Wednesday 13 May
12.45pm Caring for critically ill patients in recovery and post anaesthetic care units
12.45pm The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children - update of the RCN guideline
1pm Legal, governance and financial review
2pm You can get IT if you really want
2pm The economic downturn: opportunity or threat to unions
2pm Nursing's top 50: celebrating 50 years of nursing research
2pm The RCN and Unionlearn: achievements, opportunities and next steps from the Unionlearn projects
2pm Politicians and the media: influencing from the ground up
2pm RCN LGBT network meeting
2pm The RCN Dignity campaign, one year on
2pm Sexual safety - are we hitting the target and missing the point?
2pm NHS pensions review - making the right choice
2pm Prevention of hospital acquired venous thrombosis and acute management of VTE
2.45pm Learning Zone Launch
4pm Annual General meeting
4pm What does the nursing profession feel about the issue of assisted suicide?
5.30pm Monica Baly Lecture
5.35pm Criminalisation of HIV patients
6pm Question time with Dr Peter Carter
6pm Pain - the 5th vital sign - where are we now?
6.30pm Mary Seacole Memorial Lecture
7pm Celtic Night
Caring for critically ill patients in recovery and post anaesthetic care units
Wednesday: 12.45pm to 1.45pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, French Restaurant
Organiser: RCN Perioperative Forum
The Critical Care and Perioperative and Surgical Nursing forums invite you to join them in responding to problems affecting patients suffering level 3 critical illness and the nurses caring for them.
If you have experience of level 3 patients being cared for in the post anaesthetic care unit (PACU) or recovery room, we would be particularly grateful if you shared your experiences with us; whether they are a beacon of good practice, or examples that show room for improvement.
The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children - update of the RCN guideline
Wednesday: 12.45pm to 1.45pm
Organiser: RCN Children in Pain Group
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Restaurant
The RCN has recently completely revised and updated its guideline on the recognition and assessment of acute pain in children. This revision links in with the recently published Association of Paediatric Anaesthetist's good practice in postoperative and procedural pain guideline.
Through a systematic review and appraisal of the available literature, the revised guideline identifies reliable and valid tools for measuring pain intensity in children, and includes a new section for measuring pain in children with cognitive impairments.
The new guideline has been produced through direct consultation with clinical experts within the field of children's pain and includes an algorithm to guide health professionals to the most appropriate pain assessment tool for the child they are caring for. This session is an opportunity for members to find out more about the recommendations and areas of good practice contained in the guideline, and the use of validated paediatric pain assessment tools in different settings. It is also an opportunity for members to provide feed back on both the guideline itself and on the development of accompanying online learning and information resources.
Legal, governance and financial review
Wednesday: 1pm to 2.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Reading Room
Organiser: RCN Legal, Governance & Finance
Come along to this event to find out more about the legal and governance review Council is undertaking. RCN Chair of Council, Sandra James and Tim Golbourn, Director of Finance and Corporate Services will present information on the background and context of the review as well as explaining the review process. The session will also include an opportunity for members to ask questions.
You can get IT if you really want
Wednesday: 2pm to 2.45pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Harewood Suite 2
Organiser: RCN Digital Communications
Bobbie Chadwick, RCN Deputy President highlighted her own lack of IT skills at the 2008 AGM in Liverpool. The event will include highlights of Bobbie's learning experience, her mission to become IT literate and the challenges both Bobbie and the nursing team have faced concerning IT. It will also give us an opportunity to showcase the new Learning Zone IT training modules.
The economic downturn: opportunity or threat to unions
Wednesday: 2pm to 3.15pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Restaurant
Organiser: RCN UK Stewards Committee
This is a joint fringe with Unions 21. Unions 21 exists to provide an 'open space' for discussion on the future of the trade union movement and help build tomorrow's unions in the UK. The session will look at the background to the current downturn and consider what impact that may have on unions, their ability to organise and grow.
Nursing's top 50:celebrating 50 years of nursing research
Wednesday: 2pm to 3pm
Location: The Old Swan, Foxhunters Suite
Organiser: RCN Research & Development Co-ordinating Centre
To help celebrate 50 years of the RCN Research Society under the auspices of the RCN, we launched a campaign to identify the most influential pieces of research over the past 50 years.
This fringe will celebrate the birthday of the RCN Research Society and also offer attendees the opportunity to rank/ debate the results.
The RCN and Unionlearn: achievements, opportunities and next steps from the Unionlearn projects
Wednesday: 2pm to 3pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Bramham Suite
Organiser: RCN Unionlearn Project Team
This session will enable members to understand the valuable work and outcomes from the local and national Unionlearn projects. The session will look at the RCN's Unionlearn projects and their outcomes, what learning and development opportunities and resources have been developed as part of the work with Unionlearn and how the project outcomes demonstrate the value of learning representatives in the workplace. It will also look at the RCN and its relationship with Unionlearn, the next steps and how members and learning representatives can get involved and contribute to the project outcomes.
Politicians and the media: influencing from the ground up
Wednesday: 2pm to 3.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Crush Room
Organiser: RCN Public Affairs Team
Influencing from the grassroots is a training session for members who want to make their voices heard by local politicians as well as the public. Topics covered will include building relationships with those in power and using the media to get your message across.
RCN LGBT network meeting
Wednesday: 2pm to 3.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Carriage Suite
Organiser: RCN Diversity & Equality Unit
This is a business meeting of the RCN wide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender network. The network provides both support, policy advice and acts as a consultative forum on matters relating to challenging discrimination and inequality based on sexual orientation and gender identity within the nursing and health care arena.
The RCN Dignity campaign, one year on
Wednesday: 2pm to 3.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Billiard Room
Organiser: RCN Dignity Campaign Support Group
The RCN Dignity Campaign was launched on 25th June 2008 and has become one of our biggest and best received campaigns ever. There has been unprecedented interest and enthusiasm amongst RCN members and representatives and since the launch of further campaign products in October 2008, there has been a wealth of campaign activities and facilitated workshops across the UK reaching nursing teams in a multitude of settings. We are delighted to welcome RCN President, Maura Buchanan, the Dignity Campaign's champion as keynote speaker for this event, which will give you an overview of how this campaign has impacted on health and social care settings across the UK. Join us in a celebration of the excellent work that RCN members and representatives have achieved, hear about the emerging themes from our campaign evaluation and be inspired to put dignity at the heart of everything you do. Lunch will be served.
Sexual safety - are we hitting the target and missing the point?
Wednesday: 2pm to 3.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Drawing Room
Organiser: RCN Women's Mental Health Group
In 2006, The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) reported in With safety in mind: mental health services and service user safety the high number of incidents related to sexual assault. These incidents are not infrequent occurrences with in-patient areas, primarily within mental health settings - but there have been recent reports of assaults within acute settings. The policy drive towards the elimination of mixed wards has helped to raise the profile of this important issue. This session will explore the policy and practice priorities for providing safe environments which are free from sexual harassment and exploitation - from health service users and also staff. Issues around capacity, consent, professional boundaries, sexual incident reporting will be addressed. Key speakers will include national leads from the Department of Health.
NHS pensions review - making the right choice
Wednesday: 2pm - 3.30pm
Location: Harrogate International Centre, Main Auditorium
Organiser: RCN Employment Relations Department
Due to members disclosing personal information in the question and answer session this fringe will not be webcast.
On 1 April 2008 new NHS Pension Scheme arrangements were introduced for all new starters in the NHS who joined the scheme. Existing and active members of the NHS Pension Scheme will in the forthcoming months, be offered a choice on whether or not they want to retain their existing arrangements (normal pension age of 60 or 55 for MHOs and special classes) or transfer their benefits into the new scheme (normal pension age 65). In exchange for an increased pension age of 65, scheme members will also receive a higher accrual rate and access to enhanced retirement flexibilities.
This fringe will provide information on how the choice exercise will be administered and on the lifestyle issues that members may want to consider when thinking about how to make their choice.
Prevention of hospital acquired venous thrombosis and acute management of VTE
Wednesday: 2pm to 4pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Ripley Suite
Organiser: Lifeblood Thrombosis Charity
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is often a 'silent' medical condition with no obvious signs or symptoms. It doesn't discriminate and can affect people of any age and sex. It can be easily confused with less serious conditions - a clot in the leg may be mistaken for a sore leg muscle.
Most people have little or no understanding of how DVT is caused and how it can be prevented. Yet over 25,000 people die every year in the UK alone and most of these deaths are preventable.
Learning Zone Launch
Wednesday: 2.45pm to 3.30pm & 4pm to 5pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Harewood Suite 2
Organiser: RCN Institute
The RCN Learning Zone has had a whole new make-over that brings a range of new benefits to members. Come and see the Learning Zone - the next innovation, for yourself.
Annual General meeting
Wednesday: 4pm to 5.30pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Harewood Suite 1
Organiser: RCN WING
This event is open to all RCN members, but especially those who are members of WING or who have an illness or disability. At the AGM you will hear reports from the WING committee and adviser about the work they have been involved in over the past 12 months, proposed changes to the WING constitution and plans for the year ahead. A buffet lunch will be provided.
Further details are available from the WING office tel: 0845 408 4392 or email wing@rcn.org.uk If you are reading this during Congress week and would like to know how you may be able to get a ticket please visit the enquiry desk on level 4 foyer.
As usual we are raising funds for the WING Discretionary Fund during Congress week so please come along to the WING stand in the exhibition hall.
What does the nursing profession feel about the issue of assisted suicide?
Wednesday: 4pm to 5.30pm
Location: The Harrogate International Centre, Main Auditorium
Organiser: RCN Policy Unit
The RCN is consulting with RCN members on the issue of assisted suicide. The consultation is scheduled to close just before Congress and the fringe event is intended to allow members to debate the issues around assisted suicide.
Monica Baly Lecture
Wednesday: 5.30pm - 7pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Billiard Room
Organiser: RCN History Society and Association of Nursing Students
An exploration of the apprenticeship system of nurse training over the last century and before. Addressing the changes that took place and their relevance to present nursing education and practice.
Criminalisation of HIV patients
Wednesday: 5.35pm to 7pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, French Restaurant
Organiser: RCN Northern Region
In recent years the UK has seen an increase in the number of criminal prosecutions against people with HIV/AIDS and other diseases such as hepatitis. Prison and public exposure faces all parties in these traumatic cases. Patients face the prospect of being warned by clinicians about the risks of passing on HIV and that prison sentences are likely, if they deliberately or recklessly infect a partner. A key case in the development of this case law and the way the CPS deals with future policy is the Konzani case. You can hear the details of this case by the doctor faced with having to break confidentiality and consider reporting a patient to the police.
We will have a debate on the range of issues and dilemmas and a lawyers account of the legal position. A gritty and no nonsense look at the issues facing clinicians and patients. The event is hosted by the RCN Northern Board and will be chaired by Colin Docherty, RCN activist and Chair of the Northern Region LGBT Network. The RCN, HIV campaign which was launched two years ago, has gone some way to alerting all nurses about the key issues relating to HIV and demonstrating the care and management of people with HIV.
Question time with Dr Peter Carter
Wednesday: 6pm to 7pm
Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel, Harewood Suite 1 & 2
Organiser: RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary
Dr Peter Carter invites you to an open question and answer session. Admission to this event will be by ticket only. Tickets will be available from the RCN Enquiry Desk, in the level 4 foyer.
Pain - the 5th vital sign - where are we now?
Wednesday: 6pm - 7.30pm
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Reading Room
Organiser: RCN Pain Forum, Chronic Pain Policy Coalition and the British Pain Society
Speakers from both the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition and the British Pain Society will look back over what has been achieved clinically and politically in the last year and discuss how this can be used by nurses in all practice settings. There will be brief updates about what is happening now for patients in pain from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Pain Forum welcomes all Congress delegates to this event, and we look forward to hearing your views and experiences of caring for people with pain.
Mary Seacole Memorial Lecture
Wednesday: 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Location: The Holiday Inn, Ripley Suite
Organiser: RCN Diversity & Equality Unit
This popular annual memorial lecture celebrates the life and legacy of the indomitable Mary Seacole. This year's lecture follows on from the RCN's successful Dignity campaign to focus on the rise of the Human Rights Act and its application within the health and social care sector.
Celtic Night
Wednesday: 7pm to 1am
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Ballroom
Organiser: RCN Wales
Come and celebrate all things Celtic at this year's Celtic Night hosted by RCN Wales. Traditional dress, dancing shoes and a party spirit are a must as are tickets. All delegates are invited after 8.30pm. If you are reading this during Congress week and would like to know how you may be able to get a ticket please visit the enquiry desk on level 4 foyer.