i've never really experienced racism up till
today at work.
here's the story (well, IF you're really bothered to read actually.)
i had this C class patient who was being transferred over to my station.
initially, she was lodged at B1 side due to bed shortage and just so happened
that the central station had one bed vacant as we had transferred out
a patient to the high dependency unit.
even before she entered the room, she stared at the patients' names on the door.
after staring hard, she approached me at the counter where i was busy closing my reports.
this is the conversation i had with her:
Patient (pt): nurse, can i change rooms or not? all those inside there are malays. and i don't like malays.
Me: excuseee me? (i dunno if she noticed my wide eye expression)
Pt: all the people inside there are malays, i don't like to be in the same room as them. can i get the room next door?
Me: sure no problem. thing is, they are all malays too.
Pt: (saw my nametag) oh you're malay. uhm, just get me another bed if possible asap okay?
Me: i'll try to arrange it, but you'll probably won't get seeing that we're short of beds right now. it's good enough you're transferred here. this is a B2 station btw.
Pt: oh okay. just try asap.
that's ONLY the first part.
a few minutes later, she approached me saying that her locker can't be unlocked.
Me: im very sure my colleague has told you that the lockers here sometimes gets jammed
and most of the time, patients' things are being locked accidently.
Pt: yes, im aware of that. so can u open my locker for me?
Me: (took the master key & unlocked the drawer) ok here you go.
Pt husband: (meddles around with the locker thing.) you guys should have the default code for this thing what right? sure can lock right? (meddles around more and got it jammed again.)
Me: (opened the drawer again) try not to lock it okay, mdm ***.
Pt husband: don't you all have the default code? you know always the default code is 0000? so can try it right?
Me: we usually advise our patients not to lock in case they need to get their things during an emergency and they can't open the drawer. wouldn't it be worse?
Pt: oh okay... (speaks in mandarin thinking i didn't understand them) she's malay. later ask the night shift chinese nurse.
Me: my colleague will still say the same thing. sorry but im not racist when it comes to lockers. (walks away.)
to tell the truth, i'm hurt cos i'm very sensitive if anyone should insult my own race.
i know that a minority of us might have offended you in some way but
why do you even take it out on the rest of us?
it's unfair.
and it felt even more depressed when i told my supervisor, who thought i was joking about it.
i don't wish to pursue the matter but i was definitely saddened by the whole incident.