Message from the Chair

Respiratory nursing continues to be an area of high demand and high pressure. Developments in respiratory care are evolving rapidly with thankfully more and more treatment options available for those living with chronic respiratory conditions. Respiratory nurses are vital in ensuring that quality care and treatments are available, offered and monitored to people at risk of and living with respiratory disease.

Following the incredibly challenging last few years we now face long delays in early and accurate diagnosis and increasing demand on appointments throughout all clinical services, resulting in an increasing burden of respiratory symptoms to many and increasing pressure on the workforce.

I am privileged to become the Chair of the newly renamed ‘Association of Respiratory Nurses’, which strives to ensure all nurses working within respiratory are represented at those important ‘tables’, influencing policy, and dedicated to the nursing voice. We also welcome associate members recognising the crucial roles they have in managing respiratory illness.

I am passionate about improving the patient journey in respiratory and throughout my term as Chair will endeavour to lead the organisation ensuring the nursing voice is heard loud and clear, improving the outcomes for patients, and continuing to ‘lead’, ‘empower’ and ‘inspire’ future generations of Respiratory Nurses.

-Joanne King, Chair of ARNS