Fourth International Nurse Education Conference (NET/NEP 2012) - Keele University

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Fourth International Nurse Education Conference (NET/NEP 2012) at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 17-20th June, 2012

Conference Review

Sue Read, Professor of Learning Disability Nursing, Jacquie Collin and Yvonne Flood, Lecturers in Children’s Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, presented a paper and two posters at the fourth International Nurse Education Conference (NET/NEP 2012) at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 17-20th June, 2012. The conference was entitled: Changing the Landscape for Nursing and Healthcare Education: Evidence-based innovation, policy and practice.

The conference was held in a wonderful venue situated on the bay front in Downtown Baltimore, which provided an interesting backcloth to a truly multidisciplinary, international conference. Delegates from over 30 countries attended the four day conference. A rich, eclectic mix of papers, workshops and seminar opportunities were facilitated by academics, clinicians, student nurses and researchers addressing a range of issues inherent in contemporary nursing education, research and practice.  The conference papers were organised across five key themes:

  1. Continuing professional development/education
  2. Teaching, assessment and learning in university and clinical practice
  3. Research for education, policy and global developments
  4. Technology, simulation and education
  5. Faulty and practice partnerships

Topics included mentoring, user and carer engagement, journal clubs, reflective learning, communication, attrition, simulation, clinical effectiveness and the creative arts. There were also a series of lunchtime seminars, and an integrated student programme. 

Prof Sue Read presented a paper entitled ‘User and carer engagement in HE: A Toolkit to promote best practice’, and moderated a series of papers within the research theme. Whilst Yvonne Flood presented two posters, one entitled ‘Pre-registration nurse education provider’s responsibility to safeguarding the public’, which she has subsequently been asked to submit to the Nurse Education in Practice Journal.  Yvonne and her poster, developed in conjunction with Abbie Fordham-Barnes, Lecturer and Safe Guarding Lead in the School, is illustrated below:

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Yvonne later co-presented a second poster with Jacquie Collin entitled: ‘Developing a framework to enable children and young people to contribute to the teaching and assessing of future children’s nursing’. Jacquie and Yvonne can be seen below with their poster:                    

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Every conference incorporates a conference dinner, and this involved a supper at the renowned National Aquarium, where visitors can wander freely to connect with an abundance of sea life, reptiles and birds. A very memorable experience.

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The National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

On reflection, we all felt very privileged to have represented Keele University, School of Nursing & Midwifery, at such an international and prestigious event, and to actively contribute to such a highly valued conference. We made new connections with so many eminent scholars and clinicians from the educational fields including local academics from Staffordshire, Chester and Manchester Universities, and further afield in Australia and Canada. We also  reconnected with  colleagues  both in the UK and across the globe, such as Prof Tracy Levitt-Jones, University of Newcastle, NSW, and a visiting Professor at the School of Nursing, Keele University; and Prof Sian Maslin-Prothero, previous Professor of Nursing here at the University, and currently at Edith Cowell University, Perth. Such connections provide fertile opportunities for collaborative research potential in the future.

 

If you would like to view the conference programme and abstracts, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the email addresses below:

Sue Read, Professor of Learning Disability Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Keele University

Jacquie Collin, Lecturer, Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Keele University

Yvonne Flood, Lecturer, Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Keele University

 

Wednesday 20th June 2012, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.