This Wednesday (8 November), the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will launch a new exhibition, ‘Once Upon a Time’, celebrating the historic contributions of children and young people’s nursing staff and championing their importance to the future of the profession.
The launch event will take place at the RCN Library and Heritage Centre in London on Wednesday with doors opening at 5:30pm and talks running between 6-7.15pm. It will also be live streamed virtually from 6pm.
The exhibition explores the history of children and young people’s nursing – from the first children’s hospitals in the 1800s to the development of family-centred care. It includes emotive tokens from the historic Foundling Hospital, children’s artwork from Bethlem Museum of the Mind, and objects from the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, and Southwark Heritage Centre.
Talks at the launch event will involve speakers from across children and young people’s nursing, including:
- Professor Alan Glasper: a children's and young people's nurse as well as emeritus professor at the University of Southampton, speaking about the history of the specialty.
- Professor Bernie Carter: a professor of nursing at Edge Hill University whose research focuses on children and young people with complex needs. Professor Carter is president of the Association of British Paediatric Nurses (ABPN) and will speak about the living history of the ABPN's Blue Book (1938-2023), alongside her life and career in children's nursing.
- Kate Pye: deputy director for children and young people’s nursing at NHS England and deputy chair for the Association of Chief Children’s Nurses speaking about the future of the profession.
- Molly Watts: a child nursing lecturer in higher education and a registered children’s nurse with a background in paediatric intensive care. Molly Watts also writes and illustrates the ‘Nurse Dotty Books’.
Event activities include a stand from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, a chance to view the Nurse Dotty books by Molly Watts and an opportunity to design your ideal nurse.
The exhibition was co-created with a volunteer team of RCN members, many of whom work in children and young people’s nursing or have experience in the profession. The team was involved in every stage of the exhibition from research, to writing exhibition panels and exhibition design.
Royal College of Nursing Chief Nurse, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“The NHS was set up to provide care from the cradle to the grave, and children and young people’s nursing staff are vital to ensuring the health service is always there when we need it throughout our entire lives. This event is an important celebration of their incredible work.
“We hope our exhibition shows that by recognising the contribution of children and young people’s nursing staff and by listening to and valuing young people’s voices, we can deliver better care for young people in the future.”
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Notes to editors
The event will take place at the RCN Library and Heritage Centre, 20 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0RN. To sign up to the event (both in person and online) and learn more about the speakers, please follow the link here. Please note that this event will include discussion of illness and bereavement.
The venue is wheelchair accessible and has a hearing loop. The online event will have automatic subtitles. If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact at rcn.library@rcn.org.uk or 0345 337 3368.
