An NHS Cheshire and Merseyside nurse has won a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) award to mark her outstanding contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion at the College’s annual regional Black History Month conference.
Josette Niyokindi, Interim Associate Director of Quality, Safety and Improvement, received an RCN Outstanding Achievement Award at a ceremony on Wednesday 16 October at the Quaker House in Liverpool.
The awards form part of the RCN North West’s annual event to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of nursing staff working in health and social care across the region, who are either from or working with those from ethnic minority backgrounds – also known as the ‘global majority’.
Josette was nominated for the award by Director of Nursing and Care, Chris Douglas MBE, who cited Josette’s work as a valued member of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Staff Engagement Network, Race Equality Network and Senior Leadership Forum.
Through these roles, Josette is actively involved in a range of initiatives, from sharing lived experiences of staff from ethnic minority backgrounds to drive organisational change, to improving equality considerations during the recruitment process.
In addition, Josette is the global majority lead on the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside LeDeR (Learning from Lives and Deaths – People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People) Board. Her work has led to the development of a strategic plan to improve the reporting of deaths in underrepresented communities, as well as providing support for wider training for professionals when reporting and reviewing deaths.
Reflecting on her award, Josette said:
“It is genuinely a great honour to accept this award. However, I recognise I also do this on behalf of everyone who shares the same values and circumstances as myself.
“The equality, diversity and inclusion agenda remains an ongoing priority for our workforce and population, and much remains to be done.
“Like others in my position, I value and appreciate the support we receive to improve the health and wellbeing, patient outcomes and inclusion of the global majority in our society.”
Chris Douglas MBE, Director of Nursing and Care, said:
“Through her personal experiences during her NHS career, Josette has identified examples of behaviour and practices that actively prevent the global majority from flourishing.
“Rather than focus on the negatives, she has chosen to speak out openly in a bid to help others to understand and change.
“Josette maintains her passion for nursing and is an inspiration to all who work alongside her.”
Estephanie Dunn, Regional Director of RCN North West, said:
“Our Black, Asian, and minority ethnic nursing community play a vital role in caring for people and their families across the region and these awards celebrate the unique contribution that they make.
“We are proud to honour their achievements alongside those who work to address inequalities that this demographic contends with on a daily basis.”
For more information about the awards and the full list of winners, visit the RCN website.
Content provided by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside.
Published on Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMT
Modified on Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:20:33 GMT
