#TeamNorthMid blogs

#ThisIsMe

“My mind is programmed to always seek ways to do things better and work harder.”

Words by Cremilda Lima

My name is Crem, and I’m the ward manager of Canterbury Ward in the community. I have been a member of the North Mid family since 2018. I studied nursing in Essex, and during my studies, I was part of the Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust until I joined the North Mid family.

To me, diversity means recognising, understanding, embracing, and considering the differences among individuals. We all work in a multicultural society with people from different ethnic groups, cultures, religions, races, genders, and sexes, and it’s important to respect all differences.

I describe myself as a determined individual. When I set my eyes on something that interests me, I become a go-getter. I will not stop until I’m happy with the results, which keeps me motivated. I can also say I’m a bit of a dark horse – I am not usually in the spotlight, but over time, I impress others with my achievements and progress, especially when people are least expecting it. My mind is programmed to always seek ways to do things better and work harder.

In my life, I have experienced many challenges. This is part of growing, learning, and living. I came to the UK in 2005 from Portugal. I come from a big family, and the first time coming to a new country can be both scary and exciting. Before coming to London, I lived in Norfolk. As a child, I experienced racism, especially in school. As the only black kid in a class of 20, you constantly ask yourself whether you “belong” in this class, school, country, or neighbourhood. Kids can be easily influenced and may not be used to diversity in such places. When they see someone who is different, you immediately become the “spotlight.” Kids do not always understand how words can affect someone or the impact they may have on an individual. This is where the presence of a good role model comes into play; we must embrace diversity together.

In general, people treat me with respect, and they are friendly and down to earth. We share the same or similar values.

A challenge I have experienced at North Mid is extended waiting times. We all understand the pressures within the NHS and the increase in the aging population. We must prepare our workforce to tackle this demand. We are a busy Trust and serve a big community. We want to ensure all our patients and service users are seen promptly. Even just checking up on them if there is a 10-minute delay will improve their overall experience, as communication is key.

One thing to take from diversity is that we must all learn how to recognise, embrace, and respect each other’s differences, and learn from different cultures and people, because you’ll never know how far this can take you.

We thank Crem for taking part in our #ThisIsMe blog series which focuses on the incredible diversity of our workforce across North Mid, beyond the usual protected characteristics of age, disability, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sex, and sexual orientation.

Please help us encourage colleagues to do the same by sharing this post.

Feel free to share any feedback or comments. If you wish to share your own story or think you know colleagues who might want to share their experiences about diversity, please contact our communications team @northmid.comms@nhs.net.