DEI’s Hidden Sting: A Young Black Nurse’s Take on Being Patronized, Not Empowered

By Georgia Hermiston

My name is Georgia Hermiston. I’m 20 years old, a registered nurse fresh out of school, raised in Scarborough, Ontario, and now working in a Toronto hospital after training in Detroit. I have always had the passion to be a writer, but for now it is a part-time passion as I work now as a nurse.  I’ve been on the job less than a year, but I’ve already logged long shifts, nailed my first IVs, and earned nods from patients and supervisors alike. I’m proud of what I’ve done so far—worked hard to get here, balancing nursing school with part-time jobs. But there’s something that keeps nagging at me: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. They’re supposed to lift up Black professionals like me, but instead, they often feel like a pat on the head—like I’m a kid who needs help, not a nurse who’s already proving herself.

The Assumption I’m Here by Favour

I didn’t land this gig because someone “opened a door” for me. I got it through grit—acing exams, pulling all-nighters, and mastering skills like spotting a fever spike before it’s obvious. Yet DEI stuff keeps hinting I’m a special case. During my clinical placement in Detroit last year, a supervisor pulled me aside for a “diversity chat,” saying how great it was to have “someone like me” on the team. She didn’t mention my 90% practical score—just my race. It felt like my hustle didn’t matter; I was there to fill a quota.

Now in Toronto, it’s not much different. My hospital’s DEI team sent me an invite to a “BIPOC new hires” workshop. I’m barely out of school; still learning the ropes, but the email didn’t care about that—it was all about my skin. Meanwhile, my white classmate from nursing school got a staff position without extra “support.” The vibe? I’m a project they’re propping up, not a pro they’re trusting to stand on her own. At 20, I’m too young to be coddled—I want to be challenged, not pitied.

The Token Trap, Even at the Start

Tokenism hits early, too. In Detroit, they asked me to pose for a recruitment flyer—me, the newbie, because I’m Black and “inspiring.” I’d barely clocked 100 hours, yet they wanted my face, not my skills. Back in Toronto, I got tapped for a “diversity in nursing” Zoom panel last month. I’m still figuring out how to chart without second-guessing myself, but they cared more about my “story” than my stethoscope. It’s not a compliment—it’s a box. I’m not here to be your poster girl; I’m here to work.

I see it in the news, too—CBC loves spotlighting “young diverse talent,” but they don’t ask how it feels to be a prop. At 20, I’m just starting out, and already I’m dodging the label of “the Black nurse” instead of “the good nurse.” DEI’s focus on optics makes me feel like my degree’s a footnote to my identity.

The Competence Cloud

Worst of all, DEI casts this shadow over my ability. In Detroit, a classmate half-joked I got extra instructor attention “because of diversity goals.” No proof—just a dig that stuck with me. Here in Toronto, I’ve caught a vibe from some staff—like they’re waiting to see if I’ll mess up, as if my hiring was a favour, not a merit pick. DEI’s “equity” talk suggests I’m behind before I even start, needing a leg up to keep pace. I don’t want your leg up—I want you to see I can run the floor just fine.

I’ve talked to other young Black nurses who feel it too. My friend Aisha, 21, in Ottawa, skipped a DEI session because “it’s all pity, no respect.” My cousin in Michigan, 22, says she’s tired of being the “success story” when she’s just trying to clock in. We’re not imagining this—racism’s real, from patients who ask for “someone else” to instructors who over-explain basics to me but not others. But DEI’s answer feels like it’s fixing us instead of the doubters. I’m 20—I’ve got decades to prove myself, and I don’t need a policy questioning my shot.

A Better Way Forward

Don’t get me wrong—DEI’s heart might be in the right place. Hiring biases suck, and I’ve heard horror stories from older nurses about being passed over. But at 20, I’m not broken—I’m ready. Stop treating me like I need a crutch. Give me real support—mentors who’ll push my skills, not my “journey.” Rate me on my patient care, not my presence in a stats report. In Canada’s stretched-thin hospitals (CTV says we’re short 20,000 RNs in 2025) and America’s chaotic wards, we need talent, not tokens.

I’m at the start of this road, and I’ve got fire to burn. DEI should fuel that, not douse it with assumptions. Trust me to do the job—I’m young, I’m Black, I’m capable. Anything less feels like a handout I didn’t ask for, and that’s the real insult.

Georgia Hermiston is a registered nurse and a freelance writer for Veritas Expositae

You can reach her at Georgia.hermiston@veritasexpositae.com