Plans to launch a new network for nurses who are neurodiverse are back on track this January after taking a brief hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
NeuroDiverse Nurses UK is a group set up by a senior nurse at Health Education England, Joan Pons Laplana, and the group is working towards launching its network so that nurses and health workers who learn and think differently can come together to support each other and explore the lived experience of being a neurodiverse healthcare professional in an educated and welcoming environment.
Speaking to Nursing Times prior to the pandemic, Mr. Laplana cited that as well as support, the group want to advocate for change to some NHS procedures when it comes to neurodiversity, specifically the limited options in job application procedures that allow people to disclose neurodiversities and disabilities.
He said: “If you notice now if you apply for a job, any NHS job on their websites, they don’t ask you if you are disabled or not. The question now, it changed, it’s 'do you think you have a disability that impairs you from fulfilling your full potential?'
“Obviously that’s even worse, because I will answer all the time no, because I don’t think I have a disability that impairs me but if the environment isn’t right, something has to change.”
He also applauded the fact that the Chief Nursing Officer for England Ruth May revealed that she has dyslexia, as it increased the public profile of what is often considered a less visible condition that some other neurodiversities.
Mr. Laplana has big plans for the modern healthcare workplace, too. As well as creating a support network for the professionals who provide us with care and medical assistance, ND Nurses UK also wants to create resources and plans for business leaders that explain how to engineer it to be more welcoming and workable for those healthcare professionals who have conditions such as dyslexia, or ADHD, or autism.
“We want an action plan, a 30, 60, 90-day plan, ‘how to make your workplace more neurodiverse friendly’ and that will be quick action things you can do and then you have to evaluate in 30, 60 and 90 days… one of the constants that is happening is a lot of neurodiverse people keep changing jobs often because they didn’t feel supported.”
You can find out more about NeuroDiverse Nurses UK at Nursing Times, as well as visit their website at NDNurses UK.