When I became RCN President, I promised to champion equality, diversity and inclusion in all its forms. Diversity is one of the greatest strengths of our profession. Harnessing it means disrupting patterns of inequality and discrimination wherever we find them and making equality and inclusion an everyday reality for RCN members.
So what does that work look like?
Already this year we’ve formed an Anti-Racist Working Group in the RCN which I sit on, and this week we’ve announced the next steps in the development of our five-year Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
We’ve appointed experts in workplace diversity and inclusion Half the Sky to help deliver this, and next month we’ll be launching a survey for RCN members to share their experiences and ideas, as well as hosting a series of member workshops to help develop the strategy.
Coming from a minority ethnic background and living with visual impairment, I know that delivering transformational change won’t always be easy or comfortable, but it’s my role to help support the College as we navigate this. The consultation and workshops give you the chance to shape the seismic shift we’re seeking. Please do take part to help us realise our ambition.
While we work to champion equality at home, we must at the same time be conscious of our global role and impact. This month, the Guardian reported on new analysis revealing a record one in five NHS staff in England are recruited from overseas. Internationally educated nursing staff are vital to our health and care services, but we have growing concerns about the use of unethical recruitment from red list countries which have their own staff shortages.
We can’t continue to strip countries of nursing staff they desperately need to fill record vacancies here in the UK - we need long-term domestic investment. I made clear last year that combatting unethical recruitment would be a key area of focus in my work, and we’ll continue to lobby and campaign for sustainable domestic investment in nursing.
We’re also concerned by growing reports from our internationally educated members of long working hours, substandard accommodation, work finding fees, and the excessive and often unlawful use of repayment clauses. The RCN will always support and advocate for internationally educated nursing staff, wherever they come from, and at the end of January we briefed MPs ahead of a debate on unethical employment practices on the measures we want to see introduced.
Friday 1 March marks Overseas NHS Workers Day and I hope you will all join me in celebrating the immense contribution of international nursing staff to our NHS. Meanwhile, March is Women’s History Month, with International Women’s Day on 8 March.
This is always a time to reflect on so many incredible women whose shoulders we stand on in the nursing profession and celebrate the contribution of nursing staff who are women everywhere. Nursing is not “women’s work”, it’s a profession made-up of dedicated experts and leaders, and I’m looking forward to taking part in RCN activity next month to celebrate and reflect on this.
I’ll be attending the RCN Joint Reps Conference in Bristol on 7 – 8 March. Our reps are at the forefront of driving change in our workplaces and in nursing, and I’m really looking forward to meeting many of you and hearing about all the work you’re doing. This will be my second Joint Reps Conference as President, having previously been a safety rep myself, and they’re always great spaces to get inspired by some of the most dynamic work being done in our movement.
Building our rep network is a crucial task for the College this year. If you’ve ever been interested in getting more involved with the RCN but haven’t been quite sure where to start or what’s the best option, do have a look at becoming a rep. We will be there at every step to support you on your journey if you decide to start the process, and you will be part of a fantastic network of committed reps to connect to.
So, while we face serious uphill challenges in nursing, there’s no shortage of inspiration and leading work being done across the College. As ever, if you have any queries, do feel free to contact me directly by emailing president@rcn.org.uk.
So what does that work look like?
Already this year we’ve formed an Anti-Racist Working Group in the RCN which I sit on, and this week we’ve announced the next steps in the development of our five-year Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
We’ve appointed experts in workplace diversity and inclusion Half the Sky to help deliver this, and next month we’ll be launching a survey for RCN members to share their experiences and ideas, as well as hosting a series of member workshops to help develop the strategy.
Coming from a minority ethnic background and living with visual impairment, I know that delivering transformational change won’t always be easy or comfortable, but it’s my role to help support the College as we navigate this. The consultation and workshops give you the chance to shape the seismic shift we’re seeking. Please do take part to help us realise our ambition.
While we work to champion equality at home, we must at the same time be conscious of our global role and impact. This month, the Guardian reported on new analysis revealing a record one in five NHS staff in England are recruited from overseas. Internationally educated nursing staff are vital to our health and care services, but we have growing concerns about the use of unethical recruitment from red list countries which have their own staff shortages.
We can’t continue to strip countries of nursing staff they desperately need to fill record vacancies here in the UK - we need long-term domestic investment. I made clear last year that combatting unethical recruitment would be a key area of focus in my work, and we’ll continue to lobby and campaign for sustainable domestic investment in nursing.
We’re also concerned by growing reports from our internationally educated members of long working hours, substandard accommodation, work finding fees, and the excessive and often unlawful use of repayment clauses. The RCN will always support and advocate for internationally educated nursing staff, wherever they come from, and at the end of January we briefed MPs ahead of a debate on unethical employment practices on the measures we want to see introduced.
Friday 1 March marks Overseas NHS Workers Day and I hope you will all join me in celebrating the immense contribution of international nursing staff to our NHS. Meanwhile, March is Women’s History Month, with International Women’s Day on 8 March.
This is always a time to reflect on so many incredible women whose shoulders we stand on in the nursing profession and celebrate the contribution of nursing staff who are women everywhere. Nursing is not “women’s work”, it’s a profession made-up of dedicated experts and leaders, and I’m looking forward to taking part in RCN activity next month to celebrate and reflect on this.
I’ll be attending the RCN Joint Reps Conference in Bristol on 7 – 8 March. Our reps are at the forefront of driving change in our workplaces and in nursing, and I’m really looking forward to meeting many of you and hearing about all the work you’re doing. This will be my second Joint Reps Conference as President, having previously been a safety rep myself, and they’re always great spaces to get inspired by some of the most dynamic work being done in our movement.
Building our rep network is a crucial task for the College this year. If you’ve ever been interested in getting more involved with the RCN but haven’t been quite sure where to start or what’s the best option, do have a look at becoming a rep. We will be there at every step to support you on your journey if you decide to start the process, and you will be part of a fantastic network of committed reps to connect to.
So, while we face serious uphill challenges in nursing, there’s no shortage of inspiration and leading work being done across the College. As ever, if you have any queries, do feel free to contact me directly by emailing president@rcn.org.uk.
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