Don Juan Bethea is the first Black Male Nurse in Depaul Hospital. He has worked in most hospitals in the region, including Norfolk Community Hospital, where he learned about patient care, and how to overcome his own stigmas.
Don Juan Bethea is the first Black Male Nurse in Depaul Hospital. He has worked in most hospitals in the region, including Norfolk Community Hospital, where he learned about patient care, and how to overcome his own stigmas.
https://thenewjournalandguide.com/week-four-gone-but-not-forgotten-va-s-black-operated-hospitals/
(Gentle electric guitar strums. )
Nichole Hill: On the campus of Norfolk State University, there used to be a hospital for Black folks. It was called Norfolk Community Hospital. It’s existence sprang from a need for a safe place for care during the rise of Jim Crow. The hospital flourished, continually adding beds.
Don Bethea: We had this one situation that I will never forget, in which this gentleman had come in, and he needed to be seen by the Emergency Room Physician.
He was dirty. I think his dirt on his body was baked into his skin. And the doctor refused to see him until he was clean. And he came by himself. Nobody was with him. And so, everybody looked to me. Don, this is your patient. Because I was a male and he was a man. Well, I didn't want to do it initially, but as far as me proclaiming who I am as a Christian, I had to practice what I preached.
So I forgot about myself, I forgot about my own feelings, and I took off his clothes and everything, took him in the the bathtub. Made sure the water was warm, made sure he had soap, and everything, and I bathed him. Just like you're bathing a baby. We talked heart to heart, and to this day I've never had a conversation with anybody that was so inspiring and uplifting in talking with that man to this day. I'll never forget him.
So after he was clean, I put him on clean clothes. He could be seen by the doctor. He can go on to his way. And so, I'm a patient now, being seen by some doctors, it's important that you treat people the way you want to be treated.
You know, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter how much money you have or how much money you don't have.
It doesn't matter. The person is a human being that needs medical treatment.
My name is Don Juan Bethea.
Nichole Hill: You heard that right-He’s Don Juan.
Don Bethea: I'm 71 years old. And I am, a practicing registered nurse.
I am employed for Bon Secours Medical Center, Maryview, in Portsmouth. I've been a nurse for 52 years, believe it or not.
Nichole Hill: Don moved up the ranks from working in sanitation all the way to becoming a registered nurse. But back in 1978 when he first started…
Don Bethea: I remember I was very defiant at the time and my supervisor came to me and she asked me point blank. What is wrong with you?
And I told her, I did not like what I was doing. So she responded, you need to go to school. And so, I didn't know what to do because I didn't have the knowledge of finding a place to get a better education.
So this nurse anesthetist student, a big tall guy, country guy, he came to me and said, do you want to go to Anesthesia School?
I said, yes. And he said, well, you can. I said, what do I have to do? And he told me, you have to become a nurse. I said, "That's not happening." Because nursing had this stigma that it was all female. And I didn't want to be identified with a female occupation. But he told me and convinced me, no, it's okay. This is how you become a Nurse Anesthetist. You have to go to nursing school first.
And so I did. My father gave me permission to go. He signed for my student loan. I went to nursing school. and I finally graduated.
And my supervisor was so happy. She said, "Mr. Bethea, I'm so happy of what you're doing." I've never had anybody who was so complimentary of my progress. She was so happy because, I was the first black male nurse at DePaul Hospital. I was the first male nurse in the operating room. And that was in 1978.
(Music drops in with a quiet drum beat)
She trained me personally. And she had her other supervisors precept me in the other areas of surgery. I had the best training in the operating room at DePaul She wanted to make sure that I was going to be fully functional.
And I was going to be good in what I was doing. And to this day, I never forget that. She gave me an opportunity. And so that's how I became a nurse.
(Drum music ends)
My supervisor hired me on the spot and she even promoted me to work in infection control.
I worked at Norfolk General Hospital, in the emergency room, because I was trying to get some experience going to anesthesia school. Norfolk General Hospital was a challenge. Because it was the emergency room. And there was a supervisor there, her name was Dorothy Price.
Her husband was the coach of Norfolk State football, Dick Price. I didn't know that, but she said, Mr. Bethea, why don't you come over to Norfolk Community?
Well, I don't want to go to Norfolk Community, because they had a bad stigma. But I went anyway, and the people were nice, the emergency room staff was nice, and they taught me everything I know
Nichole Hill: At Norfolk Community, Don got to experience other areas of the hospital like the med surge floor, and the ICU Department. And there were some other perks as well...
(Ding of a cafeteria kitchen, and sounds of a cafeteria)
Don Bethea: I love to eat. I love good southern cooking. And when I first went to the cafeteria, I remember this.
They had the cobblers, the peach cobbler, the blueberry cobblers, the black cobblers. And I said, "Oh my goodness, I can't believe this." They had the fried chicken. They had the homemade rolls. They had southern cooking. And I was told that people would come out of town just to eat in Norfolk Community Hospital.
I remember one day they had net bones with barbecue sauce on them. I just went crazy, because my mother used to do the same thing.
(Nostalgic music plays)
And on Saturdays, they had these fish cakes, which was so good, no one could duplicate that recipe to this day. And you had to get down there early, because they'd be gone before you got there.
So yes, that was one of the gems of working at North Community Hospital, the food. (Laughter)
Norfolk community always had the stigma because it was a Black owned hospital. And it was like Black owned Institutions were inferior to the white owned Institutions, and we all had that stigma, even as a Black person.
We believed that the care was not sufficient. We believed that the doctors didn't know what they were doing.
We believed that people, when they went there, they, they got sicker. And that was not the case. We had some really good professional people working at Norfolk Community Hospital. Really good. And some are still practicing today.
It wasn't the highest paid place to work for, but the opportunity was there.
The money was good, especially for a Black man. The money was great. I gave my family a good quality of life. We can move into the apartment sections where other people couldn't move in. And so, my family always had good places to live.
They never lacked for anything. They had good schooling and everything, all because they had the opportunity to do it.
Nichole Hill: Norfolk Community Hospital was torn down on July 1, 1998.
Don Bethea: I know it was in the 80s when I worked there. There was a rumor that the hospital was closing. There were times when I'd be sitting in the parking lot waiting to start work. I see people go in, and they'd be getting laid off.
But we didn't have a particular date when it was going to close, but it was just in the air.
So I'm glad I was there at that time, at that moment, to get the experience. And know the people, to make friends there, So yeah, it was a great experience for me. I'll never forget Norfolk Community Hospital. Most of what I know today, in my practice today, comes from the knowledge I gained from Norfolk Community Hospital.
(Nostalgic music rises)
And even though people had a stigma behind it, I knew the truth. Doctors practicing today know the truth, and they are very good Surgeons. Good came out of that place, even though people might say negative things about it, I have nothing negative to say about the hospital that trained me to be what I am today.
Nichole Hill: Visit our website Truthbetoldcommunity.com to find out ways to get involved, and share this episode with friends.
This series was written by Jackie Glass and Hannah Sobol, edited and hosted by me, Nichole Hill, Sound Design by Trendel Lightburn, and our work has been supported by the Virginia African American Cultural Center through a grant from Virginia Tourism Corporation. Follow our work by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. We couldn’t do this without people brave enough to share their experiences, so thank you Don Juan Bethea.