a black LVN.

This is not the first time I have encountered prejudice because I am white. I didn’t let it bother me though, because some of my best patients have been black and at least we both spoke English.