Nurse experiences of racism during Covid-19 focus of new film project

Nurses from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are being invited to share their experiences of discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic for a new research and documentary project.

 

Academics from Culture and Creativity Research Institute and the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University have teamed up with film network Migrant Media to launch Nursing Narratives – Racism and the Pandemic.

While the project will focus on how racism has played out during the Covid-19 crisis it will also document the different forms of discrimination and inequality encountered by BAME nursing staff throughout their careers. The end result will be a feature-length documentary film set to be launched in autumn 2021 alongside written presentations of the findings.

 

Professor Anandi Ramamurthy, professor of media and culture at the university, said the pandemic had “laid bare the structural inequalities of our society” and she hoped the study could highlight lessons for learning.

“Using creative storytelling we aim to deepen the societal understanding of the critical contribution that BME nurses and care workers have made to the NHS and social care, both historically and today,” she said.

“The stories of BME nursing staff and the pandemic are entwined with complex histories of racism which can only be fully understood through amplifying the experiences and voices of those who have been marginalised.

 

Read more about the project on the Nursing Times website, here.