BCHC hosts its annual International Nurses Day conference
Yesterday, over 120 colleagues gathered at our annual BCHC International Nurses Day conference. Its primary aim was to thank and celebrate our workforce of around 1,200 nurses, whilst exploring how they are aligning their roles to the NHS' Ten-Year Plan.
The event was opened by our Chief Executive, Richard Kirby who thanked attendees, expressing his gratitude to the nurses at BCHC and to the profession as a whole.
Lorraine Galligan, Chief Nursing and Therapies Officer, summarised how “proud” she was to be recognising International Nurses Day and reflected how impactful nurses are in our society.
Michelle Bateman, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England explored the role of a nurse and how it relates to the NHS' Ten-Year Plan, placing a particular focus on the role of care in the community (neighbourhood health) and how going from analogue to digital (functions such as electronic prescribing and ambient voice technology) which will impact how nurses work going forward.
Following on from this, a large portion of the morning was spent with nurses across different teams and services sharing stories about how, in the past 12 months, they have integrated elements of the Ten-Year Plan to improve patient care for Birmingham communities.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the Professional Vision for Nursing which was presented by Rebecca Martin our Deputy Chief Nurse. This digital document will help our nurses with continued professional development and contains an education hub that will help nursing colleagues find roles to further advance their existing and future careers.
In the afternoon, Paulette Hamilton, Member of Parliament for Erdington, spoke to attendees. Paulette encouraged nurses to recognise their power, have confidence in their knowledge, and use it to advocate for patients and reduce health inequalities and improve patient safety.
Nurses are the backbone of our NHS and are there for us all from birth to the end of life and every moment in between. Whether it be for ourselves, or on behalf of a loved one, we all have a nurse to thank.