How to challenge negative attitudes towards neurodiversity

All nursing staff should be able to thrive in their profession, RCN learning rep Marie believes. But for too many neurodivergent colleagues, the workplace still feels isolating. 

“I just want everyone’s skills to be used well,” she says. “No one should be sidelined because they’re neurodivergent. With a bit of understanding, we can make things better for everyone.”  

Marie knows the impact of misunderstanding all too well. For years she struggled without a diagnosis, often labelled negatively and left feeling out of step with workplace expectations. When she finally reached out to the RCN, she discovered she wasn’t alone. That connection sparked a determination to push for change. 

Why understanding matters

Many neurodivergent nursing staff describe feeling misunderstood or judged for the way they communicate or process information. Marie hears this again and again.  

We’re tired of repeating ourselves

“We need more people to be proactive about understanding neurodiversity. The information is there for us all, but we must make sure it’s being used in the right way so lasting, positive change can come for colleagues who still feel isolated and unheard.” 

“We’re tired of repeating ourselves,” she says. “Many neurodivergent individuals don't need social chit chat as a precursor to every workplace interaction.

"Some are happy to get straight to the main point that requires discussion or clarification, but this can be misinterpreted as lacking social skills or even being rude. If we misunderstand something, we’re not criticising. We just process differently.” 

This is why Marie helped update the RCN’s neurodiversity resources: to ensure members have clear, accessible information wherever they work. These updates are due to be launched later this year. 

She wants health care organisations and leaders to embed professional understanding and knowledge of neurodiversity within the workforce.

She believes funded resources should be available for health care organisations, so employers can deliver evidence-based awareness training in understanding neurodiversity for all senior managers and other staff groups.

I’m not staying in the shadows anymore

Marie believes that with appropriate training, colleagues may feel more comfortable asking their neurodiverse colleagues questions. 

She says this is especially important for nursing staff who are registered with the NMC as the NMC Code (section 1.3 in particular) requires registrants to avoid making assumptions and recognise diversity.

“This could foster tolerance of others' needs and a desire to understand and learn about differences in communication and social interaction preferences. This could be transformative and could help everyone thrive and advance in their professional roles,” she adds.

A more collaborative approach  

All too frequently, neurodivergent people say they have adversarial rather than collaborative working relationships. This is often down to their colleagues not understanding what neurodiversity is. Now, working with like-minded people, Marie hopes to change the narrative and, as a result, people's workplace experiences. 

“From my perspective, the default response in too many health care settings is to pursue formal processes against neurodivergent staff, resulting in profound psychological damage for staff members and broken workplace relationships. This also has an impact on the employer in numerous negative ways,” she says. 

Marie’s own experience was extreme; a workplace conduct hearing that lasted 27 months before she was told there was no case to answer. 

That’s when she became an RCN learning rep. This gave her a platform to advocate for change. She’s already raised the issue with her organisation’s chief executive.

“I’m not staying in the shadows anymore. I want us all to be understood.

“Neurodivergent people make great nursing staff. We just might communicate or problem‑solve differently. But in hearings, there’s rarely anyone neurodivergent on the panel. The culture is process‑driven, and we’re expected to fit into it.”  

Support and solidarity 

Marie encourages any RCN member who is neurodivergent, and who feels isolated in their workplace, to reach out. 

“Be aware, do your research, and know you’re not alone,” she says. “Reach out to your local RCN rep, too. They can support you in an objective way which will help relieve some of the stress and help you engage with your colleagues and managers."

She also highlights formal support routes, such as the Business Disability Forum, which is aligned with NHS Scotland, and can advise employers on conduct or capability processes involving neurodivergent staff. 

A call for cultural change 

Marie received her diagnosis at 52, decades into her nursing career. “I’d been labelled negatively for so long. It was psychologically harmful. I don’t want younger colleagues going through that.  

“Too many people are still misinformed about neurodiversity, but I’m fighting for the negativity to stop.”

Her message is straightforward: “Please don’t avoid us. Isolation is damaging and unnecessary. With understanding and collaboration, we can all thrive.”