Forum for change

“It’s an opportunity to drive change,” says Ali Wileman, explaining why she wanted to become Chair of the RCN Bladder and Bowel Forum. “There’s frustration among bladder and bowel nurses – we can be forgotten about and it’s such a taboo subject. During the pandemic, some bladder and bowel services were closed with staff redeployed and some members felt undervalued for their specialist skills.

“But being chair of the forum is my chance to change that. I feel I’m doing something to fight for the cause.”

Each RCN forum represents thousands of members with appointed steering committees providing an expert voice for the specialty and guiding the forum’s work.  

It’s about having a good mix of people who complement each other and can support the wider membership

In her role as chair of the committee, Ali has had the chance to write articles about the importance of bladder and bowel services and has been interviewed about the subject too. But she says it’s the RCN Bladder and Bowel Forum Steering Committee as a whole that’s really helping to raise the profile of the specialty, working in partnership with the RCN’s nursing department and the forum’s professional lead.

“It’s about having a good mix of people who complement each other and can support the wider membership – that’s really important,” says Ali. “When I first joined the forum, it was called the Continence Care Forum, but members of the steering committee worked with the College to change it to the Bladder and Bowel Forum to better represent the specialty and the members working in it.”

Varied and rewarding

So, what does being part of a forum steering committee involve? Ali says the work is varied and could include representing the RCN on a national group, such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bladder and Bowel Continence Care, or developing or reviewing guidance, like the popular RCN Catheter Care resource.

“It can be very exciting,” says Ali. “Each year the committee meets, completes a strategy and develops an action plan. We look at what we want to work towards and plan our year ahead.

“There’s also a lot of opportunities to work with other RCN forums. For example, we’ve just worked with the Midwifery Forum and Women’s Health Forum to publish new guidance on bladder and bowel care in childbirth.”

The forum is also launching a new online bladder and bowel resource at the end of June. “It’s been a lot of work,” says Ali. “But it was a great opportunity for the wider forum membership to get involved. We reached out to forum members across the UK and asked for expressions of interest to work on the project. Work like this is a good opportunity for forum members to learn more about how the forum and the RCN works professionally.”

Ali says that RCN Congress also offers the chance for the committee to work in partnership with other forums, as well as RCN branches. “We’ll get involved in relevant resolutions or matters for discussion and the work that follows,” explains Ali. “A few years ago, the forum steering committee was involved in a resolution around accessible toilets for all which was submitted by RCN Coventry and Warwickshire Branch.”

Ali is keen to increase engagement between RCN branches and forums. She says: “Making links between the two is important. It’s what people want from their membership too – one of the benefits of being part of the RCN is having that connection and support from the professional side.

“With that in mind, the committee has prepared some slides on our new bladder and bowel online resource which we’re planning to share with branches and learning reps. We want to give them the information they need to help promote it to members without that extra work.”

As well as producing invaluable resources and guidance, Ali says another way forum committees support members is through forum Facebook groups. “They’re a fantastic resource and source of support,” says Ali. “In our specialty, staff can sometimes work in silo or feel isolated, but the Facebook group offers forum members the chance to network, and the committee shares lots of information and advice. It’s very open.”

‘Be passionate’

Ali first joined the steering committee in 2011 and looking back, says she wouldn’t be where she is today without it.

Ali previously led Southern Health’s Continence Service, which she helped to set up, and now works as a strategic health care partner at Essity, supporting organisations to develop business cases and patient pathways for bladder and bowel care. 

She says: “Being part of the committee has helped me to develop as a nurse and as a professional. As a forum steering committee member, I’m at the forefront of my specialty, I’m constantly networking and we’re always looking at new ways of working. I was able to share that with my organisation and use it to develop and improve services.

“Being a committee member has also given me the tools to develop personally and to recognise my own strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been supported to develop, and my confidence has increased – I’ve been able to try new things outside of my comfort zone but with the support of the committee.”

You might not feel confident to stand up and present, but there is other valuable work that committee members do

Ali adds: “I think that’s what we try and do across all the forums. We nurture and support each other. The forum chairs also meet regularly and that offers another support network and a chance to listen to what’s happening across the College.”

Ali has been the forum chair since 2017 and her term of office is due to end later this year. She says the coaching and support she’s received from other committee members helped her to gain the confidence to take on the role of chair. “That confidence has been built through my involvement in the committee but it’s not a requirement,” she explains.

“The most important thing is to be passionate. You need to have that drive to change things or to get involved. You might not feel confident to stand up and present, but there is other valuable work that committee members do.

“You might be interested in research, in education, in the workforce – we need a mix of people and there are so many opportunities to contribute. It’s about having a wealth of different experience and knowledge.”