On a beautiful sunny day, last Friday, we gathered at the Great Hall in Queen’s University Belfast with our partners and students from the School of Nursing, guest speakers and colleagues from the Children’s Cancer Unit for the third annual Children’s Cancer Student Conference.
Throughout the day we heard from some incredible speakers covering a range of topics linked with children and young adult’s cancer care. Following the welcome and introductions, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer with the Department of Health, Katie Rennick spoke about the face of nursing at a department level and then Professor Imelda Coyne from Trinity College Dublin gave an inspiring keynote address, sharing her long and varied career as a nurse and now nurse educator and author. She shared how much the profession has evolved since her own early days and focused on the importance of child-centred care and the rights of children and young people in cancer treatment and care.
Next it was the turn of the students to share their experiences of placement within the Children’s Cancer Unit and we heard from recent graduate, Ellen Hoyt who, as well as being one of the 2024 CCUC Travel Programme scholars, has now taken up a full-time nursing post in the Unit. Ellen talked about her role and the transition from student to full-time staff member, with lots of advice throughout.
It was great to have such a large group of staff from the Unit at the conference and the audience heard from Clinic Sister, Rosie Symington, Leukaemia Nurse Specialist, Emma Dinsmore and Lead Nurse, Angela Walsh about their own career journeys, an insight into the various nursing roles available within the Children’s Cancer Unit and how the team work together to ensure the highest possible standard of care for children and young people. Next up was the importance of Play during a child or young person’s cancer journey and Michelle Millen and Jennifer Storey shared some of the work they do and also introduced everybody’s favourite ‘My Special Aflac Duck’.
We were honoured to welcome Sara and David Watson from charity B Positive, who shared their own lived experience in the children’s cancer unit when their son Adam received his diagnosis and treatment there for Acute myeloid leukaemia. Adam sadly passed away in 2022 and Sara and David now continue the charity in Adam’s name- one which he himself chose and had so many plans for.
The afternoon continued with accounts from last year’s CCUC Travel Programme scholars Ellen Hoyt, Orlaith McKnight and Liv Baker of their incredible journey to Atlanta and their experience while there. It was wonderful to have two members of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta team, Sara Orten and Emma Buyarski who shared an insight into the hospital there and all of the various treatments and services available. The day closed with the launch of the 2025 Travel Programme.
We look forward to the Student Conference every year and this year was no exception. With such inspirational and engaging speakers and so many insights into life in the Children’s Cancer Unit and a career in paediatric cancer care, we are certain that we will see many more of the students in attendance taking up employment in the Unit in the future.
