Bladder & Bowel’s specialist nurse and service manager Karen Irwin has been reappointed on the Royal College of Nursing’s Bladder & Bowel Forum committee. 

Karen is thrilled to be reappointed for a further term of office on the RCN Bladder and Bowel Forum.

Congratulations also to Fiona Le Ber, Clinical Nurse Specialist Community Continence and Stoma care, Queens Nurse, Jersey who will be taking up her new position of Chair of the forum.

• Other Bladder and Bowel Committee members are :-
  Suzanne Ryder, Professional Lead for South Manchester Bladder and Bowel Service, Professional Lead – Citywide Manchester Bladder and Bowel Services
• Vicky Coghlan, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Bladder & Bowel Service Aneurin Bevan UHB Bladder and Bowel Service
• Nikki Cotterill Associate Professor of Nursing in Continence Care, UWE and North Bristol NHS Trust
• Janice Reid Teaching Fellow, School of Nursing, University of Ulster

The forum is a group of nurses supporting each other and driving change to improve bladder and bowel care. We contribute to raising the profile of continence care nationally and supporting RCN members

Current projects of the Bladder and Bowel Forum

The committee are currently working on projects including:

• Revision of the RCN publication. Bowel care: management of lower bowel dysfunction, including digital rectal examination and digital removal of faeces (2019)
• Revision of the RCN publication. Catheter Care – Guidance for Health Care Professionals (2021)

For further information of how you can get involved, to join the forum, and to access information and online resources, tools and support, please visit the website.

The forum is also active on social media via Twitter and have a closed Facebook page, so please do come along and introduce yourself.

For more information and resources for professionals working with bladder and bowel issues, visit our professionals’ section here.