BACCN International Conference 2009 – ‘An International Perspective; Cementing Alliances & Forging Success.

For those of you who managed to attend the BACCN Conference at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 14th -16th September 2009, I would like to thank you all on behalf of the BACCN National Board.  Your attendance, contribution and attentiveness to the sessions, along with your networking (both professional and social!) made the whole conference a great success. Thank you to all those that have provided objective comments and feedback, these have been reviewed and will assist with the planning for the 2010 conference in Southport.  Yes, the planning is already well under way.

For those of you that were unable to join us at the conference this year I would just like to share in this edition of ‘News’ a flavour of the conference through the different sections.

Programme Keynote Content

BACCN 2009The opening welcome was made by Dr Bronagh Blackwood, local to the area and from the University of Belfast, who welcomed conference to Northern Ireland and Belfast. 

Tracy Pilcher, Chair BACCN, made the opening address of the 24th BACCN and 3rd International Conference to three hundred and forty three delegates.  The programme was rich and diverse, extending boundaries for critical care practice.  She envisaged that the conference would unite us as critical care nurses, the sessions would develop our art and craft of nursing and the programme would address where we have been and where we are going.  Her address built in four main concepts for consideration:-

Whether as critical care nurses we held junior or senior positions , clinical, managerial or educational in orientation, within small or large units, District general or University Hospitals, within the United Kingdom or Internationally we need to consider personally and professional how we enact the above points and develop the profession of critical care nursing - a challenge to us all.

Professor Hugh McKenna, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Ulster gave a thought provoking keynote session on whether the profusion of evidence in nursing leads to confusion in practice?  He presented that ‘Evidence Informed Practice’ would be a more accurate term than ‘Evidence based Practice’ as the latter implies an unquestioning belief in evidence.  He went on to debate the difference between evidence based practice and practice based evidence.  Appealing to us that the evidence we collect through the art and craft of nursing, our personal professional experience should not be ignored.   The aesthetics, ethical and personal experiences provide evidence which care and treatment should be built on.  He argued that empirical evidence, can be ignored when it clashes with other types of evidence.

For those of you that were there ‘Keep your eyes open for the ‘Gorilla in our midst’’- where did that gorilla come from?

After lunch the day provided even more mental and emotional challenges from our keynote speakers.

Dr Dominique Vandijck, Doctor-assistant at Ghent University and post doctoral researcher at Ghent University Hospital. He explored nurses’ compliance with evidence related to infection control standards.  Their knowledge of why they needed to carry out certain practices.  He reaffirmed the need that evidence based research needs to be put into practice and concluded that ‘The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action’.

The next session appealed to our hearts.  We were honoured to have Mr Chris Rudge, National Clinical Director for Transplantation in the Department of Health who presented ‘Organ Donation – How we can solve the shortage’.  He provided statistics on the number of transplants in 2008/9, 2560 and the number awaiting 7877.  The shortfall seems not to be BACCN 2009lessening.  The hard facts were then followed by a video prepared by children with cystic fibrosis and their outlook on organ donation ‘Live life then give life’.  There weren’t many dry eyes in the house after that.  The presentation progressed to introduce the current 14 recommendations of the Organ Donation Taskforce and their target of an increase by 50% in donation over the next 5 years – ambitious but felt to be realistic.  Clinical leads otherwise known as CLODs (Clinical Lead Organ Donation) are to be embedded along with Organ donation co-ordinators and donation committees into acute hospitals. The address concluded with ‘What we can do?’ – joining the Organ Donation Register (0300 1232323 or online), looking walloflife.or.uk, embracing our CLOD (!), Meeting with the donor transplant co-ordinator, never feeling inhibited to discuss donation and accessing the duty Organ donation office.  I must remember next time I go to hear Chris Rudge speak that I take some tissues with me.

The first day had given us much to think about and set us some challenges to take back to our units.  I’m pleased to say that day 2 remained in the same vein.  I might hear a few of you say ‘What more!’  But oh yes, conference is invigorating and jam packed full.

An earlyish start on day 2 with addresses from our International speakers; Dr Louise Rose from Toronto and Chris Goeschel from The John Hopkins University, USA.  Louise’s presentation looked at the current complexities of the environment and interprofessional team working within critical care today. How effective collaboration can assist and improve patient outcomes through power sharing.  One current key clinical aspect of care in intensive care is our ability to minimise catheter related blood stream infections.  Chris Goeschel, Director of Patient Safety and Quality Initiatives for the John Hopkins University presented ‘Matching Michigan’.  The session presented key findings from research demonstrating that there are far more improvements that can be undertaken to minimise catheter related blood stream infections through ensuring patients reliably receive evidence based practice.  Currently the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has commissioned the ‘Matching Michigan’ interventions and there is proposed a National roll out in October/November.  For further information please refer to Matching.michigan@npsa.nhs.uk.

The last keynote address of day two explored ‘Revisiting Caring Science’.  Professor Kate Galvin from Bournemouth University gave a very erudite session on concepts exploring ‘life world led care’.  How caring science relates to the flow of time, how it is connected to places and things, relationships to one another, and how the body may become alien to you when you are ill.  She challenged the traditional notions of evidence and explored ways of knowing that are more intimately connected with practice.  Concluding that nursing practice when embodied fully is related to ‘Head, hand and heart’

After a very late night for those that enjoyed the festivities of the gala dinner there were some very weary people on day three.  However we were all invigorated by Professor Linda Johnston.  BACCN 2009Linda is currently Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, holing the first Chair of Neonatal Research at the University of Melbourne.  She provided an excellent overview of where neonatology had come from, the progression of treatments and the improvements in infants’ outcome.  Although there have been key advances in technology and research there remain fundamental elements of health which can be prevented or limited for this population, through correct diet of maternal parents, hydration and sanitation.

So over the three days we had been through an absolute roller coaster ride.  From looking at care from the adult perspective against the lens of paediatrics and neonates; the need for evidence to base our practice on against realisation that nursing should not be merely empirically based; from how to save lives through technological advancement and yet then ‘give life’ through organ donation; that advancements in care are needed to address challenges for critical care nursing and yet fundamental care can never be under estimated. 

So I’ve come away with more questions than I went with, thinking critical care nursing is so dynamic and ever changing you can never be complacent with what you do, I’m very proud to be a nurse, to have met so many great people over the last few days at conference and that’s not associated with their roles but with their passion for what they do. The networks and knowledge that I have developed through conference will provide opportunity to ‘cement alliances and forge success’ through the art and science of critical care nursing. 

The Social Programme

Well what a warm hearted, friendly, hospitable nationality the Irish are.  From the moment we got off the plane at Belfast airport the taxi driver was welcoming us to his country and cracking jokes.  And that’s how the next three days carried on.

Sunday evening was the Welcome reception.  This was held at the prestigious Great Hall at Queens University.  A magnificent oak panelled room with oil painting of the ‘great and the good’ in resplendent fashion exhibited around. We were warmly welcomed to Ireland, Belfast and Queens by Dr Bronagh Blackwood and Prof Linda Johnston.  Following that the wine started flowing and the entertainment began.  We were provided with a fantastic display of Irish dancing from some critical care nurses which were a true joy to watch.  And that was merely the first evening.

The official opening of the conference took place in the exhibition hall after the first day of the conference.  We were delighted that the Lord Mayor, Councillor Naomi Long addressed us with her welcome to Belfast.  The exhibition reception then allowed the opportunity to chat with exhibitors over a glass of wine.  We were very grateful for Linet being our key sponsor and corporate partner of this conference.

Later that night we met at the famous ‘Crown Bar’ for a few drinks.  Those of us that had responsibilities the following day ventured home at about midnight however I have heard that quite a number of younger delegates ventured out to taste the night life of Belfast and seek cultural development!  They’ll know what I mean.  Again they were enthused with the hospitality of the Irish. That was only day 1.

The gala dinner was hosted at the Europa hotel.  Everybody looked resplendent in their finery and the dresses were beautiful.  The three course meal, which was delivered extremely efficiently, serving approximately 250 people in 45 minutes, was tasty.  After which the regional award was presented to North York’s and Lincolnshire committee. After that it was down to serious business with the McStocker Ceilidh Band.  I have never seen so many people crammed onto a dance floor ‘stripping the willow’.  If a Health and Safety rep had been there I’m sure they would have been horrified.  But there was certainly a lot of energy being spent and a few aching limbs the following morning.

For my body it was certainly a relief to sit down on the aeroplane on the way home the following day.

Scholarships were awarded to:

Young Scientist – Efi Evangelou, Cyprus.  Poster 18, ‘The use of quality indicators in intensive care units’.

Best Practice – Donna Wilson, Canada.  Oral presentation 42. ‘A two phase Delphi survey of nursing care of adult hospital patients experiencing acute delirium’.

Fond Farewells

John Albarran stepped down from the National Conference this year.  From the National Board and members of the BACCN we would like to all tBACCN 2009hank him for his massive contribution to the development of this organisation and his dedicated commitment to critical care nursing as a whole.  John has been instrumental in forging links nationally and internationally with our critical care colleagues.  The work that he has produced through the European Federation of Critical Care Nurses has been inspirational at forging links with our practice.  He remains the joint editor of the Journal, so we won’t lose links with him entirely.

Kate Bray also stepped down from Board at the conference.  Kate has been a National Board member since 2000 and has directed, led and shaped many of the Position statements which the organisation has developed. The latest being  ‘Standards for Nurse Staffing in Critical Care’ a joint statement between the BACCN, Critical Care Networks National Nurse Leads and the Royal College of Nursing Critical Care Forum which she launched at conference.

Both John and Kate have worked tirelessly for the organisation.  They will be greatly missed for their professional contribution and ‘joie de vivre’.  We wish them both well in their future and have many memories to cherish.
Thank you!

Post Note

I am very aware that by now the editors will be telling me that I am over my word limit.  But there is still much to tell you all.  However I don’t want to miss anything out. So I shall carry over some things until next edition.  However there are a few thank yous first.  The BACCN wish to extend thanks

Lastly I hope to see you all next year in Southport where we will be celebrating 25years of the BACCN ‘Taking Pride in Practice’.  There will be a featured article next journal on what to expect both from the sessions and socially.  So at this point many thanks once again.

Karen Hill
National Secretary

BACCN Nurse at WorkBACCN Nurse at WorkBACCN Nurse at Work

top| search | terms and conditions

© copyright BACCN 2007