A nurse is seeking to address the current lack of information on neurodiversity among the nursing workforce so that staff can receive better support.
Joan Pons Laplana, a senior nurse with autism, has been lobbying national organisations for change including NHS England, NHS Employers, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
“They won’t need to spend all this energy pretending to fit in in a neurotypical world”
Joan Pons Laplana
Mr Pons Laplana said, at the moment, there was no reliable data on the prevalence of neurodivergent conditions and other invisible disabilities among health staff.
He said current forms gave staff only limited options to declare a disability which could just be asking whether they consider themselves to be disabled.
However, he added: “A lot of people with neurodiversity, we don’t consider ourselves disabled. By legal aspect we are. But if you ask this question, probably 99% of us will say no.
“And for me, it’s quite important to have a question where we can see ourselves and tick the box.”
He wants the disability questions on forms to be expanded to give people more options, including specific boxes on neurodivergent conditions.
Identifying staff with invisible disabilities may then lead to more reasonable adjustments being put in place by employers, noted Mr Pons Laplana.
“It’s important to know what kind of support the nurses need to try to prevent burnout and try to prevent the exodus at the moment happening in the NHS,” he told Nursing Times.
Gaining a better picture of neurodiversity among NHS staff would also help to identify current good and bad practice in terms of employer support and where more training might be needed, he added.
He said he wanted to get to a place where all neurodivergent staff saw themselves and their conditions as an “asset” rather than a “problem”.
“I’ve been a nurse for 25 years. I’m autistic and trying to fit in or to pretend that you’re neurotypical is exhausting,” said Mr Pons Laplana.
“That’s why it’s a higher percentage of people with neurodiversity who burn out, and a higher percentage [struggle with their] mental health.
“My hope is that by identifying and helping all these people and also creating a better culture and better understanding of neurodiversity, they won’t need to spend all this energy pretending to fit in in a neurotypical world.
“They can be themselves and they can spend their energy on their talents and on their skills that are much needed on a team.”
“Having a greater understanding of the diversity of our professions means we can better support, adapt to and respond to the needs of those on our register”
Sue Coe
Mr Pons Laplana said he was working with and had met with the RCN to progress the issue.
In terms of the NHS, Mr Pons Laplana is hoping for amendments in future to the electronic staff record.
For now, NHS England is carrying out a new staff census that aims to gain a better understanding of the diversity of the workforce.
Among the questions on the census are whether staff would consider themselves to have a “neurological difference” or to be “neurodivergent”.
Meanwhile, the NMC told Nursing Times it was already in the process of reviewing the questions it asks registrants about disability, to align its approach with the Office for National Statistics.
Sue Coe, NMC head of equality, diversity and inclusion, said: “We’re on a journey to improve the data we collect to inform our work on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
“This is part of a much wider EDI plan which sets out a robust approach to how we uphold equality and tackle discrimination as a regulator.
“Having a greater understanding of the diversity of our professions means we can better support, adapt to and respond to the needs of those on our register. In turn, this will help nurses, midwives and nursing associates to deliver high quality care for the benefit of people who use services.”
She added: “We’re looking to align the categories we use more closely with the Office for National Statistics and will confirm our approach as soon as we can, and we’ll share any updates with the public, professionals, and our partners.”