The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is often reported to be a member-led organisation, yet from the 600 000 plus members there are, relatively speaking, only a handful who are actively involved in shaping the future voice and policy of nursing. Where is everyone else? Are we content to let others speak for us and shape the future of nursing? Are we just too tired or too busy? Is it someone else's problem? Is shaping nursing really our priority?
Making views and voices heard
The general practice nurse (GPN) forum should be the ideal place for people to test their wings and make their views and voice heard, to shape the current GPN outlook, maybe based on the Sonnet report (2021) or the recent Fuller stocktake report (2022).
Yet of the almost 13 000 RCN GPN forum members, only a handful apply for a space to make their voice heard each year on the committee – where is everyone? Practice nursing as a career has attracted those who have chosen it as a first career destination and nurses who have transferred into primary care from secondary care: surely there must be some people who would like to shape the future? Perhaps the reluctance is down to it being a volunteer rather than a paid role? Perhaps it is worry about time commitments? We have evening meetings generally, and forum commitments are shared equally, dependent on who has time available from the workplace.
Attending RCN Congress
And did you know, that as a forum member you are able to apply for a funded place to attend the RCN Congress with the forum. Next year the congress will be held in Brighton between the 14th and 18th May 2023. Why not find out more or consider putting your application for congress? Or even just come for a day and find out what it is all about.
This year I introduced a matter for discussion on digital consultations at the Glasgow Congress in June (RCN, 2022), this was the perfect opportunity to speak about the work and pressures of general practice and the forum has previously been shortlisted for our work on social prescribing and this year we have piloted work into learning disabilities training for nurses working in general practice.
How can you get involved?
So why is that people aren't hearing about the work of the GPN forum? All of the committee are volunteers, working full time in roles focused around general practice. We really aren't any different to anyone else. Is it that we as a forum aren't representative of you? Is it that the RCN needs to have better member communications? How can we do that?
Our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are used by some of our forum members but not all; if we were to email forum members, would you want to hear from us on a quarterly or bi-annual basis? How would you want to hear from the forum and what do you want to hear?
Would you consider writing a blog for us on a specific topic that interests you or joining one of our projects as part of a task and finish group? Or even come along and shadow the forum to get an idea of the topics we discuss? All of these things are possible. We really need you to be our eyes and ears on the ground, because those of us on the committee aren't ever going to see or hear everything that happens in general practice – it has to be a joint effort.
See the box below for our social media links; get involved and be the future for general practice nursing
Remember we will only be as effective as our most engaged members inform us and involve us. To coin a phrase ‘Be the change you want to see’. In future issues of Practice Nursing members of the RCN GPN forum will share more about the work that is happening and how you can get involved.