Having presented at the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) 4th Biennial European Conference at Anglia Ruskin on 4th June I can speak personally of the buzz that was all around us and the great opportunity it presented to network.
At such events nurses can often feel motivated to take on new roles and maintain new contacts made. Sadly however, as we move back into our everyday lives this commitment can soon fade. So why not make it this year that you do something different. Maintain those contacts, take on that role and support other nurses. One of the key note speeches made by Dr Elizabeth Madigan on the first full day of the conference told of the many opportunities to become involved with STTI. How it’s possible to make connections with others, develop new skills, become a mentor or mentee, (or both) and even step into the world of reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and/or Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing. Never done this before? If you meet the requirements, why not take a chance and give it a go. No publications under your belt yet? Why not seek support from STTI members. If you have published, you have some great skills that you can use to help others. Nurses voices must be heard, one way to do this is through publishing in all its forms. For nurses in the U.K. it’s also a great way to meet the needs of revalidation. Why not join The Circle and create interesting discussions and debates. Join a group within your Chapter and commit to being involved. This year I became a member of the Communications team of the Phi-Mu Chapter. This will be a great opportunity to foster new relationships, promote new thinking, create new ideas, network and raise the profile of the Chapter. A few months ago I wasn’t even on social media and here I am volunteering to be on the Communications team!
Nurses do great things every single day but we can do more. What it often needs is the support of other nurses; and that’s up to us.
Follow me on Twitter @CKelseyUoB
Catherine Kelsey,
University of Bradford, UK