I encountered racism firsthand in my workplace. Language barriers can be challenging, but they should never be a reason to question someone’s abilities or integrity. However, a family relative of one of our residents made hurtful remarks during a shift, insinuating that I couldn’t be trusted as a nurse because Finnish isn’t my first language. With other witnesses in sight, she even threatened to revoke my license by filing a report against me in Valvira, which to me, is a serious violation and an attempt to intimidate and undermine my professional standing. There was even more intention to intimidate by calling her other relatives to come to our workplace.
It’s incredibly disheartening to encounter such prejudice, especially when the only goal is to provide the best care possible to the people we care for. I firmly believe that any language skills, while not perfect, should never overshadow the compassion and commitment to delivering quality healthcare.
I wanted to share this experience to shed light on the ongoing challenges many foreigners( or, as the family member said, ”vitun maahanmuuttaja”) face due to their language skills in Finland. Let’s use this opportunity to start a conversation and work towards a more understanding and accepting society.