Just wanted to send you my report on the conference that I attended 18th &19th August 2022,
The theme this year was CELEBRATE looking back looking ahead.
I arrived in Auckland on Wednesday afternoon , I thought I would get a bit of sightseeing in before the conference. WELL!!!! The weather Gods had different thoughts. It was blowing a gale and the rain was heavy, it wasn’t cold but very uncomfortable. I settled into my accommodation which was nice and ventured out between the showers to see the lay of the land – really to find the best route to the venue.
Auckland, what I saw of it is pretty, very hilly. The harbor area ,where the conference was held was what I could see nice, but because of the weather couldn’t get a real look at things. Lucky for me the Maritime museum was only a 7 min walk.
Thursday Day 1.
NZDNS program for their conferences are made up of 50% nurses presentations. The committee made me feel very welcome. (I was the only AUSSIE there)
The speakers were a mixture of Doctors and Nurses from NZ & all over the world (some were livestreamed from UK which made for a long night for them.) The subject matter was very diverse ranging from conditions of the male genitals, treating common Dermatology conditions with laser, the use of isotretinoin, Mohs surgery to name a few .
there was one particular speaker Fiona Syme who works in Tauranga, she spoke about
LICHEN PLANOPILAUIS from a patient and Nurse perspective. It was her journey.
She started losing hair about 10yrs ago when she was going through a bit of a family stressful time. She just thought it would come back, when things settled down. (it was not to be) about 5yrs ago she had a biopsy done which proved her diagnosis. She eventually shaved the last remaining tuffs of hair and hasn’t felt more alive. She wears a wig most of the time now , unless she is wearing a scarf or turban. She had greater empathy for her patients who are having difficulty in accepting their own hair loos by giving guidance and sending them to association to help them on their journey. I found her inspirational.
The rest of the day was taken up with visiting the trade show (Held down the road at the Hilton Hotel. ) In between the sessions fantastic food was on offer. OMG, the catering was so yummy, lots of local produce fresh seafood mouthwatering desserts. I thought I would have to ask for an extension for the plane ride home..lol
The AGM was held that afternoon, which was my chance to escape and get ready for the EGO dinner. That night as I was almost back for the dinner the rain bucketed down, lucky I chose not to wear makeup as by the time I arrived I was drenched. I know I hear you all saying what about an umbrella, the wind was way too strong everyone I saw was being flipped inside out.. best not to have one I say… Dinner was a choice of 3 different dishes and a shared dessert, unlike out dinner, dancing was not an option. but the wine was very, very nice local wines either pinot Gris (my favorite ) or a shiraz . the girls on my table were chatty and make me feel like one of the team. I was home by 10:30 thank goodness it had stopped raining by then.
Friday: Day 2
It started early with a yummy breakfast lots of herbal teas and coffee…
Most of the speakers today were nurses
Lucy Moorhead spoke on PASI & DLQL she was from England. A prerecorded presentation
Lucy is a nurse consultant in inflammatory skin diseases at St John’s institute of Dermatology and Guys and St Thomas NHS foundation trust. (what a tongue full) she is also a current trustee for the British Dermatological Nursing Group.
She spoke of the importance of accurate PASI scores by using the patients hand as a guide, how keeping records of DLQI for patients, allows for better understanding of their mental state as they navigate their conditions doing a base line score is very important and keeping it in their records allows for a better outcome and treatment pathway. I found that interesting.
After another yummy lunch the afternoon bought a few registrar from various centers, who gave a 15 min talk each on various subjects, some were interesting, but most were full of statistics,(I hate statistics, but hey they are required to get a better picture of the subject presented. )
More food and a few presentations later the conference was over for another year
I weather Gods were smiling at me this time as I explored a bit of Auckland went to the tower not far from my hotel.. but the clouds and showers stopped me enjoying the view.. never mind. Maybe next time. My plane wasn’t until stupid o’clock the next morning and the rain held off so I got to see a bit more of the city and harbor.
Overall I had a really nice time, I learnt a few things , met some interesting characters. Next year’s conference is being held in Queenstown- another beautiful spot to explore.
I might even try and make it.
I hope I have encouraged you to broaden your horizons and explore other places to learn, Thanks to ADNA for allowing me this opportunity.
Neta-Maree Holmes
2021 NZ travel award winner
