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• Nurse Education Tomorrow, Cambridge 2010

Nurse Education Tomorrow Conference, Cambridge , Sept 7 – 9 2010

Conference Review: Personal experiences

The Nurse Education Tomorrow (NET) conference:
* encourages healthcare professionals to debate and reflect on healthcare issues
* focuses on networking for those with shared interests
* challenges care delivery strategies and their quality
* encourages lifelong learning and learning how to learn.

 NET conferences promise to provide an informative and inspiring, experience for those involved in nursing and midwifery education. Furthermore it claims that those presenting for the first time will do so in an encouraging and supportive environment. Well did it? Yes, it did actually and not always from the quarters where you would most expect it!

I went for the first time to NET in 2009, really as an observer and also supporting a colleague who was presenting a piece of collaborative work we’d been involved in with other colleagues from the School. The international conference has been held in Cambridge for the past few years and my first comment on arriving in the car park of New Hall was ‘They grow grapes!....outside!’ I knew then that this was going to be a very different experience from the conferences I had previously attended which tended to be inner city venues. Cambridge was very different, bicycles jostled for bike rack spaces and car park bays stood empty in stark contrast to the ‘homeland’ of the Clinical Education Centre.

I enjoyed the conference so much that year that I set to work on submitting a short abstract in order to be considered to present a Themed paper at the 2010 conference, which was accepted. Subsequently, September 6^th saw The Sarg’s sturdy little car hurtling down the M1  headed for NET10 where, not only was I presenting, for the first time, but filling the back seat of the car was our first ever production of a poster.

Accommodation and meals were provided in the grounds of the Fitzwilliam College which is generally comfortable and well catered for. Alternatively there are numerous local B&B’s that are well supported by the student recruitment interviews all year round.

The three day conference is attended by over 300 delegates international educationalists and clinicians, representatives from all over the UK, South Africa, Australia, America, Malta, and the list goes on! The programme ran from 8 am ‘til late (if required) and included symposia, key note speakers, fringe events ....with a mid week afternoon break for those desiring a bus tour around Cambridge  or for those who have to start early on an intensive regime of preparation for networking in an environment of dancing, refreshments and eating!

The conference provides an opportunity to learn new ideas and share ideas with people of varying job roles;  a smattering of pre-registration students and Heads of School, but mostly  Clinical mentors, Clinical Educators and Lecturers.

My presentation was 20 minutes long with 10 minutes questioning time in front of seven other attendees, most of whom were also presenting that day. The camaraderie is almost palpable amongst the group and by lunch time we are comrades at arms, providing team talks prior to each presentation. Some groups may have as many as 30 people attending but all are small enough to reduce intimidation for first time presenters and to generate meaningful discussion. When not presenting, delegates can choose  from a variety of themed presentations : Curriculum innovations, education in clinical practice, effective partnership working, enhancing the student experience, exploring work-based learning, global challenges in healthcare education, humanising healthcare education, innovative approaches to assessment, learning and teaching strategies, policy drivers, developing teachers, e-learning, including blended learning and researching healthcare education.  The details and abstracts of which are sent to you well in advance of the day to make an informed selection with a mixture of first time and experienced presenters.

NET conferences are inspiring, motivating and ideal for those who are looking for a conference to attend which is well organised and relevant and will make best use of financial support. It is not inexpensive but there is a flexible mode of attendance, where delegates can attend for one, two or three full days. For those looking for somewhere to present their dissertation findings or any research they have been involved in, I’ve found it be an ideal supportive environment to cut your teeth on!

The poster?  Well seeing as you asked... everyone was asked to vote for the best poster at the conference and we came second place! Why didn’t we come first? Well one has to give others a chance!

Cath Hill

Lecturer,

School of Nursing and midwifery