Dame Elizabeth Anionwu

Case Study

How would you like to be described?

A retired nurse, former professor of nursing. mixed race, Irish and Nigerian heritage

How would you describe what you do?

I am a retired professor of nursing, a patron of Mary Seacole Society and Trust and before COVID I was giving talks about my life and memoirs. I’m a mother and grandmother - 

What is your greatest achievement?

Being the first Sickle Cell nurse specialist, being a mother and grandmother, recognising what my mother gave to me and meeting my father when I was 25.

What was the cause or ’trigger for this journey of making the world a better place through being useful and kind? And how old were you? When did you realise you could make a difference?

I was looked after by nuns as a child one of whom would distract my attention when she had to remove a dressing by reducing my pain through laughter. I saw then that she was both useful and kind and I knew that was what I wanted to do.

The other trigger was channelling my anger: the stigma of being Irish/Nigerian, of trying to wash my face white, and from the abuse at the hands of my step-father. This focused into a political anger. The other trigger was what I experienced as a community nurse observing the neglect of black health issues and this was the trigger for learning more about Sickle Cell - I remember the feelings of impotence sitting in the front room with a Caribbean mother at her wits end with the pain that her young son had - and I was distraught at the situation and I felt frustrated and useless and decided to find out more.
So all of these things resulted in me being a case of the wounded healer - healing others in order at some level to heal myself.

Was it something your parents are/would have been proud of and encouraged?

Even though I was in care for my first nine years I still saw saw my mother a lot. She was very proud of my adult activities and did all the transcribing of the family interviews I had undertaken for my PhD. 

I only knew my father for 8 years before he died, but he he was very proud of my journey too.

What were you doing at 16?

After having moved a lot, from the nuns, to my mother and step-father’s house, and then to my maternal granpdparents. Then, to my utter shock, at 16 I was sent back to my mother and step-father's home.

There was no question that I could continue 6th form education which came as a real shock to me as I adored school and learning.

I started work as a school nurse assistant at a child health clinic. During this time I had a weekly study day to go on a pre-nursing course that combined practical with theoretical work which has been a key part of my career ever since. I was transferred due to my asthma to work in a residential school ‘for delicate children’ in the country, which I loved.

What advice would you give your 16 year old self? 

Don't be so shy - I was excruciatingly anxious every time I met a new person, which is hardly surprising given my early childhood experience.

What advice would you give to other young people?

I generally don’t give advice unless pushed but I would say ‘be aware of what you are good at,  be confident, start from there and resist the temptation to always start with the negative’. 

What has been the most difficult challenge on the way and how did you overcome it? 

My biggest challenge was when I was a student health visitor and enjoying it. I noticed that colleagues were completing ethnic monitoring forms inconsistently. I discovered that these statistics were being collected in order that the service could get additional funds, intended for interpreting services but were then used for other things. 

Expecting to sail through her qualification, Elisabeth was ‘bl**dy disgusted’ to be sent before an investigative panel because she dared to question this practice.

Fortunately, after 15’ they told her she had passed, was one of the best students and wondered why they had even been called. Justice and fairness have always been important to her and gently speaking truth to power has made a difference.

What do you think are the changes we need to see in the world and how can being U&K help solve those things?

Racism is totally unacceptable. My belief after 70 years is that I still don't think it will be eradicated. Discrimination is borne of people wanting to be superior to others, whether that be gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity. 

This leads to ‘othering’ which is a defence against these feelings of difference. Useful and Kind believes that being Useful and Kind and understanding where people are can help make the world a better place.

How are you useful and kind to yourself - what helps and hinders?

A daily walk, listening to music, the sun shining, pilates, massage. Covid lockdown has meant a much better pattern of physical exercise rather than the frenetic pace we are all used to.

How are you both useful and kind to others (the easy ones and those who are more difficult to be U&K to)?

On a local level my neighbours and I help each other. It does not hurt to smile however busy you are. Always reply and respond.  As a patron of things also by being kind to myself by saying no. I can’t really sit at the computer for too long due to back pain so that is being kind to myself - no more writing projects.

What is your biggest challenge in the future?

Getting older, hoping that I will retain mental and physical fitness as I want to stay independent.

What do you wish you had done differently?

Nothing - I don’t look back like that, I deal with issues and accept that things have not always gone well - relationships but I have a lovely daughter and granddaughter and I am comfortable on my own. I don’t regret not doing things the traditional way.