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A guide to supporting your internationally educated workforce
Creating a sense of belonging
Staff networks case study: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Staff networks case study: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) have formed and used staff networks to help create a sense of belonging for their internationally educated workforce (IEW). Through these staff networks, UHD has implemented interventions based on the engagement and feedback from the IEW.

UHD are a multi-site acute provider, with 9,200 staff serving a population of over 800,000. The trust formed in October 2020 after the merger between Poole Hospital and Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals (RBCH).

UHD have recruited over 400 internationally educated nurses (IENs) and 152 medical staff members at non-training grades, where the majority are international medical graduates (IMGs) working in medicine and surgical specialties. UHD have several interventions to create a greater sense of belonging for their international nurses and medics, including through their staff networks. Some examples are:

Nursing

  • Ensuring the black, Asian, and ethnic minority (BAME) network meet with newly recruited IENs on induction and that they are signposted to other available staff networks.
  • Providing a monthly forum for IENs and other international recruits e.g., radiographers.
  • Ensuring the freedom to speak up (FTSU) guardian meets with IENs upon induction.
  • Delivering an induction session by staff who have previously undertaken the objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) and transitioned to registered nurses within the UK, empowering them as role models and support for new IENs.
  • Introducing practice mentors to support IENs with their Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration and progress from agenda for change (AfC) pay band four to AfC pay band five.


Medical

  • Providing a two-day induction programme from the GMC and Wessex deanery.
  • Implementing a four-week shadowing programme for new recruits, led by two directors of locally employed doctors.
  • Ensuring the FTSU guardian meets with IMGs on induction.
  • Introducing new recruits to staff networks and the development of the international doctors support initiative (IDSI).
  • Allocating a General Medical Council (GMC) recognised educational supervisor and clinical supervisor to all IMGs.
  • Establishing engagement mechanisms for IMGs to raise queries with managers and board members through a doctors' forum.
  • The provisioning of an exception reporting tool for IMGs to allow a trust level overview of key issues, such as inaccessibility to education and training, and work outside of rota-ed hours.

The organisation has reflected and learnt from feedback from the IEN cohort both via the networks and FTSU guardian. This has enabled the trust to provide a more effective welcome and induction process. The trust has a 100% OSCE pass rate and attributes this to the range of interventions provided to support IENs.

Through the support offer, the IMG cohort have reported better understanding of the NHS, the GMC, and the support that is available to them. The guidance provided by the IDSI, particularly regarding supervision for non-training grade junior doctors, has led to a narrowing of the differential attainment gap. Overall, these interventions have led to an improved sense of belonging, trust and understanding and sharing of problems and issues.

Picture from UHD welcome tweet for new IENs. The original caption read: "A big #TeamUHD welcome to our latest international nurse arrivals. Our newest recruits from the Philippines, India and Ghana will join recovery, interventional radiology, our emergency department and various wards across our trust. Thank you for choosing us." Image supplied by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.


Hear from the trust

The Race Equality programme spoke to Karen Allman, chief people officer, at UHD about implementation of these interventions, the challenges, learning for the board, and advice for board members looking to support their IEW.

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