Coming to the first day of the RCN International Nursing Research Conference, I had a mixture of feelings. Unusually for me, I’d actually had quite a good sleep in my hotel (thanks Premier Inn!). The walk from the hotel took me across the river which gave me the opportunity to get myself into a good frame of mind for the day.
One of the things that has felt very special about this conference has been knowing that despite coming on my own, I am most definitely not alone. I’m lucky to know so many amazing people from the world of clinical research and I knew a lot of them would be coming. Everyone is so friendly and I’ve really enjoyed chatting to new connections as well as old.
The day started with a very warm welcome from the Chair, Dr Gordon Hill. He was wearing his “Doddie Tartan” tie, whick linked to the morning’s keynote speaker, Jill Douglas MBE, journalist and patron of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. She shared a powerful message of how Doddie Weir, who sadly died almost 4 years ago, established the foundation after feeeling frustrated by what he felt was a lack of hope for those affected by Motor Neurone Disease. Several years later, the foundation has gone from strength to strength, investing heavily in MND research and Jill very aware of the importance of ensuring that every pound that’s been raised, by commited and passionate people, is spent diligently.
Also speaking that morning were Professor Jane Ball, Director of RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence, who highlighted the importance of making sure we do something with the evidence we generate, and turn it into action, and the team from Guys and St Thomas who brought a whole suite of inintiatives to share. I made lots of notes!
The afternoon programme included quick fire presentations by Dr Chris Jones (speaking on Rapid Asssessment and treatment), Kirsty Marshall (speaking about blended roles) and Ana-Maria Toth (speaking about hyposis for surgical pain and the best way to deliver) brought important insights into evidence informing practice, and ensuring that initiatives aren’t rolled out without a clear understanding of the impact on staff and patients, and the need for stakeholder buy in for success.
The next presentation focused on oral care and a study that had been undertaken to examine the link between oral care and non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia. It was a very good example what was a relatively simple intervention (toothpaste and toothbrushes were part of the interventional group,presented in a back which had a QR code printed on it which linked to training videos) having a significant impact. It did, however, highlight a wider issue. From my own recent research form my MBA, I was already aware that oral care has been cited as one of the common components of missed care episodes, but the researcher Dr Brett Mitchell also said that one of his findings from conversations with staff was that oral care was note seen by some registered nurses as part of their role. This was quite a surprise to me and raises of course the question, then, of whose responsibility they perceived it to actually be.
After a refreshment break, and some more networking, we returned to the auditorium for the final session of the day, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the RCN Fellowship programme. Chaired by Prof Alison Tierney (not gonna lie, it was quite surreal to be in the same room as such a nursing legend!) ,the session drew thoughts and reflections from 3 RCN Fellows – Professors (is that the right term?) Bridget Johnson, Debra Jackson and Aisha Holloway. Some of the themes I felt emerging from the session were around dealing with disappointment, surrounding yourself by people who will lift you up, and the value of being the nurse in the room and owning our professional identity.
All in all a really great day – I just wanted to put my thoughts to “paper” as it were before they slip away. Looking forward to the rest of the conference! Come and say hi if you are here.
Receiving Consent 