Wide range of health professionals attend respiratory conference.

A RESPIRATORY conference in Auckland in February attracted nearly 200 health professionals, including nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians, respiratory physicians, psychologists and social workers. The conference also incorporated the annual cystic fibrosis seminar.

Organised by the Auckland District Health Board, the conference theme was Innovations across the continuum of respiratory health care: a multidisciplinary approach. The conference incorporated the annual general meeting of NZNO's Respiratory Nurses' Section. Section chair Robyn Ingleton said there had been a "brilliant turnout" to the meeting, with 24 of the section's total of 64 members attending.

The invited speakers list reflected the wide range of health professionals and included the country's first Maori nurse pratitioner Janet Maloney-Moni, the Ministry of Health's chief nursing adviser Frances Hughes, a disease state management nurse at Ngati Whatua O Orakei Health Clinic, Audra Langlands, and a number of clinical nurse specialists. The keynote address was given by respiratory research fellow attached to Auckland District Health Board's respiratory services, Toby Tang, on breathlessness. He spoke in place of clinical associate professor in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Iven Young, who was unable to attend.

The three-day conference opened with a joint presentation by Auckland DHB respiratory physician Margaret Wilsher and Auckland DHB professor and respiratory paediatrician Innes Asher on the future of respiratory care. Maloney-Moni gave an address on cultural issues in respiratory care. Workshops covered diagnostic techniques, asthma, pulmonary hypertension and there were symposia on lung cancer, the multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis.

Ingleton said the conference had been very worthwhile with great networking opportunities and the chance for nurses to validate what they were doing. The nursing presentations had all been very good.

The new section committee is: Robyn Ingleton, chair (Wellington); Elly Grant, treasurer (Auckland); Tenisia Hager, mail secretary (Christchurch); Rae Smith, membership (Greymouth); Kirsten Lassey (Lower Hutt); Lynette Tissingh and Elaine Page (Tauranga); and Shiriani Smith (New Plymouth).