Networking
Networking in nursing is the act of exchanging information and making contacts with other people, institutions, and groups to develop relationships that are mutually beneficial.
Networking can happen in many formal and informal ways, such as talking with leaders, managers, or colleagues on your team or unit, attending training sessions, professional conferences, or continuing education, or joining associations and forums.
Networking helps you to advance your career, learn from other professionals, and keep up with current trends in practice, technology, research in urology.
Networking does require emotional reciprocity, which means caring about the needs and agenda of those you network with.
There are many resources to help you understand how to get the most out of networking opportunities.
More about networking from the Royal College of Nursing
What does BAUN offer?
Being a member of BAUN gives you access to many different platforms to network with like minded healthcare professionals who are passionate about urology.
Face to face events
BAUN Annual Conference
Our conference takes place yearly and is usually in November. It runs over 3 days; (Link through to conference page and agenda)
The best networking opportunity for urology nurses on the urology educational calendar anywhere! It is always UK based. It is a combination of workshops, plenary sessions, poster and oral presentations, AGM, junior members forum, celebrating achievement and innovation, and supported by over 20 corporate members who have committed to sponsor the event and over 50 exhibitors.
Day 1 – workshops with practical sessions and presentation of up- to-date guidelines by experienced practitioners.
Day 2 – the opening of conference, which runs over 2 days ending in an evening of celebration and the award presentations to our inspirational high achievers. (Link through to awards page on website)
Day 3 includes a benign and oncology break-off stream
BAUN study days
This year we have re-instated our face-to-face annual study day. It is to be held in Newcastle
Pauline / Leann to add detail to this. Can we add a link through to the education events page on website.
BAUN Interest group forums
These are accessed for members via our website (to be updated once we have these active… links through to each one listed) a chance to network with specific specialist areas of interest to you and your job role, to find up to date information, relevant educational events, share ideas and practice and pose a question.
On-line activities
BAUN Social media
A place to find up to date what’s going on at BAUN, events and discussions in urology care, what the trustees are involved in and what our members are talking about and sharing. Follow us using the links in the footer of our page 😃.
BAUN Webinars
Registration is free. All those who attend the live event receive a certificate of attendance and members also have access to the recordings of previously held webinars through the members area of the website.
We aim to hold 4 webinars per year and these are sponsored by our corporate partners so we can offer them out free. They provide 1.5hrs of structured content delivered by experts in the field of urology. This is a fantastic opportunity not only to develop professionally, but to network and to ask questions. (Insert link to education page and events calendar)
Collaborative education
We work closely with industry, other charities and organisations to support them with education and advertise these through our social media platforms.
Publications
We have a partnership with the International Journal of Urological Nursing. This is free to access on-line for members through our BAUN members page on the website and there is not only some great inspirational and informative articles but there is also the opportunity to submit for publication and to chat in the forum. (insert link to journal pages)
***DON’T KNOW WHAT LINK TO ADD***
Mentoring
Mentorship is the patronage, influence and guidance and or direction, given to an individual on a 1-2-1 basis by another. The mentor is who is able to educate, inspire, help and support someone who is less experienced or knowledgeable than themselves in the subject area. The below link is to an article published in the Nursing in Practice Journal which talks more about mentorship in nursing and how to gain the best experience from it.
More about mentoring from the Nursing in Practice Journal
How does BAUN support you through mentorship?
The Bruce Turner Award
Bruce Turner was a well known and loved BAUN member, a nurse consultant at the Homerton Hospital, London, and BAUN Education lead for many years.
Our beloved friend and colleague passed away in 2016 after a terminal diagnosis of cancer. He was determined to continue his mission to educate and impassion urological nurses and left instructions that a legacy should continue in his name.
His legacy has been used to establish The Bruce Turner Award: an annual prize which will provide a fully funded place (transport within the UK, accommodation and conference fees) to the BAUN annual conference.
As an organisation part of our support to our members is to provide a unique opportunity to experience working closer with the BAUN Trustees. We offer a year’s mentorship to our winner of the Bruce Turner award.
***(Insert link to the awards page for more information, criteria of entry and the application process)***
The award winner will be invited to attend trustee meetings, both face-to-face which we have x2 per year and virtual which we have x2 per year. In addition, you will be invited to help us co-host webinars and facebook live events. This will help you to gain experience, confidence and new skills to help you network beyond your workplace.
We will also link you up with one of the trustees who you feel most compliments your job role or professional development, so you can go and visit them in their work place and shadow them for a day.
**Add some quotes from past winners of the award about the mentoring support from the trustees they have received.**
Become a Co-opted Trustee
BAUN has a core number of trustees on its board, but we also invite novice trustees to be co-opted on to our team for a year. This is something new that we have initiated in recognition that not everyone feels confident to nominate themselves to become a full trustee or who may not feel in a position to commit longer term for the full 3 year term of office.
**(Insert links through to job role / trustee profiles and the process for co-opt nomination)**
Part of the role of a co-opted trustee is to provide support to the core team, you would be buddied up with 1 or 2 full trustee members in a functional role (conference, education, website, membership, etc) in addition to being invited to all meetings and events that we organise or support.
And if you have enjoyed your time as a C0-opted Trustee you could stay on and automatically become a full trustee at the end of your year!