British musician appointed to the EAUN Board in Copenhagen

Hello, my name is Jason Alcorn, a 46- years-old graduate of the University of Huddersfield, UK. Prior to training as a nurse, I was a musician in the British Army, serving around the world and in the conflict zones of The Gulf War and in the Former States of Yugoslavia. After graduating with a Diploma of Higher Education in adult nursing in 2000, I began my career as a junior staff nurse on the urology ward at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, UK.

I worked my way up to junior charge nurse, whilst studying for a Diploma in Urological Care and then a BSc in professional practice. The ward was a specialist urology ward and having been designated a specialist cancer centre, where we undertook major surgery, both benign and oncology. I was fortunate to work under some pioneering urologists who advanced urological surgery for cancer and neuro-urology.

In 2007, I left this ward as a Senior Charge nurse, to manage a female urology and surgical ward. During this time, I started studying for a MSc in Health Professional Education. I developed an educational pack for students and registered nurses new to urology. I also published my first two articles ‘Registered nurses’ attitudes towards the role of the healthcare assistant’ and ‘Elements that affect the relationship between registered nurses and healthcare assistants: literature review’. I also undertook an educational secondment to develop healthcare assistants.

Then in 2010, I found my passion as a clinical nurse specialist for urological cancer. I began studying for a professional doctorate in nursing, with my research focus being on why patients withdraw early from BCG treatment. I found that I enjoyed the research process and passing on the knowledge that I had gained. I again published further articles, these being on my research; ‘BCG treatment for bladder cancer, from past to present use’ and ‘Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment: a review of the literature’. I found that research opened a new world and one that needed passing onto colleagues, to get more nurses interested. As I developed, so did my practice. I was recently successful in being appointed a Nurse Consultant for Urology Cancer in the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Yorkshire, UK.

My 17 years’ experience in urology has led me to this point. I have experienced what it is to be like at each level of nursing within my career. At each stage I have been striving to provide the best for patients and their families. I believe we face an extraordinary future with Brexit, entering a new era within the European Union and more than ever before, we need to stand together and united in the mission and goals of EAUN or risk the good work that has preceded us, becoming unravelled. Also, technology is advancing at a rapid rate and we need to keep abreast of developments. This and my passion for research and education has led me in seeking membership of the EAUN board.

I was happy that the EAUN members approved my appointment to the board at the recent AGM in Copenhagen and I hope to be able to contribute a lot to the educational and research activities of the EAUN in the coming years.

Yours sincerely,

Jason Alcorn

Dr. Jason Alcorn, FHEA, DN, MSc, BSc, Dip Urol Care, RN – Adult, The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Wakefield, United Kingdom, jason.alcorn@outlook.com