A consultant nurse and Clinical Lead for Stroke at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, Anu Thomas, has set up an organisation to provide pastoral care for Indian nurses.
The British Indian Nurses Association (BINA), set for official launch tomorrow, has been set up with the support and insight of NHS England, NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the local BAME community.
The aim of the voluntary organisation is to help Indian nurses joining the NHS to settle in with ease and meet people of similar backgrounds to themselves. With the pandemic putting restrictions on socialising and meeting with others outside your own household, this has been a particular struggle for nurses who are new to the NHS and makes the whole process more difficult.
BINA will launch tomorrow, Friday 20th November, as part of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Annual Virtual Conference.
Anu Thomas said:
“Newly arrived nurses can feel frustrated, especially now with the pandemic, when they cannot meet people of similar backgrounds and receive support from those who know what it’s like to be in their shoes. BINA exists to improve this and provide a support network for new Indian nurses to help them adapt to change quicker, and to help them to stay within the NHS. I myself know how it feels to join a workforce as large as the NHS, but when I started there wasn’t a pandemic! I want other Indian nurses to feel welcome and to settle in as well as I did so that they can enjoy long and successful careers with the NHS.”
Sarah Cullen, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are extremely proud that our colleague Anu has set up such an important organisation. Here at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, we champion equality and host regular listening events for our BAME staff, so this is a welcome additional resource that we can signpost members of our workforce who have an Indian background to. We are really inspired by Anu’s passion for helping more Indian nurses who join the NHS to settle in, particularly in these challenging times, and we as a Trust will support Anu in spreading the word about BINA and encouraging our staff to get involved.”
To find out more and attend the BAPIO virtual conference and celebrate the launch of the British Indian Nurses Association, click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bapio-annual-conference-virtual-2020-tickets-126033163585
To register to become a member of the British Indian Nurses Association, please click here.
