Voices of the Experts in Our Midst | Nchima Mwaba and the Stay and Thrive Project

Nchima Mwaba, a trained nurse with expertise in communicative practice, shared with us her story of transitioning from Zambia to the NHS in England. In Zambia, she enjoyed rapid career progression, but when she moved to the UK, she found that the NHS was more interested in clinical nurses. Consequently, she started at a much lower level than she was qualified for. This experience was shared by many of her colleagues who came from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), who faced difficulties in navigating their career development, feeling unrecognised for their expertise, and struggling to adjust to the local culture and social life, as well as everyday living tasks, such as opening bank accounts and finding suitable accommodation.   

Due to the challenges of managing work and a growing family, Nchima shifted to a training position, which offered her more flexibility. She observed that most of her peers from Africa faced the same struggles, including feeling undervalued and discriminated against in the workplace. As a result, out of the five nurses she started with, she is the only one who remains in the NHS. The NHS is currently facing significant challenges with high staff attrition rates, which includes diaspora health workers.  

Nchima volunteers as Treasurer for the Association of Zambian Nurses UK (AZNUK), a UK based diaspora health organisation. The association provides diverse forms of support to Zambian nurses in the UK, ranging from restorative assistance to advice on religion, culture, the disciplinary process, and bereavement support. This wrap around pastoral support can be attributed to NHSE-led research on ethical recruitment practices and the emphasis on comprehensive pastoral support, to facilitate the integration of international staff. This evolution has been instrumental in creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for diaspora health workers within the NHS, ultimately enhancing their contributions and improving patient care.   

Nchima was invited to join a national platform called the Stay and Thrive Project, and recently began her new role as Career and Pastoral Lead for Internationally Educated Nurses. The three-year project aims to support international recruitment and retention by learning from the past experiences of diaspora health workers. Piloted in the North-East and South-West of England, the project carried out several initiatives to enhance the experiences and retention of diaspora health workers. These activities included creating a toolkit for NHS employers, which offers guidance on how to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for diaspora health workers. The toolkit covers recruitment, onboarding, training, and development. Additionally, the team conducted training sessions to help NHS staff understand the unique challenges faced by diaspora health workers and how they can provide support. Finally, they established a network for diaspora health workers to connect with each other, share their experiences, and access support by being assigned to a mentor who provides help in navigating through the settling-in and the progression journey.  

In the last 2.5 years, Nchima’s employer, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, has successfully recruited 344 international nurses. Now, the next step is to welcome and support them by offering pastoral care and integrating them into new communities.   

Discover more stories like Nchima’s in our Voices of the Experts in Our Midst report 

Are you a diaspora voice in healthcare with a story to share? 

Contact us at experts@thet.org