Nursing Standard Podcast

What is your experience of racism or discrimination, whatever your skin colour? Have you been labelled ‘defensive’ for standing up for yourself as a black nurse, or stood by silently seething as a white nurse witnessing a colleague being discriminated against due to their ethnicity?

This episode of the podcast explores racism and discrimination in the NHS, and how black and minority ethnic nurses can progress in their careers.

Our guests are two senior black nurses, Nichole McIntosh and Carol Love-Mecrow, who are Health Education England regional heads of nursing and midwifery for London and the Midlands respectively.

They talk to Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn about their personal experiences of racism and microaggressions in the NHS and what everyone can do to tackle this behaviour.

The pair encourage white nurses to listen to understand rather than respond and offer tips to black and minority ethnic nurses on getting ahead in their careers such as seeking out positive role models – emulating not imitating – and taking every opportunity.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Saving the planet is a big ask on top of everything else nurses and nursing students have to do.

But does it have to such a herculean task? What are the small steps that you can take, personally and professionally, to make a big difference? And could we be better off professionally, financially and, of course, environmentally, as a result.

This episode’s guest is green champion Rachel Ames, a third year nursing student at Bucks New University who has a number of environmental roles, and also set up the Twitter #WeGoGreener with @WeStudentNurses @WeNurses accounts. It encourages students to drive change on sustainability issues.

She tells Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn about how she combines well-being with environmental work and talks about the actions healthcare staff and students can take in terms of some single-use items in the NHS. They also discuss simple personal steps to take at home - including changes to pet bedding!

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Feedback is an essential part of the learning process for any nursing student or qualified nurse.

But sometimes the points – written or oral - can be difficult to digest especially if you react to the negative information.

In this episode, nurse lecturers Amy Dopson and Laurence Drew who are based at University of Surrey’s school of health sciences discuss how to handle feedback.

They also talk about the importance of giving ‘live’ feedback and labelling when a point you are making is feedback.

The pair also tell interviewer Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn about how qualified nurses can identify feedback in their everyday practice for reflection and revalidation purposes.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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All nurses in England could receive mandatory training in caring for people with learning disabilities and autism if a pilot scheme proves successful.

Why is this happening and what strategies can all nurses learn from those working in this field?

This episode of the podcast hears from two specialist nurses, Jim Blair, a learning disability nurse consultant, and Lauretta Ofulue, a learning disability nurse now training to be a specialist community public health nurse.

The two first met when Jim nursed Lauretta’s son Otito, who had a learning disability and autism, at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. This meeting and the experience of caring for her severely disabled son, who has since died, led Lauretta to retrain as a learning disability nurse.

The pair share their strategies for supporting people with learning disabilities and autism and explain what making reasonable adjustments and avoiding diagnostic overshadowing mean in practice.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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The pandemic has been hard on everyone but especially for nurses and healthcare staff who’ve been under immense pressure.

Many nurses have reported the toll of COVID-19 on their mental health - and some have hit rock bottom.

Where do you go for help if you, a colleague or loved one is in mental distress and or having suicidal thoughts? And what should you say and not say?

The Laura Hyde Foundation, set up in memory of the eponymous naval nurse who died by suicide in 2016, has launched a free suicide prevention resource signposting nurses and other first responder staff to support.

Its guide was launched in response to the number of nurses – 226 – who contacted the charity’s helpline during the pandemic having attempted suicide.

The foundation’s chair and Laura’s cousin, Liam Barnes, joins the podcast to talk about overcoming stigma and offering the best support for those in need.

In this episode, he also tells Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn about how the charity provides funding for initiatives offering mental health support.

Find out more: https://laurahydefoundation.org/suicide-prevention

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or emailing [email protected]

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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From microaggressions to false accusations, black and minority ethnic nurses experience many forms of racism at work.

What support is available to help them emotionally, therapeutically and legally?

This episode of the podcast hears from nurse Neomi Bennett who set up Equality 4 Black Nurses, a group which provides a supportive space and expert guidance for nurses who have experienced racial discrimination in the workplace.

She speaks to senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett about the personal impact of racism and the support, weekly Zoom meetings, mediation and therapy which the group offers.

Ms Bennett, who won the Innovations in Your Specialty category of the RCNi Nurse Awards 2019, also explains the group’s ‘buntu buddy’ system.

Buntu buddies are nurses who understand the insidious nature of discrimination, unconscious and conscious bias and so are equipped to support colleagues experiencing inequalities.

Buntu comes from the African concept of ‘ubuntu’ that we are only human through the humanity of others.

Equality 4 Black Nurses, which has around 1,000 members, also welcomes white nurses who want to help with the group’s mission to stand up against racism.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking.

But when that role is also in a new country it can add further complexity and apprehension.

There are 92,260 nursing staff from overseas on the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council register.

Just like newly qualified nurses, this group need support too. What kind of support do they find most beneficial? And what advice would overseas nurses give to those new to the UK?

Michele Mtandabari, head of nursing for workforce and education at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, talks about the support her trust offers to newly-joined overseas nurses.

While Selwyn Semple, who registered as a UK nurse in March 2021 following 10 years of nursing practice in Guyana, offers his top tips on settling in.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Long-COVID is affecting many health and care staff – so what can nurses with the condition do to manage its often on-off symptoms?

This episode of the podcast hears from two nurses with long-COVID, which is defined as the continuation or development of symptoms after the four-week acute stage of COVID-19.

Salli Pilcher, associate director of nursing at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Jane Ireson, a clinical nurse specialist based in Sheffield, discuss how they manage their symptoms.

They cover mindfulness, tai chi, wild swimming and the need to be kind to yourself. The two nurses also talk about the workplace support needed for staff with the condition.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics released in April suggested at least 122,000 NHS staff have long-COVID.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Is simply the thought of a job interview enough to bring you out in a cold sweat? Do you worry about how to manage your nerves and present your best self? And how do you answer those tricky questions?

Nichole McIntosh, regional head of nursing and midwifery with London Health Education England, answers all these questions and more in this episode of the podcast.

She advises how to prepare for an interview, provides strategies on dealing with ‘brain freeze’ and gives her tips for answering that final ‘do you have any questions for the panel’ part of the process.

Ms McIntosh also tells interviewer Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn how candidates can best present themselves in online and in person interviews.

If this episode inspires you to look for a new job, check out RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair where Ms McIntosh is a regular speaker.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Nurses see a diverse range of patients and their families. But sometimes assumptions are made about the make-up of families – that they include a mum, dad and their biological children.

This perpetuation of heteronormativity – that heterosexuality is the norm – can be led by systems, such as documentation used by the NHS requesting who is the mother and father of a child. Some healthcare professionals also make assumptions about the set-up of a patient’s family.

This episode looks at how nurses – and the NHS – can support all people using health services to feel included.

Senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett discusses this topic with Lucy Kelsall-Knight, a lecturer in children’s nursing at the University of Birmingham. Lucy has conducted the UK’s first research into how people who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) feel when accessing health services for their children. She also has two adopted children with her wife.

Rob Atkin-House, who with his husband is a father to three sons, also joins the conversation to speak about his personal experiences.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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