Overt Intentional Prejudice/Racism
Two homeless women, one African-American and the other Irish, are clients at the neighborhood health care center. Both women are having financial difficulty. The African-American client's husband was laid off 4 years ago after his company closed. The Irish client is undergoing radiation treatment for metastatic cancer and has lost her job as a result of her prolonged illness. Both women are without health insurance. The nurse referred the Irish client to the social services department to enquire about available resources but did not refer the African- American woman. The nurse believed that minority clients have direct experience with some local and national government programs, know about available resources, and can negotiate the social system for themselves and family. in contrast, the nurse believed that because the Irish woman had a catastrophic illness and no prior experience negotiating government programs, she needed to advocate for her client. The nurse, not knowing the health-seeking behaviors of either client, stereotyped both women and intentionally used her informational power to help one client while denying assistance to the other client.