Editorial
Published: 18 March 2013
SOTN Editor Lynne Newton writes
If you have any news items, meetings or study days that you would like added to the web pages or included in the newsletter please email copy to me at lynne.newton@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk. I look forward to hearing from you. If you are an Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing (SOTN) member and have any queries or topics you would like to discuss with other orthopaedic nurses please go to the RCN Discussion Zone which and look for our community area at the bottom of the board index. You will need your membership number and password to log into the Discussion Zone. If you have forgotten or can’t find them you can get them by calling RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100.
Work in action
Orthopaedic and Trauma Practitioner Competences 2012 [h3]
The RCN Competence Framework for Orthopaedic and Trauma Practitioners (publication code 004 316) was officially launched last September and we have had very positive feedback so far. For example, the framework is being applied to help determine education and training needs for practitioners at levels two to eight.
Alongside this, it is being used to inform recruitment and appraisal processes in orthopaedic and trauma clinical settings. Furthermore, the competences can be used as a quality benchmark for orthopaedic and trauma post-qualifying nursing courses.
There are exciting times ahead as SOTN joins with a working party of the International Collaboration of Orthopaedic Nurses (ICON) to assist in the development of international orthopaedic and trauma practitioner competences. Watch this space for developments.
Clinical corner
Acute nursing care of the older adult with a fragility hip fracture
Acute Nursing Care of the Older Adult with a Fragility Hip Fracture is a clinical review document that was developed by an international collaboration of orthopaedic nurses. There are two articles, both of which can be accessed via the International journal of orthopaedic and trauma nursing website or downloaded below (see how to download PDFs).
Hip fracture database
For further information on the hip fracture database and the team’s most recent newsletter visit the national hip fracture database website or contact or its project manager, Maggie Partridge at maggie.fractures@ucl.ac.uk.
Fragility Fracture Network
For further information on the Fragility Fracture Network and its most recent newsletter visit the network’s website.
2012 conference report
SOTN member Rachel Roberts reports on being a first-time delegate at last year’s SOTN conference
I attended the SOTN conference last September in Manchester. This was the first time I had attended the conference and I was unsure of what to expect. I was looking forward to the two days as the programme looked very interesting, with many different speakers talking on a variety of interesting subjects. I was also looking forward to meeting people like myself with an interest in orthopaedics.
Both days were fantastic. I was able to choose which sessions I attended and which were most relevant to me. The talks were all very interesting and I learnt a lot. It was exciting to hear about other peoples’ experiences and hearing about all the new and upcoming developments in orthopaedics. I was able to take what I had learnt back to my place of work and share the knowledge I had gained with my colleagues.
I would definitely recommend this conference to any nurse who has a keen interest in orthopaedics because it is informative, social and fun.
Conference plans 2013
The RCN Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing international conference and exhibition Developing the Natural Talents of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nurses takes place on 12–13 September at the Marriott Glasgow Hotel, 500 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8RR.
The call for abstracts is now open and the deadline for submission is Monday 22 April.
For more information, visit the conference webpage.
2013 is the “year of natural Scotland”, a celebration of the country’s natural and historic landscapes, wildlife and food and drink. With the country celebrating its natural assets and outstanding beauty, the RCN Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing is taking the opportunity to celebrate our natural talents and consider how we develop them locally, nationally and beyond.
Call for abstracts
Abstract submissions are invited for plenary, poster, concurrent and workshop presentations, falling into one of the following themes:
• the natural core skills of orthopaedic and trauma practice - for example care, compassion and “the orthopaedic eye”
• developing the skills of orthopaedic practitioners from fundamental to advanced levels
• working with patients to aid recovery
• using our talents on the wider stage - locally, nationally and internationally.
Ideally submissions should relate to one of the above themes, although other areas will be considered.
Abstracts are welcome from colleagues in other professions (as individuals or jointly with nurses), patients/carers and from first-time presenters.
To be added to the mailing list for further information please email louise.walczak@rcn.org.uk