Facing the future in a changing healthcare system

As I approach the last 6 months of my term as BAUN President, there is no time more apposite than now to reflect on how we are evolving as an association and the factors, both internal and external, that are driving these changes. More than 25 years ago, enthusiastic like-minded urology nurses first came together to discuss how best to support the educational and development needs of nurses in our specialty and I am fiercely passionate about how BAUN can advance this mission. As an association we have had to rethink our objectives to sustain and grow in order to achieve our aims and continue to be the ‘go-to organisation’ for urology nurses.

During the pandemic 1 in 10 charities have struggled and we have been part of that statistic. Without a face-to-face conference for the past 2 years to financially support our education programme, we have had to adapt to other models of education delivery and sharing best practice. Webinars are certainly here to stay and provide excellent opportunities for learning, but they cannot replace the invaluable opportunity for nurses to take time away from the pressures of clinical work and engage in networking with their counterparts from around the country. It has to be acknowledged that the chat box can never replace the value of conversations and the sharing of experience while queuing for coffee and a chocolate chip cookie!