RCN London Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic nursing Rising Stars of 2022 to kick off Black History Month Celebrations has been announced.
And we are delighted to share the news that ELFT's Practice Assessor Supervisor and Specialist Practice Teacher for post-registration nursing students based at City University, Mary Onikoyi, is one of them.
The winners come from a range of backgrounds with diverse experiences including a former London bus driver who came from Zimbabwe
Now in their fifth year, the Awards recognise nurses and healthcare professionals from London’s Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) nursing community who have made an outstanding contribution to the capital’s health and care system.
The theme of the awards, and RCN London’s Black History Month celebrations, this year is ‘anti-racism: striving for justice and promoting wellbeing.
The winners have been recognised for taking their passion for justice and equality and using it to champion inclusion, to prioritise wellbeing for staff and patients, and to empower others. They work across a range of specialist areas such as sexual and mental health services and include local Londoners as well as nurses from across the world.
On being named an RCN London Rising Star, Mary said:
"I'm delighted to have been named an RCN London Rising Star alongside nineteen other colleagues from across the capital.
"I love the work I do. In my role as a District nurse team leader, Practice Assessor and a Professional Nurse advocate supporting staff development, ensuring continuity of high standard quality care delivery to all patients, by ensuring pre-registration nursing/District nursing students are met with the NMC standard proficiency is incredibly rewarding.
"My work is to ensure that all staff including the students' nurses are supported at both professional and personal levels at the start of their career in nursing.
"But the fact that I can be seen as a leader and mentor to colleagues from Black or other minority ethnic backgrounds is crucial.
NHS organisations must stay committed to the improvement journey - so we can one day get to a point where every single Black or minority ethnic colleague feels truly supported in being able to reach their full potential."
ELFT Deputy CEO and Chief Nurse, Lorraine Sunduza said:
"This is great news and very much well deserved.
"Mary is an outstanding practitioner and someone many colleagues look up to and admire.
"In her role at City University, as Practice Assessor and Supervisor and Specialist Practice Teacher, Mary has mentored and supported dozens of new nurses coming into the profession for the first time.
"I know that her unique influence means new generations of practitioners coming through are getting the very best possible start to their nursing careers."
"I am so proud to call her a colleague. May we all be inspired by her wonderfulness."
Read more about the RCN London Rising Star award winners here.