Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 12/99) - In recognition of their contribution to Northern nursing, three nurses were recently sent to England to represent the North.

Mary Ellen Hoyles of Yellowknife, Faye Stark of Fort Providence and Rosalie Adams of Inuvik were sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Services to attend the Centennial Conference of the International Council of Nurses in London, England, June 27-July 1.

Also travelling with the nurses was Sylvia Stard, who was representing the NWT Registered Nurses Association. Nell Vrolyk, who has 16 years of Northern nursing experience and is now manager of recruitment and retention with the Department of Health and Social Services, also made the trip.

According to Vrolyk the trip was a success.

"England was excellent. The conference was fabulous -- awesome is a good word for it," said Vrolyk.

Vrolyk said she and the other nurses met people from all over the world.

"We gained exposure to the whole world."

Vrolyk said she was impressed with the vast number of options they had when it came to choosing which sessions to attend.

Vrolyk said they were each given a book about 350 pages thick full of descriptions of the different workshops and lectures they could take part in.

Vrolyk added that there was everything from ethics to education to primary health care to management.

She said the crew did manage to get in some sightseeing while attending the conference.

Three people from the group stayed at the NWT nursing booth they had set up and the other two were free to explore and enjoy either the conference or the sights of London.

Vrolyk also mentioned that many people at the conference were impressed with the efforts of NWT nursing.

"We had a lot of compliments."

Vrolyk added that while there, they managed to get some nurses interested in coming to Northern Canada.

Vrolyk said there are no firm plans to attend the conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2001, but said she is hoping the North will be represented, adding that she felt really good about the conference and the value of attending them.

"It makes you really proud to be a nurse."