- Email: [email protected]
Time to ‘show up’ in Belfast
Journal of Neonatal Nursing (2012) 18, 73
www.elsevier.com/jneo
EDITORIAL
Time to ‘show up’ in Belfast Available online 4 April 2012
Talking recently to a neonatal nurse who worked in the US, I was taken aback by the remark “90% of life is about showing up”, not being familiar with it before. Irrespective of the context within which I heard it, I could not help but ponder, and came to accept how true that phrase is and how aptly expressed. Of course it can be applied to all sorts of circumstances, some with a greater impact than others. Nevertheless, at the end it means the same, that if we are not there we cannot learn, we cannot express our opinions or have a voice and therefore mature as a professional. Quite simply we shrink more and more into a shell accepting life the way it is, probably moaning without any legitimate justification for complaint. As a national organisation we are fortunate enough to have a national voice, but since we are such a small speciality it is easy for us to be overlooked and for those outside the speciality to make the assumption that larger generic organisations are able to speak on our behalf. It is therefore so important for us to work closely together as a cohesive group that is able to be strong and visible in order to know when to “show up”. A perfect forum for this is the international conference to be held in Belfast in September 2013, and furthermore gives us a rare chance to become more aware of where our issues sit in the
global arena and to make commitments to work as an international community. Plans for the conference, to be held at the renowned venue of the Waterfront in the city area, are advancing at a rapid speed. Every effort is being made to make it an outstanding, informative and exciting conference. Although this international meeting is held every four years, this time it is ‘on our doorstep’ minimising the time and costs of long distance travel. The NNA has deliberately not planned a conference next year, preferring to focus on the international meeting and therefore it is hoped that all neonatal nurse here will too focus on getting to Belfast. This conference is not a small teaching session with a sandwich down the road, but something special in the neonatal nurse’s calendar. UK neonatal nurses are on this occasion the hosts for neonatal nurses from around the world and, although we can fortunately leave the organising to others, it is for us to overcome the time issues, the lack of study leave or whatever else hinders us, as “90% of being a neonatal nurse” is showing up in Belfast in 2013. The Council of International Neonatal Nurses e 8th International Neonatal Nursing Conference 2013 e www.COINN2013.com. Dee Beresford E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1355-1841/$ - see front matter ª 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Neonatal Nurses Association. doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2012.03.008
www.elsevier.com/jneo
EDITORIAL
Time to ‘show up’ in Belfast Available online 4 April 2012
Talking recently to a neonatal nurse who worked in the US, I was taken aback by the remark “90% of life is about showing up”, not being familiar with it before. Irrespective of the context within which I heard it, I could not help but ponder, and came to accept how true that phrase is and how aptly expressed. Of course it can be applied to all sorts of circumstances, some with a greater impact than others. Nevertheless, at the end it means the same, that if we are not there we cannot learn, we cannot express our opinions or have a voice and therefore mature as a professional. Quite simply we shrink more and more into a shell accepting life the way it is, probably moaning without any legitimate justification for complaint. As a national organisation we are fortunate enough to have a national voice, but since we are such a small speciality it is easy for us to be overlooked and for those outside the speciality to make the assumption that larger generic organisations are able to speak on our behalf. It is therefore so important for us to work closely together as a cohesive group that is able to be strong and visible in order to know when to “show up”. A perfect forum for this is the international conference to be held in Belfast in September 2013, and furthermore gives us a rare chance to become more aware of where our issues sit in the
global arena and to make commitments to work as an international community. Plans for the conference, to be held at the renowned venue of the Waterfront in the city area, are advancing at a rapid speed. Every effort is being made to make it an outstanding, informative and exciting conference. Although this international meeting is held every four years, this time it is ‘on our doorstep’ minimising the time and costs of long distance travel. The NNA has deliberately not planned a conference next year, preferring to focus on the international meeting and therefore it is hoped that all neonatal nurse here will too focus on getting to Belfast. This conference is not a small teaching session with a sandwich down the road, but something special in the neonatal nurse’s calendar. UK neonatal nurses are on this occasion the hosts for neonatal nurses from around the world and, although we can fortunately leave the organising to others, it is for us to overcome the time issues, the lack of study leave or whatever else hinders us, as “90% of being a neonatal nurse” is showing up in Belfast in 2013. The Council of International Neonatal Nurses e 8th International Neonatal Nursing Conference 2013 e www.COINN2013.com. Dee Beresford E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1355-1841/$ - see front matter ª 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Neonatal Nurses Association. doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2012.03.008