Suffolk nurses lead the debate

Published: 12 February 2013

Nurses from Suffolk will be leading the debate on a wide variety of nursing issues at this year’s annual gathering of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

The RCN Congress takes place between April 21-25 in Liverpool and out of 25 resolutions tabled for members to discuss and vote on a total of four have come from the Suffolk branch.

The topics range from whether or not people who are obese need help from mental health or addiction services, who should be feeding patients in hospitals, and a resolution that student nurses ought to have experience as carers before they start and a call for newly qualified nurses to have compulsory rotations in their first year.

RCN Suffolk branch chair Tracey Risebrow said: “As members of the Royal College of Nursing, Congress is our opportunity to help shape the debates and influence policymaking for nursing. As Chair of Suffolk branch I’m really pleased we are so well represented at the 2013 Congress.”

RCN Director for the Eastern region, Karen Webb, said: “The RCN in this part of the country has a large and growing membership and we’re delighted to see Suffolk branch secure four items for the 2013 Congress agenda”.

Below are the resolutions or matters for discussion submitted by RCN members in the East of England that were approved by the RCN Council for the 2013 RCN Congress:
 
1. Referrals for morbidly obese people (MFD)
This meeting of RCN Congress discusses whether morbidly obese people presenting to a clinician should be routinely referred to mental health or addiction services.
Submitted by Suffolk branch.

2. Who should feed our patients? (MFD)
That this meeting of RCN Congress discusses who should feed our patients.
Submitted by Suffolk branch.

3. That this meeting of RCN Congress urges Council to call for rotational posts to be compulsory for the first year after qualification.
Submitted by Suffolk branch.

4. Recruiting the right candidates (R)
That this meeting of RCN Congress urges Council to call for all those recruited to pre-registration nursing programmes to have undertaken relevant health and/or social care experience prior to commencing their courses.
Submitted by Suffolk branch.

(MFD) = matter for discussion (R) = resolution
 
The Royal College of Nursing represents more than 34,000 nurses across the Eastern region; covering Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.