Reflections on Congress 2024

This year Congress was held at the fabulous location of ICC Wales in Newport.

Here is a recap of some of the key things that were covered.

In the debates, there were a number of items that are of interest to Neuroscience Nurses, and issues that will affect all nurses that we need to consider how they affect us. These included:

• definition of nursing
• regulating nursing support workers
• raising concerns
• crumbling buildings
• AI in healthcare
• CPD
• apprenticeships and newly qualified nurses
• internationally educated nurses
• assisted dying
• controlled drugs in care homes
• redefining learning disability nursing
• virtual wards
• nurse substitutions
• genomic
• and social media.

These items are discussed, and where they are put forward as resolutions these get voted on to decide if they are priorities the RCN should take forward.

In addition to the debates there is a fantastic Learning and Wellbeing Programme that goes on around the debates. This year some of the sessions covered:

• reducing falls
• levels of nursing practice
• lie telling as an intervention for dementia
• burnout
• sepsis
• immunisation

Additionally, there were some amazing keynote speakers. Linda Silas, president of Canadian Federation for Nurses Unions, presented with energy about how we need to stand up and make a difference. Gareth Thomas, former Welsh Rugby professional, shared his story of HIV and the work he is doing to challenge stigma around living with HIV.

Congress also has excellent planned social events. There were dinners for each of the regions. There was a summer barbecue, though the Welsh weather challenged the word “summer”. There was a student nurses event. And an end of congress party.

Congress is the heart of what the RCN is about. Members put forward items that matter to them. During the debates any member can get up on stage and have their say and all views are of equal importance and volume. Members then vote to decide what the RCN will take forward for the year ahead.

Next year we want a bigger presence for the RCN Neuroscience forum at Congress. It is in Liverpool from the 12-15 May 2025. Here is how you can help us to make a difference:

• Check you and your colleagues have chosen the RCN Neuroscience Forum as your voting forum. Log into MyRCN, and then go to 'My Forums'. For every 1,000 voting members we have, we get 1 funded voting place at Congress.
• Plan to attend Congress. You can get funded voting places through your forums or your branches. It is also free to attend so you can just book and attend.
• Consider what is important to neuroscience nurses and whether this would make a good debate. If you have an idea please get in touch and myself and the Neuroscience Forum Steering Committee can help you to shape this.
• Consider proposing a learning and wellbeing event. Do you have something you would like to share that would benefit other neuroscience nurses, and nursing in general? Perhaps we could arrange a neuroscience nurses networking event? Any suggestions are welcome.

I really encourage neuroscience nurses to consider what they can do with the neuroscience forum next year to ensure what is important to us is on the agenda.