I was really excited to have been selected as a voting member for the Pain & Palliative Care forum at Congress this year. I had been to Congress twice before (Belfast in 2018 and Glasgow in 2022), so knew I already enjoyed the debates and fringe/seminar events. I have been interested in healthcare-related politics and politics. Congress is a brilliant place to be if you want to be involved in the direction of the RCN.
For me, it was an honour to be in the company of our pain and palliative care experts. I made new friends and talked 'shop' for four days! I loved it. My forum members communicated really well prior to Congress and were extremely welcoming when I arrived. We formed a little family for the 4 days. I didn't know any of the other members before Congress; I had only met them virtually at a steering committee webinar. I felt very well looked after, so would recommend to anyone who is unsure about coming on their own.
My highlights of Congress 2023 were:
1) Getting a selfie with Pat Cullen and hearing her speak - she is an inspiration!
2) Learning about what the Pain & Palliative Care chair and steering committee members do in their day-to-day roles
3) Making friends, having fun, having brilliant conversations
4) Being in Brighton in the sunshine
5) Being a voting member at Congress - learning how the RCN lobbies parliament for things that its members vote on.
