NATHAN CLARKE / BARNEY NEWMAN
Staff and visitors at the cutting edge centre include, from top, Sarah Chaney, Rachel Giles, Stephanie Kiernan, Caroline Lynch, Daniel Simkin and Latoya Trench
Centre of excellence somewhere they can come and study, but also have fun.’ The centre has an interactive feel. Rather than sitting behind desks, customer service information Square – also has a seminar room, assistants carry tablets so that they members’ lounge, group and quiet can access information easily from anywhere in the centre. Books can study areas, exhibition spaces, be checked out or renewed using a bookshop and a café. self-service machines (they can With its bright, modern decor also be renewed online), and the and relaxing atmosphere, the group study room has an interactive centre was designed as a space smartboard to help meetings run where nurses could meet, study, more smoothly. share ideas and socialise. The Two exhibitions are currently public can also visit to use the café and look at the exhibitions to learn running at the centre, one on the RCN’s links with the royal family more about nursing. (see panel opposite). The second ‘The original college building exhibition, open until March 2015, was a real club for nurses. That is forms part of the RCN’s This Is what we wanted to recreate with Nursing campaign, launched in the new space,’ says archives and September 2012 to help the public information services manager understand the profession. Four Teresa Doherty. ‘We wanted to advertisements from the campaign make it appealing to members,
The RCN has unveiled a new expanded space for study and discussion. Clare Lomas takes a tour
SUMMARY
The RCN Library and Heritage Centre, which opened in the summer following a £2 million redevelopment project, is far more than just a lending library. As well as a comprehensive collection of nursing literature, the centre – at the RCN’s central London head offi ce in Cavendish In August, the refurbished RCN Library and Heritage Centre opened at the college’s London headquarters. As well as a comprehensive collection of nursing literature, it offers a relaxing ‘club’ environment where nurses can meet, study and socialise. Exhibitions, drawing on the college’s unrivalled archive of nursing materials, showcase nursing’s achievements and stimulate discussion.
20 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
are rotated on screens near the café area, and timelines and illustrations from signifi cant periods in nursing history cover the walls. By showcasing the signifi cant innovations and developments in nursing and nurse education, the exhibition aims to remind nurses and the public how much the profession has achieved. Items on display include a variety of historic nursing equipment and memorabilia, from old-style sphygmomanometers, pulse timers and syringes to nursing uniforms, belts and badges. Elizabeth Hanbury’s 1828 book, The Good Nurse, sits alongside a 2009 book, Compassion and Caring in Nursing, by Claire Chambers and Elaine Ryder. ‘We have the largest collection of nursing-specifi c materials in Europe. Looking at these can help members understand the role nursing history has played in helping to shape the profession today,’ says Ms Doherty. At a time when nurses are accused of lacking compassion
CELEBRATION OF A ROYAL RELATIONSHIP To celebrate the connection between When the College of Nursing was the royal family and the RCN, a nursing granted its ‘Royal’ status in 1939 by history exhibition opened last month at King George VI, the longstanding the RCN Library and Heritage Centre relationship between royalty and at the college headquarters. nursing was cemented. Items on display include the current One member of the royal family to royal charter (the original royal charter champion nursing was Queen Mary, wife of George V and was granted to the the Queen’s paternal college in 1928) and a grandmother, who photograph of Queen purchased a plot of Mary at the opening land in London to ceremony of the college. There is also a provide a site for a new college of photograph of a young nursing. Queen Mary Princess Elizabeth opened the building taking tea with nursing in 1926 and became students in 1945, and a Princess Elizabeth meets nursing students the college’s patron. letter from the princess to the Student Nurses Association Number 20 Cavendish Square remains thanking its members for a moonstone the RCN’s headquarters to this day. brooch they presented to her on her The special relationship between 21st birthday in 1947. royalty and the RCN continued to ‘The exhibition reminds us of our flourish over the following decades, professional background, and the fact with the present Queen showing a keen that we are a royal college,’ says archives interest in nurse education. In 1944, as Princess Elizabeth, she became president and information services manager Teresa Doherty. of the Student Nurses Association.
NURSING STANDARD november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 21 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
BARNEY NEWMAN
Audience engagement manager Sarah Chaney, top left, views some of the artefacts showcased at the centre, including the 1828 book, The Good Nurse, and a variety of nursing equipment and memorabilia, including belts and badges
following high-profile scandals about poor care, she hopes the exhibition will encourage a more balanced assessment. ‘Compassion and nursing have always gone hand in hand,’ says Ms Doherty. ‘We may be faced with challenges like Mid Staffs today, but sadly, these things are not new. ‘The college has always been here to help members improve their practice and remember the principles of nursing practice. If we use our collections more appropriately, we can engage people who are not currently studying but who just want to know a bit more.’ Audience engagement manager Sarah Chaney says that bringing people together to share ideas and learn from each other will be a central function of the centre, and will help to open up debate around nursing issues. ‘Starting from a historical perspective makes it easier to initiate discussion,’ she says.
‘When you start from the present, you can get bogged down with individual failings and concerns, but if you take a step back 100 years you can look at things more broadly then make the connections to current practice. ‘The many skills involved in nursing, and the research being carried out, are not always appreciated,’ she adds. ‘These are things that need to be showcased. Having this space is a great step towards introducing them to a wider audience.’
Research
A project scheduled for 2014 will emphasise the relationship between nursing research and practice. It will turn a spotlight on the work of senior RCN figures with doctorates, including RCN general secretary Peter Carter, whose 1996 thesis looked at the reasons why nursing staff and care workers abuse patients.
The library has a significant collection of nurses’ theses. ‘When you see the amount of effort that goes into producing a thesis, you cannot say that nurses do not care,’ says Ms Doherty. ‘Each one represents an individual who has spent four years dedicated to one in-depth aspect of nursing. It is a physical embodiment of a specialised commitment, and a huge contribution to patient care.’ Plans for next year also include an exhibition on RCN members who have been involved in campaigning, followed by an exhibition to commemorate the start of the first world war and nurses’ involvement in the conflict. A project to digitise the state registers from 1922 onwards will also start in the spring, and the centre hopes to receive sponsorship for a series of exhibitions and events NS Further information tinyurl.com/q4w59ox
22 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Staff and visitors at the cutting edge centre include, from top, Sarah Chaney, Rachel Giles, Stephanie Kiernan, Caroline Lynch, Daniel Simkin and Latoya Trench
Centre of excellence somewhere they can come and study, but also have fun.’ The centre has an interactive feel. Rather than sitting behind desks, customer service information Square – also has a seminar room, assistants carry tablets so that they members’ lounge, group and quiet can access information easily from anywhere in the centre. Books can study areas, exhibition spaces, be checked out or renewed using a bookshop and a café. self-service machines (they can With its bright, modern decor also be renewed online), and the and relaxing atmosphere, the group study room has an interactive centre was designed as a space smartboard to help meetings run where nurses could meet, study, more smoothly. share ideas and socialise. The Two exhibitions are currently public can also visit to use the café and look at the exhibitions to learn running at the centre, one on the RCN’s links with the royal family more about nursing. (see panel opposite). The second ‘The original college building exhibition, open until March 2015, was a real club for nurses. That is forms part of the RCN’s This Is what we wanted to recreate with Nursing campaign, launched in the new space,’ says archives and September 2012 to help the public information services manager understand the profession. Four Teresa Doherty. ‘We wanted to advertisements from the campaign make it appealing to members,
The RCN has unveiled a new expanded space for study and discussion. Clare Lomas takes a tour
SUMMARY
The RCN Library and Heritage Centre, which opened in the summer following a £2 million redevelopment project, is far more than just a lending library. As well as a comprehensive collection of nursing literature, the centre – at the RCN’s central London head offi ce in Cavendish In August, the refurbished RCN Library and Heritage Centre opened at the college’s London headquarters. As well as a comprehensive collection of nursing literature, it offers a relaxing ‘club’ environment where nurses can meet, study and socialise. Exhibitions, drawing on the college’s unrivalled archive of nursing materials, showcase nursing’s achievements and stimulate discussion.
20 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
are rotated on screens near the café area, and timelines and illustrations from signifi cant periods in nursing history cover the walls. By showcasing the signifi cant innovations and developments in nursing and nurse education, the exhibition aims to remind nurses and the public how much the profession has achieved. Items on display include a variety of historic nursing equipment and memorabilia, from old-style sphygmomanometers, pulse timers and syringes to nursing uniforms, belts and badges. Elizabeth Hanbury’s 1828 book, The Good Nurse, sits alongside a 2009 book, Compassion and Caring in Nursing, by Claire Chambers and Elaine Ryder. ‘We have the largest collection of nursing-specifi c materials in Europe. Looking at these can help members understand the role nursing history has played in helping to shape the profession today,’ says Ms Doherty. At a time when nurses are accused of lacking compassion
CELEBRATION OF A ROYAL RELATIONSHIP To celebrate the connection between When the College of Nursing was the royal family and the RCN, a nursing granted its ‘Royal’ status in 1939 by history exhibition opened last month at King George VI, the longstanding the RCN Library and Heritage Centre relationship between royalty and at the college headquarters. nursing was cemented. Items on display include the current One member of the royal family to royal charter (the original royal charter champion nursing was Queen Mary, wife of George V and was granted to the the Queen’s paternal college in 1928) and a grandmother, who photograph of Queen purchased a plot of Mary at the opening land in London to ceremony of the college. There is also a provide a site for a new college of photograph of a young nursing. Queen Mary Princess Elizabeth opened the building taking tea with nursing in 1926 and became students in 1945, and a Princess Elizabeth meets nursing students the college’s patron. letter from the princess to the Student Nurses Association Number 20 Cavendish Square remains thanking its members for a moonstone the RCN’s headquarters to this day. brooch they presented to her on her The special relationship between 21st birthday in 1947. royalty and the RCN continued to ‘The exhibition reminds us of our flourish over the following decades, professional background, and the fact with the present Queen showing a keen that we are a royal college,’ says archives interest in nurse education. In 1944, as Princess Elizabeth, she became president and information services manager Teresa Doherty. of the Student Nurses Association.
NURSING STANDARD november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 21 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
BARNEY NEWMAN
Audience engagement manager Sarah Chaney, top left, views some of the artefacts showcased at the centre, including the 1828 book, The Good Nurse, and a variety of nursing equipment and memorabilia, including belts and badges
following high-profile scandals about poor care, she hopes the exhibition will encourage a more balanced assessment. ‘Compassion and nursing have always gone hand in hand,’ says Ms Doherty. ‘We may be faced with challenges like Mid Staffs today, but sadly, these things are not new. ‘The college has always been here to help members improve their practice and remember the principles of nursing practice. If we use our collections more appropriately, we can engage people who are not currently studying but who just want to know a bit more.’ Audience engagement manager Sarah Chaney says that bringing people together to share ideas and learn from each other will be a central function of the centre, and will help to open up debate around nursing issues. ‘Starting from a historical perspective makes it easier to initiate discussion,’ she says.
‘When you start from the present, you can get bogged down with individual failings and concerns, but if you take a step back 100 years you can look at things more broadly then make the connections to current practice. ‘The many skills involved in nursing, and the research being carried out, are not always appreciated,’ she adds. ‘These are things that need to be showcased. Having this space is a great step towards introducing them to a wider audience.’
Research
A project scheduled for 2014 will emphasise the relationship between nursing research and practice. It will turn a spotlight on the work of senior RCN figures with doctorates, including RCN general secretary Peter Carter, whose 1996 thesis looked at the reasons why nursing staff and care workers abuse patients.
The library has a significant collection of nurses’ theses. ‘When you see the amount of effort that goes into producing a thesis, you cannot say that nurses do not care,’ says Ms Doherty. ‘Each one represents an individual who has spent four years dedicated to one in-depth aspect of nursing. It is a physical embodiment of a specialised commitment, and a huge contribution to patient care.’ Plans for next year also include an exhibition on RCN members who have been involved in campaigning, followed by an exhibition to commemorate the start of the first world war and nurses’ involvement in the conflict. A project to digitise the state registers from 1922 onwards will also start in the spring, and the centre hopes to receive sponsorship for a series of exhibitions and events NS Further information tinyurl.com/q4w59ox
22 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
