Celebrating international diversity

In the feature on pages 8 and 9 of the February 2012 issue of RCN Bulletin, Malaya’s account of the problems she experienced with her immigration status reveal how poorly supported she felt by her employer.

Malaya claims she was given incorrect advice by her manager, which resulted in her having the wrong documents to justify her residence in the UK. When the issue came to light, her employer divorced themselves from the situation and Malaya was dismissed.

Although this was hugely stressful for Malaya, it is important to note that the actions of the private company that employed her are not the norm. The RCN is aware of a number of public and private sector organisations that work hard to help nurses from overseas integrate and provide the best possible patient care.

An example of best practice

Park House Court nursing home in Tenby is one such example. Since opening its doors 14 years ago, applications from overseas nursing staff have been actively encouraged.

This has been done through word of mouth and personal recommendation, with the partners of nurses recruited often given work in other areas such as housekeeping and catering. Of the 175 staff employed by the nursing home now, more than a quarter have been recruited from countries that include India, Romania and the Philippines.

Upon arrival in the UK, overseas nurses are given an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the cultural differences of how nursing is delivered by working as care assistants for the first three months on the same pay as they would receive as a qualified nurse. They are also given financial assistance to settle in and single nurses are provided with temporary accommodation on site.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is highly valued by the private employer and the nursing home has its own training school with three education experts in post. RCN learning representative Tony Sawyer heads up the team and has developed a career pathway for all carers through the NVQ system.

“We provide a lot of support for nurses from overseas,” he says. “We offer free English and Welsh lessons on site and they can complete the overseas nursing programme to gain full UK nursing and midwifery registration through us. We are accredited with Swansea University and have links with the University of Glamorgan, which has enabled some nurses to achieve degrees in clinical leadership and diplomas in palliative care.”

Celebrating diversity

The benefits of cultural diversity are also celebrated and social events are often held for staff from overseas. “We do our best to help newcomers feel at home,” adds Tony.

“We organise trips so that they can become familiar with the local area and know what amenities are nearby. Religion is very important to many of our staff so introducing them to their local place of worship is a priority for us.”

When asked whether he feels such efforts have an impact on the quality of care provided at the home, Tony is confident. “It has got to hasn’t it?” he says. “A happy and well educated workforce is the key to getting the best out of people. What we have here in terms of training and support for nurses from overseas is quite unique and I think we all feel the benefits of that focus on valuing staff.”

Joining the RCN is encouraged by the home when nurses from overseas first arrive. “I sell the professional benefits of being with the College,” concludes Tony. “I’m a member of many professional bodies but the RCN is the one I value most. The guidance available is really useful and I like that I can contribute to consultations about real issues affecting CPD.”

Members of RCN staff have visited Park House Court on a number of occasions over the years to support Tony and his team with the delivery of CPD in the home. Tina Donnelly, the Director of the RCN in Wales, says: “Helping and encouraging nurses to develop their career is something that we encourage and it is great to see this in force throughout Wales. Continuing professional development enables nurses and health care support workers to provide the highest standard of patient care.”