NSW-ACT Section Year-In Reflection
NSW-ACT Section in 2022
By Marinelle Doctor, Section Chair
What a year it has been for NSW-ACT Section.
April
This year kicked off with the NUNS 25th anniversary and Annual Professional Day at the Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens Hotel. A well-attended event, this is the first time NUNS held an evening activity with formal dinner and lots of dancing.
Jul
The April event was followed by another successful event entitled “Uro-Care across the Lifespan”, more commonly known as Christmas in July with BBraun. The conference room at Park Royal Parramatta was decorated nicely to evoke a lively Christmas feel. A Best Christmas Jumper competition was held and the delegate who dressed as Santa deservedly won the prize.
September
There’s no rest for the wicked, as they say. NSW-ACT Section members travelled to Canberra to enjoy the Tulip Festival as well as exercised their brain cells by attending “Learning from our Leaders in Urology” , an sponsored by Mdevices and held at Novotel Hotel Canberra.
October
Kevin Ancog and Marinelle Doctor convened the Nursing Symposium for Urological Association of Asia 2022 Congress at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. The theme for the event was “Asian Urology-Together Towards Tomorrow “. This event not only boasted a high-quality scientific program. It’s social program also allowed colleagues from throughout Australasia to develop collegiate relationships and friendships that lasted beyond the conference. NSW-ACT Section provide 10 scholarships to its members to attend this conference.
“I am truly grateful to ANZUNS. The opportunity to attend UAA2022 has been very valuable to my career. The exhibition hall displayed amazing state-of-the-art urology equipment with hands-on opportunities from multinational companies around the globe. In addition, there were various presentations during the conference. The symposia topics were very interesting and the speakers were thought leaders in their own fields who provided insightful new knowledge. To be honest, if my time permits, I would have truly enjoyed it if I could sit down and listen to each and every presentation there was at the event. I am particularly interested and enjoyed the discussion on setting up a prostate cancer nurse clinic. The presentation covered insightful topics on service mapping, gap analysis, and surgical pathways for prostate cancer patients. It provided valuable new knowledge and I personally find the session so inspiring. In 2018, statistics showed that prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and it has been predicted that the number will continually rise. With this trend, I firmly believe that setting up a prostate cancer clinic will be a significant contribution to addressing this current need. The presentation on male incontinence post-prostate cancer treatment presented by Kevin Ancog had been valuable as it reinforced and strengthened the knowledge I have on the topic. It is truly amazing to learn that prostate cancer's 5-year survival rate has increased by almost 35% from the 1990s at 60% compared to the current 95%. I have also noted the bladder cancer nursing presentation by Kath Schubach was encouraging and remarkable. Lastly, the presentation on professional networking and facilitating collaboration by Sheena Lagat was personally motivating and empowering. The UAA2022 conference gathered inspiring thought leaders, delivered an exhibition that provided new learnings and has truly opened my mind to a lot of amazing and exciting opportunities in Urology nursing. It was truly a life-changing experience. I am looking forward to attending the next UAA in 2023.”
-Maries Camaligan (Norwest Private Hospital) at the UAA Nursing Symposium
“I enjoyed attending the workshop facilitated by Sydney Urologists Professors Lewis Chan and Vincent Tse with contributions from Dr. Shanon Yeoh (Singapore), Dr. Peggy Chu (Hong Kong) and Dr. Warren Lo (Malaysia).”
“Prof. Chan gave an overview of the history of urodynamics. In 1876 , DuBois studied the effects of change in body and intravesical pressure ( the pressure within the bladder ) was part of this work. In 1970, Turner-Warwick pioneered the first clinical Video-Urodynamics service. To now, the study of pressure and flow; and transport of urine in the lower urinary tract under radiological imaging (Fluoroscopy) has been the gold standard investigation. It is important to understand the bladder has two functions: Low pressure storage of urine and co-ordinated voiding under voluntary control.”
-Virginia Ip (Royal prince Alfred Hospital) at the UAA Nursing Symposium
Nurses at the USANZ NSW Section Meeting
USANZ extended an invitation to nurses to attend the USANZ NSW Section Meeting held at Novotel Beach Wollongong. Nicole Husar presented at the main plenary. Her talk on the role of a Nurse Practitioner was well-received by the audience. One lucky member from ACT received a scholarship from NSW-ACT Section to attend this meeting.
Visions
NSW-ACT Section Committee continues to work on its vision and mission to reach out to regional members by offering a dynamic and information-packed event in major regional centres. Our goal is to promote nurses’ learning and well-being by offering a wide array of topics not only on Urological topics but also includes topics on career development, health improvement and social networking. It is our hope that we continue to foster in interest in Urological Nursing and elevate the standard of care provided by Urology nurses.