Globe trotting continence nurse

8 November 2007

Tamworth Clinical Nurse Consultant Lorraine Dickson was flown half way around the world to hear what the world’s experts in continence care had to say. 

Ms Dickson recently returned to Australia after attending an annual meeting of the International Continence Society in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, at which 2500 delegates from 69 countries attended.

Ms Dickson said the trip abroad gave her the chance to broaden her horizons in the field of continence care.

“It provided me with a wonderful educational opportunity, a chance to network with other health workers and to see the extensive trade show of companies,” Ms Dickson said.

“I also attended four workshops that particularly interested me, including pelvic floor and overactive bladder syndrome.  They were a fantastic learning experience,” she said.

Ms Dickson urged all continence nurses to follow her lead and apply for these sponsorships to further their education, as well as their life experience.

“I would like to encourage other continence nurses to apply for this or similar grants,” she said.

“If you don’t apply and avail yourself of opportunities such as this, you are likely to miss out on valuable experiences and adventures,” Ms Dickson said.

Ms Dickson works across the Peel and Mehi Clusters of Hunter New England Health. She believes this made her experience all the more uncommon and valuable.

“As I live in a rural area I frequently miss the opportunity to attend education days and conferences because of the tyranny of distance and time,” she said.

Ms Dickson’s trip was made possible by a sponsorship from CONNI, a manufacturer of continence products.

Contact: Nick Hansen

Phone: 49214918