Crowds gather for family nursing conference

Approximately 330 delegates are attending in person from 30 countries, and the IFNC16 conference co-chairs are Professor June Horowitz, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA, and Professor Sarah O’Neill, University of Plymouth, UK. 

The conference, which is held every two years, is the most important global conference in the field of family nursing. It was meant to be held in Dublin in 2021, but went online due to the Covid-19 threat. Now, finally, the face-to-face event is taking place and the interest is high. 

Some delegates have travelled from as far afield as Japan and Australia. Their willingness to travel that far, and with flight costs so high, shows the esteem in which the conference is held. 

“In Ireland and the UK, we tend to put the individual patient at the centre of things, but this conference wants to explore nursing involving the entire family, not just the individual,” said Professor Veronica Lambert, Head of the School of SNPCH, lead of the local planning committee and host of #IFNC16 at DCU. 

“The regulatory environment in Ireland is such that there is a single person as the identified patient,” said Prof Lambert. “What we are trying to do, with this conference, is advocate for an approach which embraces the needs of the families surrounding that individual.” 

Professor Veronica Swallow, the first International Family Nursing Association President from the UK, Sheffield Hallam University said: 

“If you look at any acute issue, or chronic illness, it is not just affecting an individual it is the entire family. We want to encourage nurses to think beyond the individual to the person’s social network, and the people they may need to support themselves.” 

"The family health approach also recognises that in modern society the definition of the family can be very different for different people. “It’s not just about genetics, and we want to acknowledge in modern society families have different ways of living,” said Professor Sarah Neill, University of Plymouth and co-chair for #IFNC16. 

The conference will involve break-out sessions, posters, workshops and keynote speakers, with 40 delegates attending remotely. The keynote speakers will discuss family nursing including promoting mental health for children and families, care of the elderly and family health policy internationally. 

The conference required a large logistical effort, but is worth it, said Prof Lambert. “It is always good to hold something on campus and bring it to DCU. We have a number of planning committees involved in the organising and people on the ground have to help with the live stream technology and the posters. Then there’s catering and entertainment to think about.” 

On Tuesday evening, delegates will be treated to a welcome reception with a harpist playing. Then on Wednesday evening, over 200 delegates have signed up to attend the Celtic Nights banquet dinner in the Arlington Hotel. On Friday the event closes with a band performing and Irish dancers. 

Connections 

The most important thing at the conference, said Prof Lambert, as with any face-to-face conference is the opportunity it provides to renew old connections and make new ones. This conference is particularly special since it last took place in person four years ago in the USA. 

The event takes palace as increasing pressure on health services in Europe and around the world means that more care is being pushed onto families.

“It is really important to recognise the needs of families and to think about preventive healthcare, where we promote positive family health through embracing and nurturing family nursing practice, education and research,” said Prof Lambert. 

The conference would not be possible without the generals financial support of many sponsors especially UMass Chan Medical School, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing in Worchester, Massachusetts, the officer conference sponsor and both the Children’s National Health System, Washington DC, USA, and the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Wellbeing and Life Sciences, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, as Gold sponsors.