Celebrate diversity
Actions we can all take
Why this matters
There is plenty of evidence that tells us that our work is better when we have people from different backgrounds working together in our teams.1 Healthcare inequalities can be reduced, innovation and creativity can be increased, and patient safety and satisfaction can be improved when we have diverse teams and inclusive working environments (see the patient case for going further for more information). Celebrating diversity and creating an inclusive environment is key if we want to actively advance race equity in nursing and midwifery.
It's important to note that, while celebrating diversity is important, this shouldn't be done in isolation and must form part of the wider approach to tackling racism. Celebrating diversity but not challenging racism only perpetuates racism long-term, and could be seen as lip service.
How can we celebrate diversity and create an inclusive environment?
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Exchange life stories with your colleagues.
If you are comfortable to do so, you can talk to your colleagues about things such as how you grew up, what you value, what you like, and invite them to do the same. You are likely to hear some interesting stories that might widen your perspective and deepen your relationships with your colleagues -
Celebrate a diverse range of cultural events as a team together.
This can be a meaningful way to recognise and honour the range of identities and cultures within your team. This could include creating a calendar of holidays for different cultures and organising small activities or events around them where people can learn more about how people live outside of work -
Spend time with people you might not see as often as you could.
Ask yourself if you are working or socialising more with people who are similar to you, and if so, make active efforts to include people who you do not spend time with often in what you do. Small gestures such as inviting someone to have a cup of tea with you or to help you with a task could go a long way in helping someone to feel included. By doing so, you might find out things about their lives that broaden your perspective -
Consider how you might use key awareness events and observances to advance race equity.
For example, Black History Month takes place in the UK in October annually - this could be a great opportunity to showcase the various initiatives you are involved in or celebrate the contributions that black people have made to healthcare organisations across the UK.
If you would like to learn more about celebrating diversity, we recommend exploring the following resources:
Trust: an essential ingredient for effective and inclusive leadership in the NHS, Royal College of Nursing & NHS Leadership Academy (2019)
Compassionate Leadership: Sustaining Wisdom, Humanity and Presence in Health and Social Care, Michael A. West (2021)
