Professor Donna Bliss, chair of the ICS Nursing Committee, and Professor Kathleen Hunter, chair of the Nursing Committee’s Research Subcommittee participated in April 2017 in conferences of urological nurses in Hong Kong and two cities in mainland China, Guangzhou and Nanjing. The conferences had approximately 200 delegates each. The aim of their visit was to inform nurses about ICS and ICS Nursing Committee activities and to explore possible future collaborations between ICS and Chinese Nursing societies, and they also were invited to present about their specialty areas of scholarship. Professor Bliss presented about what urological nurses need to know about conservative management of fecal incontinence in community living adults and Professor Hunter presented about advanced practice nursing and managing urinary incontinence in the community.
The visits by Professors Bliss and Hunter were very productive. They were able to meet various Chinese nurse leaders and discuss issues of mutual interest including continence education opportunities and the advanced practice continence nurse role. They appreciated the generous hospitality of their hosts who introduced them to some cultural sights and foods from different Chinese provinces. Their trip has resulted in interest and exploration of ongoing educational and professional interactions between ICS, the Chinese-European Clinical Teaching Institute (CECTI) and the Chinese Urological Association Nursing Committee and discussion of possible affiliate membership of the Chinese nursing societies with ICS. Through international exchanges and collective efforts such as these, we hope to achieve best practice in continence nursing care and establish collegial networks of continence nurses globally.
Professors Bliss and Hunter were invited and sponsored by the Urology Nurses Association of Hong Kong (UNAHK), whose President is Mr. Larry Tsang and Vice President is Mr. Gilbert Lui. The conferences were approved by ICS Education Committee as ICS educational programs. The ICS Nursing Committee would like to thank Mr. Larry Tsang and Mr. Gilbert Lui, and the UNAHK for their invitation and sponsorship. A special thanks to Winnie Yeung, an ICS nurse member who works as a urology nurse specialist at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong, who was their escort host. We also thank Professor Lawrence Drudge-Coates and Ms, Paula Allchorne, Professor Drudge-Coates of EAUN who were also presenting at these conferences for their support.
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