The UK Royal College of Nursing (UK) Travel Health Forum
Boyne L., Bradley A., Chiodini J., Driver C., Grieve A., Jordan A., Skeet J.
In the United Kingdom, most travel health advice is given in primary care settings by registered nurses. Individual practitioners can potentially be left isolated and remain unaware of advances in travel health practice.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the largest professional association for UK nurses. The Travel Health Forum is one of 75 forums for different specialist areas of practice supported by the RCN. The RCN structure broadly reflects political - in terms of UK national and regional government - and National Health Service (NHS) structures throughout the UK. It allows members to influence government and health policy at UK national and local levels.
The Committee
Each RCN Forum has a Steering Committee made up of seven members elected by the Forum's membership. The steering committee elects a Chair who organises and Chairs committee meetings and is often used as an RCN spokesperson for the specialty. The Steering Committee meets four times a year to discuss issues, assess priorities and plan actions accordingly. Regular communication has been made easier with the advent of email. Members of the committee, aim to raise the profile of the group through attendance at conferences both national and international, through collaboration with other associated RCN Forums and through posters and newsletters. Members represent the Forum with designated voting places at RCN Congress, the RCN's main annual debating forum. The Chair's main responsibility is to ensure that the constitution is followed. Steering committee members are accountable for their activities. Their responsibilities include:
- To represent their forum's members
- To develop policy on behalf of their nursing specialism and their members
- To provide members with information (through Newsletters and the website)
- To co-ordinate the local professional activity for their forum to provide a benefit for members and to be an attraction to encourage nurses to join the RCN.
The seven members of the steering group work tirelessly in an honorary capacity to achieve these aims. They are nurses with specialist interest and qualifications in travel medicine, working in a broad range of settings, including primary care, occupational health, private and National Health Service travel clinics. They are also involved in nurse education throughout the UK.
A professional adviser acts as a support and resource to the membership, the steering committee and RCN staff. The adviser is responsible for influencing and co-ordinating RCN Policy in relation to the particular area of expertise as well as participating in external policy development, responding to consultation documents, and disseminating policy to members.
Membership
The RCN Travel Health Forum is available to any RCN member involved with or interested in travel health. The group has an active database of over 5000 members, which possibly makes it the largest group of healthcare professionals in the world involved in travel medicine.
Benefits
Services provided to members of the Forum include:
Annual conference. This event is well attended by delegates from all over the UK and enables those involved in the specialty to update their knowledge and skills and to network with colleagues and experts in the field. It is organised by the Committee members and the RCN Events Team and is supported by medical colleagues.
Biannual newsletter. The Newsletter Editor is a member of the Steering Committee and responsible for the compilation and production of the newsletter. The aim is to communicate with forum members, to share experience and best practice and to inform members of RCN policy, activities and services as well as providing current research, evidence and information relevant to those working in the field. The Newsletter is free to forum members as part of their RCN membership. Nurses are eligible to join three forums free of charge.
Dedicated web site.The forum website is available as part of the RCN main website. The newsletter is available in the member's only area as Newsletter Plus. The website is currently being developed and extended to include more news and professional advice than is available in the printed version. The Chair and Newsletter Editor have been involved in a Pilot Scheme enabling them to update the website whenever new information becomes available.
Application for Educational funding. Some help with funding is available to enable members to attend educational conferences or study days. The member is asked to produce information on the purpose and theme of the event and the expected learning outcomes. In return the member is invited to share their findings and experience through the Newsletter.
Application for a Research grant. Members involved in Research in the field of Travel Medicine are eligible to apply for a research grant. A protocol setting out the purpose of the research is required with the application, which must be approved by two members of the Steering Committee. On completion the member is invited to present their findings to the committee and to present their results in the Newsletter.
The RCN Travel Health Forum is keen to link with similar groups around the world. For contact email the Chair, Jane Chiodini: jane.chiodini@which.net or Newsletter editor Sandra Grieve: alex@grieve.co.uk. Forum information at: www.rcn.org.uk/travelhealth
Sandra Grieve, Newsletter Editor
