The 17th biennial European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) meeting took place in Barcelona in September, alongside INGID’s own conference. While providing a stimulating and information-dense program on managing immunodeficiencies, the two meetings also enabled important discussions and information sharing amongst nurses working to treat immunodeficiency. The INGID conference included the election of a new board to continue the important work of providing quality support and educational opportunities to nurses treating immunodeficiency. The new INGID board consists of 10 nurses from around the world:
- President, Carla Duff (USA)
- Vice President and Director of Communications, Lorraine Ozerovitch (USA)
- Secretary, An Reniers (Belgium)
- Treasurer, Dorothea Grosse-Kreul (UK)
- Vice Treasurer, Rosalind Fisher (UK)
- Vice Secretary, Karin Ludwig (South Africa)
- Website Manager, Geraldine Dunne (Australia)
- Election Committee Member, Gaby Strotmann (Germany)
- Election Committee Member, Sarita Workman (UK)
- Election Committee Member, Ann Gardulf (Sweden)
Rosalind Fisher from Oxford is a new INGID board member, and for her, being elected was a clear highlight of her trip to Barcelona. Rosalind says “I feel honoured to be given the opportunity to work closely with the Board who are all such experts in immunology nursing.” After benefiting from the wealth of resources provided by INGID, Rosalind is excited that she will now have the opportunity to give back to the organisation that provides such an important resource for immunodeficiency nurses around the world “where the quality and quantity of education and training vary so much.”
The nursing guidelines which were released through the INGID website in September are an important addition to the resource bank for immunodeficiency nurses. The dissemination of the guidelines, their translation into other languages and their use in clinical settings will continue the impact of the enormous effort that has been put into their development.
With a new board, new enthusiasm and a strong history of education, support and advocacy for immunodeficiency nurses, INGID is set to extend its impact on clinical practice and those who provide care to immunodeficient patients.