Defence Nursing Forum Committee

The Defence Nursing Forum Committee comprises of representatives from all single services, including reservists. There is also a representative for civilians who express an interest in this particular forum through either working alongside military nurses or those who have served past their reserve commitment. The committee members are:

Barry Wroe, RAF, Forum Chair

Current post: Head Academic Department of Defence Nursing and Director of Postgraduate Healthcare Education

Group Capt Wroe left the NHS after working in the Emergency Department , Trauma and Orthopaedics, and as a charge nurse in intensive care to join the Princess Mary's Royal Airforce Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) in 1982. His career quickly diverted from routine nursing appointments to include nurse education, aeromedical evacuation duties and management appointments across the Royal Air Force and Ministry of Defence.

Having worked as a ward manager in the UK and Germany his main role has been to provide strategic direction and leadership while ensuring the delivery of a coherent medical operational capability including the multinational role 3 hospital in Kandahar. He worked extensively as part of the team that looked into the future structure of the Defence Medical Services (DMS). His work in single service, in joint and combined operational enviroments has involved planning the acute medical support to many deployments which has involved in-depth partnership working with our Nato and Partnership for Peace (PfP) allies.

His current responsibilities include managing aspects of nursing research within the DMS and overseeing post registration education and training requirments for service nursing staff and allied health professions (AHPs) across the DMS career employment groups (CEGs). Operationally, his duties have included involvement in every conflict from Operation Corporate (Falklands War) to Operation Herrick (Afghanistan).

Outside of his routine duties , he is involved with the Royal Air Force Association, The Officers Association, his local sailing club, the Emergency Planning Society and the Charter Management Institute.

Acaemic profile

SRN
C&G 730
Cert ed
CMgr
Defence Leadership Programme
Defence Managment Programme
PGDip(DM)
MSc

Professional profile

Co-opted member of the Defence Nursing Advisers Management Board
Member of the Director nursing Services (RAF) Senior Management Forum and Board
Lead Aeromedical Evacuation Strategic Review Team
Chair AE clinical review committee
Appointed Chartered manager 2005
Fellow of CMI 2007
Member of Institute of Emergency planners and Emergency Planning Society.
Appointed to the forum Governance Group January 2012
Honorary Representative with the Officers' Association

Awards

Sir Andrew Humphrey Gold Memorial Medal

Laura Hodson, Royal Auxilliary Air Force (RAuxAF) - reserve forces Representative

Current post: Senior Staff Nurse, Accident & emergency, St Thomas' Hospital, London. Nursing Officer, 4626 (Aeromedical Evacuation) Squadron, RAF Lyneham.

Laura Hodson trained at the University of Hertfordshire, qualifying as a registered nurse in 2003. While a student, she joined the University of London Air squadron based at RAF Wyton. During this time she had flying lessons, which included flying a solo flight that subsequently whet her appetite for the RAF and aeromedical nursing. Her elective placement was with the RAF and spent four weeks at the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) Peterborough and RAF Lyneham with the Tactical Medical Wing. Laura wrote her dissertation for her degree on the physiological effects of flying.

Laura's clinical experience lies within accident and emergency nursing, where she works with both paediatrics and adults. She originally worked at Barnet Hospital and is now at St Thomas'. Her secondary role within her current civilian post is that of student co-ordinator for the department.

Laura joined the RAuxAF in April 2004 and became part of 4626 (aeromedical evacuation) Squadron. During training weekends her emergency nursing skills were utilised to assist in the training of medics in intermediate life support and basic trauma care. in 2007 she deployed to Afghanistan as with the the aeromedical evacuation team and since completing her initial officer training at RAF Cranwell is looking forward to future operations as part of the Medical Emergency Response team (MERT).

Laura has successfully published two articles on the physiological effects of flying in the British Journal of Nursing and Primary Healthcare Journal.

Academic Profile

BSc (Hons) Nursing with RN
Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing(ENB 998)
Mentorship for Healthcare Professionals (ENB 998)
Dip Trop Nurse
Aeromedical Evacuation Course

Ruth Truscott, Army Representative

Current Post: MDHU Northallerton Training Officer

Major Ruth Truscott qualified as a Registered Nurse in April 1995 having trained at York District Hospital. Her first staff nurse post was at the same hospital within the busy theatre recovery unit which fed her interest for perioperative practice. In 1996 Major Truscott joined the Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps and was posted to the Duchess of Kent Military Hospital in Catterick, North Yorkshire and worked within the ITU prior to being deployed to Bosnia. Shortly afterwards she was posted to Northern Ireland and again worked within the theatre recovery and gained basic scrub skills prior to applying for her Anaesthetic and Theatre nursing course. Major Truscott was also involved with looking after casualties from the tragic Omagh bombing in 1998. After a short time at RNH Haslar gaining pre course experience, she commenced her perioperative training at Southampton university in September 1999.Operationally Major Truscott has been involved in most conflicts; recently undertaking the Operational role on OP HERRICK as Officer Commanding Theatres leading a multi-national workforce to care for the multi-traumatically injured

Major Truscott commissioned from the ranks in Feb 2002 and has since been employed in both clinical and non clinical posts, including SO3 recruiter for Army Nurse Recruiting Team, a short Sierra Leone deployment and as an instructor at the Defence Medical training Centre, Keogh Barracks in Aldershot and more recently as a Registered Nursing Officer at 256 Fd Hospital, London.

Academic Profile

Dip(HE) RN
Mentorship for Healthcare Professionals (ENB 998)
Anaesthetic and Theatre Nursing Course ( ENB 183)
Post Grad Diploma (peri operatice practice)

Bev Burden, army representative

Current post: Officer Commanding Trainee Support Defence School Health Care Studies

Captain Bev Burden qualified as an adult registered nurse in January 2000, following training at the University of Central England in Birmingham. After a six month staff nurse post in urology Bev opted to specialise in critical care. Bev was commissioned into the QARANC as a nursing officer in January 2007 with a first posting to TPMH in Cyprus working within the Intensive Care Unit. Her main role was to ensure a 24-hour island-wide critical care response to all military personnel and their dependants.

In 2009 she was posted to the Royal Centre of Defence Medicine (RCDM) as an ITU nursing officer; caring for both battlefield and civilian multi-trauma casualties. During her command at RCDM she was involved with training of pre-course ITU nurses and deployed on Op HERRICK; where in addition to her primary ITU role she undertook the health care governance unit lead. Captain Burden was posted to the Defence School in 2011 to undertake the OC Trainee Support unit role; overseeing an experienced team of COHORT leaders to ensure the welfare and support of its phase 2 students. She has recently been given a term of office with the RCN Defence Nursing Forum steering committee.

Academic Profile

RN (A)
Bsc (Hons) Health Science
Bsc Critical Care
Bsc Work Based Learning (ITU)
EMSB
PHEC
Critical Care Nursing (ENB365)

Heather Scripps, army representative

Current post: Officer Commanding Department of Post-registration Courses, Defence Medical Services Training Group

Major Scripps qualified as a registered nurse in October 1996, having trained at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Having worked having

She worked as a staff nurse in both trauma/orthopaedics and in cardiothoracic surgery; before being commissioned into the QARANC in 1998 working at the Royal Hospital Haslar in a variety of clinical posts.

A posting to 4 Medical Regiment RAMC saw Major Scripps taking on a more managerial/administrative role which also included an operational tour to the Balkans as a troop commander. In 2003 Major Scripps moved into the sphere of nurse education qualifying as a lecturer/practitioner in 2004. Major Scripps has worked in both pre and post-registration nurse education, the management of clinical placements and spent two years as the Nurse Education Adviser (Army).

Major Scripps has a keen interest in research and maintains her clinical skills through an honorary contract with the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

Academic Profile

Dip Nursing (Adult)
Mentor For Healthcare Practitioners (ENB998)
Bsc (Hons) Military Nursing
MA Ed
RNT

Stephen McGhee , Territorial Army representative

Current Post: Professional Lead for Adult Field of Practice, School of Nursing Midwifery and Health, University of Stirling, and Senior Nursing Officer 205 (Sc) Field Hospital (V).

Stephen has a proven track record in autonomous nursing practice and leads on advanced clinical examination and is currently the professional lead for adult nursing at the University of Stirling. Col McGhee also maintains clinical competence as a nurse practitioner within NHS Lothian. He has developed research interests in advanced clinical practice, immersive virtual reality education and the role of the emergency department in undertaking alcohol screening and alcohol brief interventions.

Lt Col McGhee commissioned into the Territorial Army in May 1995 as a Nursing Officer in Glasgow Squadron of 205 (Sc) Field Hospital. In 1997 Col McGhee's civilian employment changed location and he moved to Edinburgh. In 2003 Col McGhee deployed on operations to Iraq during the war fighting phase with 16 Close Support Medical Regiment spending most of the tour as a Nursing Officer with 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment. In 2005 Col McGhee lead the Emergency Department at BMH Shaibah as part of Op Telic 6.

In 2006 a move to HQ 2 Division as SO2 Med (V) allowed Stephen to build a staff portfolio. A key part of this role was providing medical liaison to the migration of 38 (Irish) Brigade into 2 Division control. Part of this work was to integrate a new system of occupational health for reservists in Northern Ireland. Other duties during this time were supporting PfP overseas training exercises in Lithuania and Romania, this involved deploying as a medical subject matter expert to formulate the medical plans for these OTX's. Stephen also had governance over the medical planning for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the provision of all medical cover to ACF/CCF annual camps.
Moving back to regimental duty in 2009 - Col McGhee took command of 153 (Area) Medical Squadron which is part of 225 Medical Regiment and in 2010 he became regimental second in command prior to being selected for promotion to OF4.