My experience as a first time voting member at Congress

Congress 2024 in Newport Wales marked not only my first opportunity to attend Congress as a voting member on behalf of the Cancer Forum but my first ever Congress experience.

From the outset, I expected Congress to be to a conference type setting, and while the debates and discussions on the agenda are conducted with everyone's undivided attention, respect and professionalism, the atmosphere around the week is lively and upbeat - with several unexpected dance breaks in between.

The people really make congress the incredible event that it is and it's no wonder why nurses from all corners of the country attend year after year. Congress highlights the very best of nursing, despite engaging in discussion about our biggest challenges. The hard work begins long before the event, with nurses displaying their expertise by submitting the debates to be considered as part of the agenda, advocating and raising awareness of issues affecting not only the patients in their care but also their colleagues, with the hope of improving recruitment, retention, patient care and service delivery.

When it comes to voting, you will sit with other people from your region which for me was Northern Ireland. This provided an incredible opportunity to learn about other specialities and upcoming technologies or advancements in care as well as invaluable opportunities to network. During the week, we were able to meet regularly as a forum and share our professional experiences and discuss what is next for the cancer forum. We also heard from the new General Secretary and had incredibly moving and uplifting key note speeches from Linda Silas and Gareth Thomas.

One of my key takeaways was an emergency item submitted by Mohamad, a fellow member the cancer forum, regarding nursing in conflict which was incredibly emotive and highlights the impact the RCN can have on a global scale.

Congress provides an opportunity for every professional to have their say on issues close to their heart and while I didn't quite strike up the confidence to take to the stage this year, I gained so much experience and left feeling really motivated to get back to my own practice area and share my experiences from the week.

So while I was initially nervous for my first time at Congress - I now cannot wait until Liverpool 2025 and for everything to come as part of the RCN and Cancer Forum.