Despicable reason young woman was told she would never be a nurse in Australia: 'Looked me dead in the eyes'

Published: 03:33, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 03:59, 13 April 2026 A nurse claimed she was told she would never make it in the healthcare industry because she was black.  Sentia Igiraneza, 22, was doing work experience at a Queensland hospital in December 2023, as part of her Bachelor of Nursing degree, when she claims one of the nurses said she wouldn't succeed in life due to her skin colour. 'She looked me dead in the eyes and said I would never become a nurse or make it anywhere because I was black,' she told Daily Mail. 'I wish someone told me being a black woman pursuing a career in healthcare in Australia was the exact same as a death sentence.' While she always thought she would cop racism from her patients, she said she never thought she would experience it from a nurse, but that changed very early on in her placement. 'I would come into shift and greet everyone,' Ms Igiraneza said. 'A lot of the time, they would look up and down at me and ignore me.' However, she said the nurses' demeanours appeared to change as soon as someone of a different race walked through the door. A nurse claimed she was told she would never make it in the healthcare industry because she was black 'When a white girl came in and greeted people, she was given a warm welcome,' Ms Igiraneza said. 'I would stand there thinking maybe there was something on the placement documentation that said black people weren't allowed to speak.' She said she should have quickly realised there was a racist culture because of the remarks that kept coming instead of giving the nurses the benefit of the doubt. 'Instead of asking me things like "What are your interests", "Where do you plan on going as a nurse in the future", or "What's your career direction", she'd ask me things like, "How did you manage to get into this placement", "How did you pass your English test?" and "What type of documentation did you provide".' Ms Igiraneza, who was 19 at the time, said conversations in the nursing station would be about her 'hair, lips and the chocolatery colour of her skin', but she turned a blind eye because she thought it was 'just banter'. In her final week of placement, she felt a worker hinted she wasn't good enough. 'She told me it was because many of the staff found me intimidating and unfriendly,' she said. 'Apparently, I didn't really greet anyone when I came into the shift, was always rolling my eyes and was very aggressive.' She completed her degree in early March and has been applying for graduate programs Ms Igiraneza said she was only speaking about her experience publicly now because she had always believed the racism was a result of her own wrongdoing. 'Racism is a powerful destroyer because it breaks apart your self-esteem,' she said.  'It's not something I wish for the upcoming generation of black people who want to be a doctor, lawyer, or other big things. That's disgusting.' Looking back at her time there, Ms Igiraneza said she should have been more reserved around staff. 'If I knew I was going to be under a microscope, I would have not allowed myself to trust and become comfortable with the staff,' she said. 'I engaged in conversations, showed I didn't know things, was happy to learn and shared personal things about my life just like the other student.' She also said she wished she had sought professional help and assistance. Ms Igiraneza completed her degree in early March and has been applying for graduate programs. Many Aussies were shocked to hear about her experience and expressed sympathy. 'I'm absolutely furious and it saddens me that you feel as though you have to outperform because of the colour of your skin,' one said.  'I sincerely hope that despite other people's impression of you, you still pursued a career in nursing' a second said. 'I'm absolutely furious and it saddens me that you feel as though you have to out perform because of your skin colour,' another said.   'You are so much stronger and more courageous than you think. Keep shining as you soar,' a fourth said.  Some also shared their similar experiences.   'I work in aged care in Queensland and honestly feel like I'm treated differently because I'm not Australian, so I can't imagine what you experience,' one said.  'I experienced racism as a nurse starting from uni until I worked, so I can totally relate to you,' another said.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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