The emotional case for going further
The case for going further
The healthcare system cares for people, and that includes caring about the emotional wellbeing of staff as well as patients. It is clear that racism has a profound effect on people's emotional wellbeing.
As input into the creation of this resource, 65 people from nursing and midwifery across NHS England were interviewed. The stories and experiences that were shared showed that racism and racially insensitive behaviour at work can have an immense emotional impact on people. That cannot be left unsaid.
However, interviewees also told incredible and inspiring stories about what happens when individuals, teams and leaders take clear and tangible steps to advance race equity. There is so much joy, hope and promise in getting this right. And while people recognise that hardship is still experienced by many, they are also optimistic about and invested in achieving a better future.
How does further advancing race equity impact the emotional wellbeing of healthcare staff?
How racism negatively impacts people's emotional wellbeing - from our interviews:
"I have faced discrimination and I had nobody to speak to about that... I was very new to nursing and passionate about the field, but at the same time I slowly lost confidence and it started to impact my health… I was anxious, I'd lost a lot of weight, I started separating from the team. I'd eat my lunch in my car."
"More people from the Global Majority are having to go through disciplinary processes - there's evidence of this. People are giving up on nursing as a result, and we can't have that - we're still short of nurses in the UK."
"Visibility is crucial. When you see people like me, it sets the right tone - but it can be a very lonely place for a BAME person at that level."
"I don't want to be seen as an angry black woman. But if you are passive, you are seen as unintelligent… I'm still fighting, I'm still struggling."
How advancing race equity positively impacts people's emotional wellbeing - from our interviews:
"We have an Anti-Racism Shared Decision-Making Council bringing people together from BAME backgrounds. We cry, we wipe tears, and discuss the issues and try and make it better."
"Once the ice is broken from the top it cascades down… the trust is doing a lot of work into inclusivity and racism, and the fact they're so open about it makes it easier for people to talk about it."
"There are some fantastic BAME people who've carved out great careers in [the NHS]. They have had to work hard for it - but we've come a long way… let's think how far we've come on this journey."
"The difference I feel now in my team is amazing… And that's how it should be everywhere because that empowers us to help patients. People need to be valued and appreciated."
