Racism is bad for your health - call it out
Being exposed to racism is bad for both your mental and physical health. And it exists in Australia, despite our multicultural society being promoted as inclusive and accepting.
Recognising racism in all its forms
Our Code of Conduct states that we must:
- understand how our own culture, values, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs influence our interactions with others
- provide care that is free of bias and racism
- challenge beliefs that are based on assumptions
- support an inclusive environment for the safety and security of all
- help create a positive, culturally safe work environment
Making our workplaces safe for everyone
You can expect your workplace to:
- promote diversity and inclusion
- talk about racism and discrimination
- adopt practices that respect diversity, avoid bias, discrimination and racism
- offer cultural safety and diversity and inclusion training
- treat racism and discrimination as a workplace hazard.
Do your bit – cultural safety at work
To raise awareness of cultural safety and prevent racism in your workplace you can:
- join a cultural inclusion and safety group in your workplace
- attend annual cultural safety training
- talk to your manager about ways to make your workplace culturally safe
- ask for support from the People and Culture/HR teams in your organisation
- join the Australian Human Rights Commission campaign ‘It stops with me’.
Become an ‘ally’ – help stamp out racism in our workplaces
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association are leading the way to stamp out racism. They have formed a culturally and linguistically diverse nurses and midwives’ professional reference group.
The group meet bi-monthly online and anyone living and working as a nurse or midwife in NSW can participate. Non-culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse members to participate as allies, and play a role in stamping out racism. Find out about participating in the NSWNMA CALD reference group
Connect with the campaign for improvement and share resources.
As part of their commitment to addressing racism, the NSWNMA signed up to the Australian Human Rights Commission Racism – it stops with me campaign. Through this campaign, members of the reference group used their insights, personal experiences and expertise to develop guidance for health and aged care workers on what to do if they experience racism, how to take bystander action and also how to navigate those unacceptable workplace behaviours experienced by many.
Is racism is affecting your health?
We embrace cultural safety and are here to support you.
Get involved.
Download The Australian Human Rights Commission Workplace cultural diversity tool and use it to help make your workplace culturally safe.
Racism is when a person, people or institution from the dominant group use their power in ways — direct or indirect, intentional or unintentional — that harm a person or people from a racially marginalised group. Source: Australian Human Rights Commission
There were policies in place, and we were being told to call out racism and discrimination but when it happened there was no action taken because it was covert. I had to resign because I had called it out and it became unbearable
Read Jenna’s story Racism, discrimination and the CALD nurse