Page 52 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

50 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Royal College of Nursing NI – Defence Nursing Network
15th November 2014 – Study Day – Get Involved With Defence Nursing
Forty members of the Corps, Regular, Reserve and Association attended this first study day. A comprehensive programme had been prepared. The day was under the able chairmanship of Major Gaby Smyth, Reserve Nursing Officer.
The first speaker, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery(NIPEC), focused in the Current Issues facing Nursing within the Global context –economic climate, poverty and poor health, developed world lifestyles – obesity, chronic disease, ageism, communicable diseases, migration, shortage of health care professionals and diagnostic, therapeutic and technological advances. She outlined the challenges arising from these – the perceived outcomes of early intervention, the long-term economic and social implications and the added challenges for health and social care particularly those arising from enquiries including where failings are repeated. She considered the culture of organisations – lack of transparencies, bullying, target focused, financial objectives.
She set out the components needed to deliver a genuine patient-centred health service.
One profound statement: ‘A patient is the most important visitor in our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption to our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by seeing him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so’. Mahatma Ghandi.
The Director of Development and Capacity Building, Institute of Public Health in Ireland spoke on Ebola, What you need to know. Dr. Mitchell demonstrated through a distribution map of West Africa the line of transmission. She talked about the present outbreak, hospital and care facilities, training of local health care professionals and support for local communities. She discussed each point including the additional support needed for improved survival rates. This included prompt diagnoses
Left - Right: Professor Martin Bradley OBE, Formally Chief Nursing Officer for the DHSSPS and now Honorary Colonel, 204 (North Irish) Field Hospital; Wing Commander Alison Moodie (DNN Committee), OC Medical, 502(Ulster) Sqn; RAuxAF, Dr. Catherine Sowerby, Senior Lecturer, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst; Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Consultant at the Institute of Public Health in Ireland; Angela McLernon, CEO NI Practice and Education Council; Major Gaby Smyth (DNN Committee), 204 Field Hospital; Cathy Pugh (DNN Committee), Royal College of Nursing, Staff Lead, Defence Nursing Network; Capt Nicola McKay (DNN Committee), 253(NI) Medical Regiment; Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Mental Health Sciences and a Health Psychologist, Director of the Irish Association of Suicidology; Dr. Cherie Armour, Lecturer
in Psychology at the University of Ulster; Hugh McKenna (DNN Committee) , Honorary Colonel, 253(NI) Medical Regiment; Robert Sowney RGN, BSc(Hons), PG Cert HSM, Assistant Director for Unscheduled Care aththe Health and Social Care Board. Current Chair of the RCN Foundation.
especially during the malaria season, isolation times, hydration, convalescent plasma, patient transport, safe burial and clean up homes. She concluded with key points – do what we can with tools and means available, evaluation of treatments and vaccines, training and practice.
The next speaker was the Professor of Mental health Sciences, University of Ulster(UU). She spoke on Trauma, Mental Health and Suicidal Behaviour in NI. She was followed by a Lecturer in Psychology(UU). She spoke on Assessing Mental Health of Northern Ireland Veterans. Both presented interesting statistical information in mental health within communities including defence personnel and police services and with reference to the past and present challenges facing those.
Following a delicious lunch we had a stimulating presentation from a Senior Lecturer in Defence and International Affairs RMAS on Contingency Operations, The Role of Defence Nursing.(with disclaimer). She outlined the preparation for contingency pointing out that nursing is better prepared than many others. The need to expect the unexpected and responding is routine – flexibility and adaptability vital for contingency are
core skill in nursing. She considered contingency operations, challenges and opportunities with definition – ‘a future of circumstances which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty(OED). The implications of such – expect the unexpected, plan, prepare and train for all eventualities, change of emphasis – all require flexibility and adaptability. She moved to the challenges and opportunities for Defence Nursing – caring for deployed forces, skills, Reserves, and translating lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan to contingency.
She finalised on nursing and upstream intervention – its valuable contribution particularly with health care training to local forces or populations – the soft effect. She ended with a reference to a contingency exercise with a focus on DMS – challenges and skills.
The day ended with two short presentations. The first was on the RCN Foundation – How it can help you.
The second was on Opportunities to Progress your Study with the Florence Nightingale Foundation.
We did end with a twenty minute Workshop which helped all relax whilst considering the content of the day.
This was a five star study day.