Landmark conference for plunket nurses.

For the first time in 13 years, Plunket nurses gathered at a major national conference earlier this month. Entitled "Primary health care nursing--connecting communities", the three-day conference in Rotorua was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate what had been achieved over the past ten years and to prepare for the changing primary health care environment.

As well as enabling more than 450 Plunket nurses, staff and board members to share skills and ideas on clinical practice, the conference also provided a forum to tap into the knowledge of leading experts on child health issues. "Plunket nurses, as one of the biggest bodies of primary health care nurses in New Zealand, have a significant role to play," said Plunket's general manager clinical services Angela Baldwin. "The conference gave nurses the opportunity to change the way they look at their practice in this new enviroment, to look at other models of primary health care nursing, and ways of collaborating with other nurses. We had 50 staff presenting at concurrent sessions on a whole range of issues, demonstrating real enthusiasm for their practice. This is an exciting time for nurses and we want our staff to take advantage of new practice opportunities to develop their practice, including nurse practitioner roles."

Keynote speakers included the Minister of Health Annette King, University of London professor Sarah Cowley, clinical chair of community child health nursing at RMIT University in Melbourne Gay Edgecombe and a neonatal paediatrician from Auckland City Hospital's National Women Health, Simon Rowley.

Edgecombe's area of interest lies with universal nursing programmes for parents with infants and young children, and her address dealt with issues of early intervention and primary health care nursing practice.

Focusing on "the early years", Rowley discussed his research into infant brain development and how experience shapes development. This tied in with known international research which shows that the importance of brain development in the first three years is critical to a child fulfilling its potential in later life. Professor Cowley, who is head of the public health and health services research section at Kings College School of Nursing and Midwifery, was a major draw card. With a background in health visiting and an interest in the impact of organisational requirements on practice, Cowley spoke on the process, principles and practice surrounding needs assessment in primary care. "The knowledge and experience of these speakers, along with insightful Maori and Pacific perspectives provided by Auckland City Hospital executive director of nursing and midwifery Taima Campbell and Plunket's Pacific Services development manager Hilda Fa'asalele, gave us a solid base on which to plan the future direction of Plunket clinical practice," said Baldwin. "The advent of primary health organisations has been a wonderful motivator for all involved in family health to cement relationships beneficial to local communities."

Baldwin would like to see a conference along similar lines held every two years, budget permitting.