Racism in the chemotherapy infusion unit: a nurse's story.
Shortly before his death in 1995, Kenneth B. Schwartz, a cancer patient at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), founded The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center at MGH. The Schwartz Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing compassionate health care delivery that provides hope to the patient and support to caregivers, and encourages the healing process. The Center sponsors the Schwartz Center Rounds, a monthly multidisciplinary forum where caregivers reflect on important psychosocial issues faced by patients, their families, and their caregivers, and gain insight and support from fellow staff members. In this article a nurse relates her experience as caregiver for a patient who made repeated racially motivated comments. She reflects on her response and the support she received from her colleagues.
Schapira
Lidia
L
Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. lschapira@partners.org
Gordon-Rowe
Leah
L
Martignetti
Rosalba
R
Washington
Deborah
D
Bartholomay
Mimi
M
Greenberg
Donna
D
Lathan
Christopher
C
LaFrancesca
Joanne
J
Lynch
Thomas
T
Chabner
Bruce
B
D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000941:ethics*; D011287:Prejudice