Calvin Moorley
Interview with Calvin Moorley
Dr Calvin Moorley was Associate Professor for Nursing Research and Diversity in Care in LSBU’s School of Health and Social Care and is a registered nurse who practices intensive care therapy. He is also holder of the Mary Seacole Award for Leadership in Nursing. As well as teaching, Calvin does a great deal of research on a broad range of topics including inter-sectionality, gender, culture and ethnicity.
At the time of the interview, Calvin had been undertaking research and publishing works on the impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities alongside his research which he would be focusing on in his presentation during the event.
Hi Calvin! Without giving too much away, what has your research revealed about the way COVID-19 has impacted BAME communities?
My initial research involved speaking to nurses from BAME communities on their experiences of working in the health service during the peak of Wave One of the pandemic. What it revealed was that the members of the group were fearful of the lack of knowledge on COVID-19; and there was also a need for structural support for them. On a broader level, we need to focus on the sustainable mental and physical health of nurses.
How does your broad work around inter-sectionality and equality embody sustainability?
I focus on health, for example, the health of people in marginalised groups such as LGBTQ or BAME. Health needs to be sustainable to ensure a good quality of life and the ability to sustain health depends on access to good healthcare services. Some of my work looks at access to, and removing barriers to, health services which are reflective of Sustainable Development Goal No. 3, which is to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for people of all ages.
Talk to us about the benefits of reverse mentoring – something you are an advocate and supporter of.
Reverse mentoring, traditionally, is about senior colleagues being mentored by junior colleagues with an aim to foster a relationship of learning that removes barriers and allows growth and development. Benefits include better leadership, honest feedback that can help to initiate change and allowing leaders to become change agents on important matters such as race and gender.
Finally, when you think about the work you do around equality, diversity and inclusion, what brings you hope and keeps you going?
I keep going because I am fearful that if inequality and inequity are not challenged then we risk losing a diverse society, community and workforce with exceptional talent.
The session of Calvin and other colleagues was on 14th January 2021.
For more information on this event, visit the event page.