Page 40 - QARANC Vol 14 No 9 2014

38 QARANC THE GAZETTE
The Department of Healthcare
Education QARANC Corps Day
Celebration
Every year, members of the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corp gather to celebrate their Corps day. This occasion would normally be witnessed by past and present members of the QARANC to commemorate the work of the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps from its inception to date.
This year, students and staff of the Defence School of Healthcare Education celebrated the QARANC Corps day on the 26 March 2014 at Birmingham City University (BCU). The occasion brought together staff and students of the Defence School of Healthcare Education, the programme director of the BCU School of Nursing, Mrs Rose Hall and other invitees to celebrate the services of the QARANC in the continuous provision of excellent healthcare to both the members of the Armed Forces and civilians alike.
In welcoming the delegates Major Chris Carter affirm that this year’s celebration is particularly pertinent as it coincides with the year that we celebrate 100 years since the First World War.
Lt Col J Palmer, Commanding Officer Defence School of Healthcare Education said in her opening comments the aim of the school is to continue to train students who will not only receives the necessary education to be excellent nurses but also to able to meet the Army’s future contingency plans as the draw down from Afghanistan nears the end. Lt Col Palmer paid tribute to the nurses who continue to perform excellent care to the members of the Armed Forces and the general public both at home and abroad.
The day started with a series of presentations by students from Cohorts 04/12, 09/12 and those from the foundation programme. Students from cohort 04/12 and 09/12, chronicle the important transformation of the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps from its formation in 1863 to date. The students took turns in presenting their research on the history of the QARANC. Special mention was made on the first QARANC deployment to the Korean war of 1952, and the acceptance of male nurses into the Corps
in 1992. For their part, the students on the Foundation programme gave an insight into the career employment opportunities within the QARANC and areas where students
may be posted once they complete their training. The presentation also explained the organisation structure of the QARANC and named key personalities.
The key speaker on the occasion was Lt Col Jeffery, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and a Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University. Lt Col Jeffery pointed out
the advances made in Burns and Plastics surgical care and management for injured personnel. He said these advances in research and technology is mainly due in part to the types of catastrophic injuries sustained by service personnel in Afghanistan. He went through some of the latest surgical techniques that are used to save the lives of people with most severe injuries that would have resulted in death a few years back. He however warned that this critical surgical operation may be difficult to sustain in the future because of cost implication and ethical issues involved.
Surgeon Captain Millar MRCGP RN, Commander, DCHET, at DMS(W)), outlined the many successes achieved by the QARANC in its illustrious history which dates back to Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War. He asserted the advancement of clinical practice during wars can be linked to the advances in nurse training and practice as one cannot go without the other. He reminded students that although it would be impossible to ready for every eventuality, the training they are undergoing is to anticipate a way ahead and prepare future nurses to adapt to the challenges of future nursing.
Surgeon Captain Millar also reminded students to remember that they are soldiers first and nurse second. He said those on the training programme are there because they possess the QARANC attitude – the one that means that you will be able to deliver care in unfamiliar, uncomfortable and often unconventional environments. He said that whilst it may be tempting to focus on the illustrious history on a QARANC day celebration, it can also be a platform which we can use to revamp the enduring ethos, values and standards of the Corps. He called on students to embrace the attitudes and mind set of the Corps so that their successors can be proud of in terms of providing excellent patient care.
The day ended with a service led by Padre Young.
Thank you to the QARANC Association for your kind contribution which provided an appetising buffet lunch.
Pte O Badjie
BSc Student Nurse
Defence School of Healthcare Education