RCN Congress 2019 ii "We are all Global Nurses"

The debate about public sector vs. private sector healthcare touches all healthcare professionals. There is no escape. Despite this, from my 40+ years in the NHS - the NHS can act as a cocoon. It's as if the walls are adorned with "Keep Calm and Carry On". For some of us there is a 'keep your head down' mentality. While as a nursing assistant and student nurse, the words "Make sure you join COHSE, NUPE or the RCN" rang out; it was the day job, learning and family that had my attention. I wish I'd got to Congress decades ago.



You can't do everything and this lack of involvement is a blessing in a way. For example, without ever taking anything for granted, I never imagined I would need the help of my union/professional body. When I did and 'we won' thanks to a brilliant RCN Rep. Being represented has this quality to it. Unless, you are an activist, it is a newsletter, journal, annual pay discussion, but this opened my eyes. As a consequence, I encourage students, even more so and others to ensure they are represented and get involved.

To Congress itself: I was surprised and disappointed to hear several years ago about the RCN's cessation of links to the International Council of Nurses [ICN]. Further surprise followed when a Congress debate revealed it was five-six years ago in fact:

Members vote to allow RCN to leave international nursing body

£600,000 is 'politics' in the raw for membership and the RCN Council. The cost of ICN membership  was debated at Congress. There are various arguments. This seemed a break on many levels; social, political, psychological and scientifically.

(Bizarrely, perhaps this state of affairs says something in support of reflection. When the latter is accused of fostering navel-gazing, finance and value for money ... speak volumes, but the RCN's global isolation is navel-gazing realised aggravated by the ongoing psychological experience of Brexit.)

In championing Hodges' model as a global resource for healthcare and education, my parochial perspective from Wigan Pier has felt acute. Online I've long nurtured links with global nursing and healthcare groups: HIFA, HIPNET, GANM, Nursing Now and others. In workshops with nursing students and other disciplines, the ICN and global nursing context is always stressed (the ICD too). [After all, as students and lifelong learners these people do have the World at their feet.]

The relevance of Hodges' model increases daily and - my bias aside - the model's significance is crystalised in this issue for the RCN and its members. As noted in the debate John Gilmore raises the matter of refugees. For those in crisis through natural disaster, conflict and crime amid chaos there is geopsychiatry and the mental health implications for children and future generations of this 'lived experience'. As we await further news on this, below I have mapped key elements of the debate in Hodges' model:

There is a digital archive for members to watch the debate.

individual - self
"My backyard"

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INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ----------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

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group- population
"The WORLD of Nursing"

Philosophical: Values, Philosophies of Care Mental Health Mental Health of Nurses Parity of Esteem - geoPSYCHIATRY Ethel G. Fenwick and others [ Health Education & Promotion, Sustainability ]	The 'GEO-' in Nursing Nursing logistics Research; Collaboration, Multi-center, Evidence, The 'UNIVERSAL' in UHC Definitions of Nursing Roles Skills & Knowledge Coding & Classification initiatives Global: 20,000,000 nurses ICN predates RCN 'transparency'
The Nursing Community "Voice" 1899 ICN formed SOCIO-[Economic] status of nurses The global: Community of Practice Collegiality Cooperation Collaboration Fellowship "We are all global nurses."	'political' POLICY: Workforce, Migration, Recruitment crisis Safe Staffing (National, Global) Medical Emergencies, Climate change Working groups: Standards, Issues Funding, ICN, RCN and other bodies Support for Developing Nations LMIC The Scope of Nursing Stewardship ICN - Membership model PAY restraint, austerity As of 2013: £614,470 / £1.42 per member Business case

How do you measure the impact of an organisation?

2020 - International Year of the Nurse

20:20 vision IS global

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On