NHS LEADERS are encouraging Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) nurses to aspire to executive-level roles without fear.
Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) at the British Indian Nurses Association (BINA) conference in Leicester told the importance of creating open environments for BAME staff to discuss career growth and address concerns.
During a panel discussion, Daljit Athwal, CNO of Birmingham Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, shared her journey and urged BINA members to aim high.
She acknowledged the challenges faced by BAME nurses, pointing out that many have encountered racism throughout their lives.
Athwal urged CNOs to challenge existing processes, especially regarding the disproportionate disciplinary investigations involving BAME staff. She also emphasised the need to empower frontline staff to speak out against discrimination.
Karen Bonner, chief nurse of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, echoed these concerns, highlighting the overrepresentation of Black and Brown individuals in disciplinary processes.
She urged CNOs to address bias in internal processes and stressed the responsibility of senior leaders at all levels to break down barriers for BAME nurses.
She said, in her trust: “We report at board level the proportion of people going through the process based on ethnicity, so that we monitor that [and] we challenge ourselves at [the] board as to why people are being overrepresented.
“And I’m pleased to say that we are no longer overrepresented in the disciplinary process at my trust.”
Julie Hogg, CNO of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared her commitment to creating opportunities for career development for internationally educated nurses. Her trust appointed 10 career coaches, internationally educated themselves, trained in strengths-based career coaching.
Over 260 internationally educated colleagues have since had conversations about their career progression.
The British Indian Nurses Association (BINA) conference in Leicester was held on Friday (1).
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