Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Re-Visiting Terry Virgo at 2011 Brighton Conference!

I have just returned from a wonderful holiday break in my "spiritual" home in Brighton on the south coast of the UK.  What a fab city - no better way to end a day than walking along the coast watching the sun set.  One of the greatest things I have missed is the oft-annual conference organised by Newfrontiers.  It's easy to take these things for granted until they are gone!

It was a good encouragement to re-visit Terry's final session last year closing the conference "on a high";




Saturday, September 15, 2012

Recent Personal Publications

I always knew when growing up that getting published was a privilege and never a right.  The Christian book market was rapidly saturated with some good books and some not so.  My ambition was to become a reader and collector of books that interested me - and I was partially successful in this while at university.

Post-qualification, my nursing practice began to centre around critical care nursing for paediatric patients both in intensive care and in accident and emergency departments.  That grew to include Emergency Planning and Resilience looking at how governments could handle a health crisis such as the spread of a pandemic virus that could threaten the well-being of a nation.  I am and remain a firm believer in the importance of vaccines playing a role in this.  So it is of little surprise that my first publication was concerning this.

1.  "Achieving high level HCW immunisation levels without a mandatory campaign".

I am extremely fortunate and forever grateful that my Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Mcloughlin and my Lead Public Health Consultant (who works at our strategic health authority) Dr Helen Carter agreed to help me as expert co-authors.

2.  "Aiming for Flu Immunity in All".

The most recent article has just been published as the result of an interview I held with the editor of the Nursing Times (UK's most famous nursing publication) this year about conducting flu vaccine campaigns.  The interview covers some of what have and will always be the high points of my career - such as meeting and being able to immunise the Chief Executive Officer of the NHS - Sir David Nicholson.  And also being supported and encouraged by the incredibly talented CEO of my home hospital - Sarah-Jane Marsh - an incredible woman and role model.

What's next?  I have no idea - but I remain an avid reader and learner, and am keen that whatever I achieve in life - it is dedicated to improving and benefiting the well-being of patients.