As we approach the end of the year it is always a good time to reflect on the months gone by and the progress made. In May 2022, I was successful in my application to join the National Nurses Nutrition Group (NNNG) committee and I have found it incredibly enlightening. I am excited for what we can do as a committee to empower the world of nutrition nursing to continue to move forward together.
The NNNG held its first ‘hybrid’ conference in July 2022, with four evenings of virtual sessions taking place online either side of the in-person clinical workshop day in London. As a new committee member this was my first time at our face-to-face conference, and I have to say I thought it was an absolute hit! It was great to see so many smiling faces and it was wonderful to chat to other nutrition nurses from across the UK.
We are already on the ball with planning our next conference for 2023 and we would love to have input from NNNG members to help us know what you want from us. The discussion forum on the NNNG website is the perfect place to do this, so our members can join in the conversation and help us make Conference 2023 even better.
Another upcoming and exciting event is the BAPEN conference between 29 and 30 November 2022 in Brighton, where the NNNG will also be attending. We have been working very closely with BAPEN to deliver exciting sessions that will help fuel conversations and developments for the future. We will be discussing the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (2020) report on placement of nasogastric tubes and we will be leading on discussions around the potential need for the standardisation of care for the management of nasogastric tubes nationally. Other topics on the programme include nutrition in ICU and during recovery, children and young people with neurodisability, prehabilitation in cancer treatment and eating disorders and refeeding. We are looking forward to seeing the great work that has been done this year!
Remember, if you join the NNNG as a member you automatically qualify for free BAPEN membership, which gives you access not only to our content, policies and discussion board but also to BAPEN's documents, reduced BAPEN conference costs and access to information on the latest evidence-based practice.
Another exciting opportunity that has developed this year is that the NNNG has put together a restorative clinical supervision programme ‘Reflect, Regain, Restore’, which gives successful applicants the opportunity to access clinical supervision from two NNNG committee members over a period of 6-9 months. The programme is designed to incorporate the skills of mindfulness, positive re-framing and recognising the inner critic to support personal and professional fulfilment. More information about the programme is available on the NNNG website, under the education tab (https://tinyurl.com/2p8rz4dy). This is such a fantastic opportunity and something that will be advantageous for future personal or professional development. Applicants must be NNNG members and be able to commit to both virtual and face-to-face sessions to ensure they can get the best from this experience. Please get in touch with us if you need further information and get those applications in fast – you can scan the QR code below to complete the application.
I am very excited about the years ahead and about the work that the NNNG will continue to do to improve nutritional care to patients at all levels: locally, regionally, and nationally. If you have any work you would like to be published, please consider submitting it to the next BJN supplement.
I hope to see you at BAPEN or at our NNNG Conference in 2023 – watch this space!