The call for abstracts for the 25th International Mental Health Nursing Research Conference is now live, with this year’s conference organised under the theme of From Global to Local: Mental Health in a Connected World. We’ll be meeting, for the first time, in London: specifically, in the RCN HQ in Cavendish Square. This is also the year that we’re working with the International Society of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses, and we’re hoping the event has a truly international feel. The deadline for receipt of nominations for people to deliver the Annual MHNAUK Lecture at #MHNR2019 has passed, and the commitee will be deliberating over the coming weeks before an announcement is made.

Meanwhile, on Mental Health Nurses’ Day, February 21st, here in Wales a new ten year Framework for Mental Health Nursing was launched at Cardiff University’s Hadyn Ellis Building. The Framework contains 13 pledges organised through four key themes: Professionalism, Voice and Leadership; Workforce and Education; Promoting Population Health and Wellbeing; and Quality and Safety of Care. It is also replete with exemplars of good practice.

One day after the Framework launch I was in the fine surroundings of the University of Birmingham for 2019’s first meeting of Mental Health Nurse Academics UK. A note of the event, which was attended by almost 50 people, can be found here. The meeting was a full one, with updates on both the REF and the TEF, experiences of course validation reflecting new NMC standards and more besides.

• Mental health
• Nursing
• Research