year of many firsts for me in my new role as Professional Lead here at the Royal College of Nursing, and what a pleasure it has been to work alongside the RCN Cancer Forum steering committee, members and many external organisations.
At the start of the year, the RCN Cancer Forum had a goal of wanting to increase membership engagement and become more visible to our members - and happy to say through the hard work of the committee I really feel we are amplifying the voice of nursing in the world of cancer care. The committee had some challenges, but overcome these to highlight the importance of education to enhance cancer care nursing services and how humanitarian efforts are needed to support those in war zones receiving cancer care. Congress was a great event, in which the RCN Cancer Forum engaged with many members and successfully delivered alongside the Professional Nursing Committee an emergency agenda item around humanitarian cancer crisis nursing. This achieved national press coverage and highlighted the strong voice nurses have in times of difficulty. The RCN Cancer Forum steering committee however did not stop here, and successfully submitted an abstract to the European Cancer Summit which took place in November - a key achievement and one in which all involved should be extremely proud of themselves.
Whilst I have not got a specific cancer nursing background myself, having worked in primary care for many years I have supported patients both living with and beyond cancer - but I now feel my awareness has increased dramatically around the safety critical work our cancer nurses are providing. Having had great conversations with organisations such as Macmillan and UKONs, it is encouraging to see how the RCN is engaging with key stakeholders to amplify and enhance the cancer nursing workforce. A successful webinar event also took place in collaboration with MOVE against Cancer charity - promoting physical activity in cancer care which was opened for all members no matter their background to join. Another key success that supported members from a variety of clinical settings.
However none of this could have been achieved without the current chair, Ethna McFerran. Ethna has dedicated her time to enhancing the professional standing of the RCN Cancer Forum, and built key relationships considering a four-county approach to ensure appropriate member representation. Her drive and passion to enhance education standards has seen members feel more supported and valued for their roles. Whilst Ethna is stepping down from her position at the end of the year, I would like to thank her personally for all her support and hard work whilst in her chair role. Ethna will still be a valued member of the RCN Cancer Forum, and again we thank her for her time and dedication.
So with a new year comes new beginnings, and with our newly elected Chair and Vice Chair I am looking forward to continuing enhancing the engagement of the forum and supporting members in the world of cancer nursing. I'd like to also take this time to thank all the members of the cancer forum for their hard work and patient care, and hope that you all get some downtime during the festive period.
At the start of the year, the RCN Cancer Forum had a goal of wanting to increase membership engagement and become more visible to our members - and happy to say through the hard work of the committee I really feel we are amplifying the voice of nursing in the world of cancer care. The committee had some challenges, but overcome these to highlight the importance of education to enhance cancer care nursing services and how humanitarian efforts are needed to support those in war zones receiving cancer care. Congress was a great event, in which the RCN Cancer Forum engaged with many members and successfully delivered alongside the Professional Nursing Committee an emergency agenda item around humanitarian cancer crisis nursing. This achieved national press coverage and highlighted the strong voice nurses have in times of difficulty. The RCN Cancer Forum steering committee however did not stop here, and successfully submitted an abstract to the European Cancer Summit which took place in November - a key achievement and one in which all involved should be extremely proud of themselves.
Whilst I have not got a specific cancer nursing background myself, having worked in primary care for many years I have supported patients both living with and beyond cancer - but I now feel my awareness has increased dramatically around the safety critical work our cancer nurses are providing. Having had great conversations with organisations such as Macmillan and UKONs, it is encouraging to see how the RCN is engaging with key stakeholders to amplify and enhance the cancer nursing workforce. A successful webinar event also took place in collaboration with MOVE against Cancer charity - promoting physical activity in cancer care which was opened for all members no matter their background to join. Another key success that supported members from a variety of clinical settings.
However none of this could have been achieved without the current chair, Ethna McFerran. Ethna has dedicated her time to enhancing the professional standing of the RCN Cancer Forum, and built key relationships considering a four-county approach to ensure appropriate member representation. Her drive and passion to enhance education standards has seen members feel more supported and valued for their roles. Whilst Ethna is stepping down from her position at the end of the year, I would like to thank her personally for all her support and hard work whilst in her chair role. Ethna will still be a valued member of the RCN Cancer Forum, and again we thank her for her time and dedication.
So with a new year comes new beginnings, and with our newly elected Chair and Vice Chair I am looking forward to continuing enhancing the engagement of the forum and supporting members in the world of cancer nursing. I'd like to also take this time to thank all the members of the cancer forum for their hard work and patient care, and hope that you all get some downtime during the festive period.
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