Infusion therapy The National Infusion and Vascular Access Society will hold its

annual conference on June 15/16 at London’s Hotel Russell. As infusion therapy and vascular access continue to evolve,there is a need for a co-ordinated approach to practice. This forum will provide networking opportunities and the chance to hear from respected experts.www.NIVAS.org.uk/conference-2011

Securing quality The National Quality Board (NQB) haspublished the first part of a review on how to improve quality during NHS changes. The document – Maintaining andimproving quality during the transition: safety, effectiveness,experience – describes the responsibilities of organisations

and people who will improve quality. It emphasises theimportance of knowledge transfer between the neworganisations created by NHS reforms, and stresses thatprofessionals are ultimately responsible for the quality ofpatient care. http://tinyurl.com/maintaining-quality

Mental health Practical Mental Health Commissioning is thefirst in a series of papers for people involved in commissioningand providing mental health and social care services. Thedocument compares current mental health commissioning to how it may be structured in the future. The papers wereordered by the National Mental Health Development Unit andpublished by the Joint Commissioning Panel for MentalHealth. http://tinyurl.com/MH-commissioning

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is an opportunity to expand ourreach into communities.’

She describes how HarrowPCT’s public health teamalready works closely with thelocal authority as part of theHarrow Strategic Partnership, a consortium of communityinterests in the borough.

Notwithstanding the futureof the Health and Social CareBill, Ms Thiruchelvam believes such work may be taken on by the proposed health andwellbeing boards that localauthorities must establish by

2013. ‘But we need to ensurethat public health is at theforefront of any agenda,’ she cautions.

For the moment though, Ms Thiruchelvam is responsiblefor co-ordinating NHSHarrow’s response to infectiousdisease outbreaks such asmeningitis. She also managescontracts for immunisationprogrammes with primary andacute care providers.

The assignment that brought her the mostsatisfaction was taking the lead with her team on thePCT’s handling of the swine flu pandemic in 2009/10, forwhich she was presented with a staff excellence award.

The post of public healthconsultant can be reached via two routes – by completingthe conventional five-yearmedical training programme or by portfolio.

Portfolio evidenceMs Thiruchelvam is pursuingthe latter option, for which she must produce portfolioevidence of her experience and capabilities.

She believes that publichealth is an integral part ofnursing. ‘I qualified as a health visitor and adult nursewhile studying for my degree at the University of Liverpool.

Public health specialistat NHS Harrow primary caretrust, Denise Thiruchelvam, is sure of her career objectives.

‘I am hoping my next move is to be a consultant in publichealth,’ she says. ‘The publichealth white paper suggests that the function will betransferred from primary care trusts (PCTs) and becommissioned by localauthorities and Public Health England.

‘I believe that the return ofpublic health to local authorities

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62 may 25 :: vol 25 no 38 :: 2011 NURSING STANDARD

Making big decisions

Denise Thiruchelvam describes her passion for public health to Frances Pickersgill

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ContinenceThe Association for Continence Advice (ACA), the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions ResearchUnit at Glasgow Caledonian University and the RCN are askingclinicians who have qualified in the past two years how theirtraining prepared them to treat patients with continenceproblems. Respondents’ names will be entered into a draw to win £30 in Waterstone’s vouchers. The deadline forcompleting the survey is May 31. www.surveymonkey.com/s/RCN_SurveyContinenceEducation

The Big Lunch Supported by NHS Choices, the Big Lunch isheld annually to encourage people to have lunch with theirneighbours. Nurses, especially those involved with localcommunities, are urged to get people involved. The aims are to

encourage healthy lifestyles and to promote healthy eating andthe concept of community, while having fun in the process. Thisyear’s event will take place on June 5. www.thebiglunch.com

Leadership forum The Black andMinority Ethnic (BME) LeadershipForum is looking for a new chair. The

fourm, which is supported by the NHS Confederation and theRCN, wants a strong candidate with senior NHS leadershipexpertise and first class chairing skills to drive the work of thegroup. The forum helps to increase opportunities for BMEstaff to become influential and improve the NHS response to the needs of BME communities. The closing date forapplications is June 10. http://tinyurl.com/62444hy

How many people can youpresent to without breaking intoa cold sweat? For many of us, thelarger the audience, the greaterthe trepidation, so the followingtips may lessen the fear.

Preparation is paramount forsuccessful presentations, so use a simple structure and keep theperformance jargon free. It isgood to include facts and personalstories to appeal to differentpreferences. Avoidmemorising thepresentation;instead, learn the main concepts and rehearse the speech several times.

Tailor yourpresentation to the audience. Talkingdirectly to differentelements of the audience – such as saying ‘some of you will befamiliar with’ – will generatefeedback and reactions.

Manage the conference space by investigating in advancethe room layout, availableequipment and format of the conference, especiallyunscripted sessions.

Communication with theaudience is the object of thepresentation. Body languagebrings your performance to lifeand keeps people interested.

Your voice says you meanbusiness, so put it to work on thefive Ps – projection, variable pitchand pace, clear pronunciation and use of pauses.

Eye contact will connect youwith the audience, as will using

your hands toexpand yourpresence andillustrate points.

Establish yourauthority bymanaging theaudience. Onlybegin speakingwhen the room is quiet and takequestions from the

floor only at the conclusion of your presentation.

Next time you are asked tospeak to a large group, considerthis: the larger the number, thegreater the achievement NS

Jennifer MacKay is managingdirector of Jump Training andDevelopment

‘I found that I liked dealingwith preventive care atindividual and populationlevels. All nurses cancontribute to improvinghealth,’ she says.

Ms Thiruchelvam says themost challenging move of hercareer to date was the switchfrom the clinical environment‘where one largely relates toindividuals’, to the politicaland strategic environment ofthe PCT, via a post as a healthprotection nurse at the Health Protection Agency.

She believes her clinicalbackground helps her toidentify gaps in the service,manage a caseload andunderstand environment inhospitals, with which the PCT has its largest contract.

‘I feel I have a goodexperience because, here inPCTs, the impact of decisions is population-based and far-reaching,’ she explains NS

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RESOURCE FILECareers in public healthhttp://tiny.cc/publichealthcareersThe UK Faculty of Public Healthwww.fph.org.uk/being_a_public_health_consultantPublic health trainingwww.publichealthy.com/trainingintro.htm

Take command of the stageJennifer MacKay on presenting to a large audience

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