Conference embraces partnership working and inspires nurses and midwives to lead and innovate

Nurses and midwives from across Essex and aspiring health and social care students from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) were brought together at the first Nursing and Midwifery Conference.

Jointly organised by the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) and ARU, the event was hosted in the lecture theatre of the Michael Salmon building at the university.

The aim of the event was to inspire nurses and midwives to be leaders and to share the vision for the three hospitals (Mid Essex, Southend and Basildon) that make up the Mid and South Essex STP.

Guest speakers included Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS England; Ruth May, Executive Director of Nursing, NHS Improvement; Clare Panniker, CEO, Mid and South Essex Hospitals; and Professor Ruth Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education at ARU.

Professor Cummings spoke about the importance of nurses being willing to lead and share ideas. Clare and a range of speakers covered topics from innovation in healthcare to resilience and leadership.

Recent graduates from Anglia Ruskin shared their experience of practice and spoke about their own innovative projects covering students as leaders; behaviours and values in children's nursing; and enhanced sepsis screening.

Alongside staff from the hospitals, spoken word artist, writer and registered nurse Molly Case gave her unique insight into the profession, while sepsis survivor Tom Ray and his wife Nicola gave an emotional account of their experience of the NHS, life-threatening illness and simply surviving.