Page 4 - QARANC Vol 14 No 13 2016

2 QARANC THE GAZETTE
President’s Foreword
It seems but a very short time since the last edition of the Gazette, which is perhaps an indication of the hectic pace of activity experienced by all of us, whether serving or retired. Within a few short weeks of taking over I had the great pleasure of attending the QARANC National Corps Day celebration, expertly arranged and hosted by Welsh Branch and 203 Field Hospital in Cardiff. What a memorable event it turned out to be, with a magnificent turnout of Regular, Reserve and Retired members travellingfromallcornersoftheUK, and beyond, to mark the occasion. It provided me with a valuable opportunity to get away from the desk to meet and talk to many members of the QA family and their guests early on in my tenure. It is essential in this role to maintain that contact to ensure that I don’t lose sight of the key issues that affect our people most.
It was after much consideration and with great regret that I took the decision to cancel the symposium due to be held in May this year. The basis for that decision was multifactorial, but essentially the long delay in identifying how professional leadership was to be provided to the Corps following the loss of the DANS appointment, meant that valuable planning time was lost. This is particularly relevant when trying to attract high calibre speakers, whose diaries are booked well in advance. Whilst it would have been possible to stage an event, the programme would have relied more on availability of speakers rather than quality and content, thereby running the risk of appearing somewhat random and potentially would have lacked the impact of previous events. With the hectic pace of activity that seems to be the norm for all of us now I felt it was important that, if personnel are to take time away from their primary duties to attend, it should be a worthwhile use of their time, so by delaying the symposium and setting up a dedicated planning team, we can set the conditions to provide a memorable event next year which will be professionally and militarily relevant to our audience.
However, not all has been lost as we have recently held an extremely worthwhile Nurse Leadership workshop, focusing on professional performance and fitness to practise
issues, which was extremely well received by the 30 or so delegates present. The intent for the day was to inform and stimulate discussion on how to manage some very challenging and thought-provoking performance issues, the success of which relied on a certain level of interaction from the audience. I needn’t have worried. I have never known members of the QARANC to be slow in coming forward and the workshop was no different. The day got off to a flying start with a presentation from Inspector General, Cdre Inga Kennedy QHNS, on resilience and wellbeing, both our own and that of our team members. This generated much discussion, which only increased in amount and volume as the day progressed. From my perspective as CNO(A) and responsible for professional standards, it was gratifying to see our nurses so actively engaged and enjoying such animated discussion on professional issues.
There is also an opportunity to hold a further one day study period on Friday 18 Nov 2016, followed by an informal evening function, which will be open to serving Regular and Reserve personnel of all ranks, and retired members. The day will take the form of an update on the various challenges and achievements since taking up post. Many will have noted that due to the cancellation of the symposium the various Corps prizes for 2016 have not yet been awarded, and the study period will provide the ideal opportunity to do this and celebrate the great work done by QARANC personnel wherever they serve. With regard to the Glover Lecture I have thought for some time that it should be open to all QARANC, regardless of rank, and therefore propose that in future this should be incorporated into the annual symposium rather than a Headquarter Mess Regimental Dinner. To ensure it takes place this year, the 2016 Glover Lecture will also form part of the study period on 18 Nov. Confirmation of the daytime venue is still awaited but the Commanding Officer of the AMS Support Unit has kindly given permission to hold the evening function in the Officers’ Mess in Robertson House, Camberley. The warning order covering all of the above will be issued imminently with information also uploaded to the QARANC Association facebook page.
It won’t have escaped anyone’s notice that the regulatory landscape for nurses has changed significantly following the introduction of revalidation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in April this year. I personally believe this is long overdue; however, I think it is fair to say that it has been a cause of anxiety for some. Key to the NMC revalidation model is reflection, which is essential if we are to demonstrate learning and change our practice and ways of working to better meet the needs of our patients. It is somethingwedoeveryday,perhaps unconsciously, but having to write about that thought process still feels unfamiliar to some. However, nurses are nothing if not resilient and adaptable, and will succeed, but perhaps one of the hardest things is prioritising ourselves and our own personal and professional development. I believe revalidation provides the impetus to do that and to reflect how we as nurses can live the values set out in the NMC Code; prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism.
You will all be aware of Operation REFLECT, the Army’s codename for all WW1 commemorations taking place over the next few years. As a Corps we have already been involved in some significant activity this year with the 100th anniversary of the start of the battle of the Somme on 1 Jul 2016. On this, the first day of the offensive, the British Army suffered its largest number of casualties in its history. A total of 57,470 of whom 19,240 were killed. Members of the Corps took part in several major events to mark this anniversary; an evening service and overnight vigil at Thiepval Memorial on 30 Jun followed by a major commemoration service on 1 Jul; an evening service and overnight vigil in Westminster Abbey on 30 Jun culminating in an early morning service on 1 Jul; and also on 1 Jul, a service at the Manchester cenotaph, followed by a parade to Manchester Cathedral where a service took place. I was very honoured to represent the Corps at Westminster Abbey. During what I can only describe as an emotional, sombre and thought-provoking service, I was truly humbled as in the silence I reflected on the sacrifice made by so many, and also our nursing and medical forebears who displayed such