Birthday congratulations from Fiona Smith, your RCN Adviser for CYP Nursing
Nurses with a background in child health and children's nursing have made their mark on service provision over the last 25 years. So we have much to celebrate, but we must not become complacent. We must be forever vigilant and ready to respond to local or national imperatives likely to have a negative impact on children and young people.
Never underestimate the power of a united perspective! Take, for example, the outcome of the NMC consultation around the future of pre-registration nursing education: that came about as a result of concerted submissions from children's nurses.
You should take every opportunity to influence developments and make sure that you become actively involved in local discussions and decision-making forums. As a united force we can choose to take a lead in influencing the attainment of the standards and level of service we know children and young people deserve. Time for each and every one of us to stand up and be counted!