Page 24 - Anti-Racism Pocketbook for Schools and Academies

Case Studies

Moving to the UK from the Middle East in 1980s, Surina faced

much discrimination during her early days as an F grade senior

nurse for the NHS. Although she was a confident woman, she

faced issues such as a lack of communication and direct rudeness
from her ward manager. She described days of arriving home in

tears due to the lack of support that she had from management.

The longer she worked there, she stated that not only did she

feel neglected by her manager, but she also felt excluded from

other staff members and doctors within her ward.

Although at first, they got along, she stated that as time
progressed, she felt her decisions being undermined constantly.

Instead of communicating with her, they were communicating

with an E grade staff nurse instead.

Surina explained that this bullying caused her to feel paranoid,

and she began to question her competencies and her mind. She

stated that, “I started questioning my competencies because
people make you feel like that, make you feel incapable, make

you feel incompetent, you know you become paranoid, you felt

isolated, and I felt like that. “

To help gain her confidence back due to a clear case of

gaslighting, Surina began to record every episode of racial

bullying.

After receiving a complaint from her manager, she contacted the

Royal College of Nursing for external support.

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