A new tool has been launched to support nurses to have conversations about racism and take action to promote race equity in the workplace.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has partnered with NHS England (NHSE) to develop the new interactive resource – Taking Time to Talk: Advancing Race Equity in Nursing and Midwifery – which comes during Black History Month.
It focuses on the types of conversations and actions that support movement towards race equity across all UK care settings.
And it is designed to increase understanding of racism and race dynamics in the workplace, while also working to help eradicate workplace discrimination, the RCN said.
It covers microaggressions, psychological safety and allyship, as well as the actions that can be taken to promote race equity and how to support staff to speak up and get help.
Wendy Irwin, RCN diversity and equalities co-ordinator, said: ‘Every member of the nursing workforce has a responsibility to advance race equity.
‘Racism has no place in nursing – yet we know discrimination still exists.’
Ms Irwin reiterated the need to ‘focus on how we can actively advance race equity – something that requires all of us to take the time to talk about race’.
‘This resource aims to give our members guidance on how we can do that,’ she said.
She added: ‘Part of why the health care sector is so special is its diverse workforce.
‘Patients get the benefit of being treated by people with different skills, experiences, interests and talents.
‘This is why it’s so important to foster and develop inclusive workplaces and to challenge racism where and when it occurs.’
Earlier this year the RCN launched its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy which outlines the union’s commitment to ‘fostering inclusion, diversity and equality support for all members’.
Commenting on the new interactive resource, Neomi Bennett, registered nurse and founder of campaign group Equality 4 Black Nurses (E4BN), stressed that in order for the guidance to be effective, ‘it must go beyond conversations’.
‘While we acknowledge the intent behind this guidance, the harsh reality remains – policies and reports have rarely led to meaningful change, particularly in addressing anti-Black racism,’ she said.
Ms Bennett added: ‘We need robust accountability, clear consequences for those who perpetuate or ignore racism, and concrete actions that directly tackle the structural inequities Black nurses face.’
And she called for a focus on ‘delivering tangible outcomes that specifically address anti-Black racism, not just broad statements about diversity and inclusion’.
‘We remain open to further engagement, but it is time to see real progress in dismantling the barriers that hold Black nurses back,’ she added.
