By LCDR Meg Ford

Over 150 nursing officers and other health personnel attended the third ADF Nursing Officers’ Forum in Canberra from November 10-12.

The benefits of collaborative practice was the theme of the 2004 forum. The opening address was presented by Her Excellency, the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir.

International speakers included a nurse anaesthetist from the University of Texas, Dr Maureen Rielly, PhD, and the Director of Nursing Services from the New Zealand Defence Force, LTCOL Gerard Wood.

A standing ovation was given to RAAF nursing officer, FLTLT Sharon Cooper, who courageously talked about an aero-medical evacuation that went horribly wrong in East Timor last year.

While on their way to a remote village to extract an East Timorese woman in obstructed labour, the rescue helicopter crashed in heavy jungle.

FLTLT Cooper sustained life-threatening injuries, including a broken back, but believes she has recovered because of her high level of fitness at the time of the accident and the support she received from family, friends and colleagues.

Navy nursing officer, LEUT Nathan Saunders, was given the prize for the best presentation by a junior officer for his motivating talk on nursing in the RAN submarine and underwater medicine unit while CMDR Elizabeth Tracey received the prize for the best senior officer presentation.

COL Beverley Wright, the Director of Defence Force Nursing gave the closing address on Friday afternoon with special thanks to the guest speakers suggesting that, in the future, the annual forum be known as the nursing officer conference.

If the 2004 forum was anything to go by, little encouragement will be needed for attendance in 2005.

The three days proved useful for social collaboration, with a lively dinner at the ADFA Officers’ Mess, complete with bagpipes, an excellent spread of seafood and a considerable amount of good-natured chiaking aimed at the New Zealand attendees.

The dinner was preceded by the launch of the book, Scarlet Poppies by Dr Ruth Rae, PhD, which talks about nurses and the role they played during World War I.

The second day of the forum coincided with Remembrance Day.

During a moving ceremony, conducted by Army CHAP Bob McKennay, nursing officers stood for the Last Post and the National Anthem, thinking not only of those that had served in past wars, but of their colleagues currently serving in hazardous conditions in the USAF hospital in Balad, Iraq.

This includes two Navy nursing officers, LCDR Wendy Thomas and LEUT Di Kumnick and medical sailor, CPO Steve Angus.

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