How can nurses support colleagues who experience racism?

Nurses who witness racist incidents are being asked to be ‘active bystanders’ by speaking out, but some may not feel supported to do this in their workplace

Racism in the NHS continues to be a problem, with 29% of black or minority ethnic workers reporting harassment, bullying or abuse by patients, relatives or the public in the past 12 months.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council and NHS have co-produced a set of resources to help nursing staff tackle racial discrimination at work, encouraging nurses to be an ‘active bystander’ and speak out when they witness a racist incident.

But some may feel uncomfortable speaking out, through fear of being penalised by management or saying the wrong thing. We asked our readers to share their views.