Letter from the chair – Maggie Williams

Published: 16 November 2012

The forum committee was really pleased to recently publish the core competency document for imaging nursing. We have tried to produce this in a way that will enable it to be used across all areas of imaging, both inside and outside the NHS, and encourage everyone to have a copy in their department. It is anticipated that the document will assist both imaging nursing staff and managers in developing the skills required in our roles.

This year saw a session at the UK Radiological Congress (UKRC) dedicated to imaging nursing, which you can read about in this newsletter. UKRC 2013 will also have a nursing related session and we hope to meet many of you there.

This year the committee decided to change the format of the annual conference and take roadshows out to the regions. These have been a great success and most recently events have taken place in Sunderland and London. More than 200 people will have attended the workshops.

There has been a good mixture of speakers including Professor Erica Denton who spoke at our London workshop. Following the evaluations of these events we will decide on the events for next year.

At the workshops a number of people were asking about degree level courses for imaging nurses. There is currently an interventional radiology nursing course at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and a principles of conscious sedation course at Anglia Ruskin.

Both of these courses are distance learning. If you have other courses running locally please let us know about them and we can publicise them.

The committee will soon be updating the current guidance documents. We would love to have an imaging nurse from both Wales and Northern Ireland to assist us and ensure all countries are represented in this piece of work. Please contact me if you would like to be involved.

We are also keen that this newsletter includes articles written by the forum members. Please contact the editor if you have news/initiatives in your departments that you would like to share.

Next year’s RCN Congress will be upon us soon, the dates are 21-25 April in Liverpool. Members of the committee will be there - please let us know if you are going.