4th FOHNEU INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

Congress Overview
The Federation of Occupational Health Nurses within the European Union (FOHNEU) held its 4th International Congress on Occupational Health in London from 19 to 21 September 2007, at the New Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden. Entitled “The Challenge!”, the Congress brought together occupational health nurses, physicians, researchers and policy-makers to address the evolving demands of occupational health practice in an increasingly integrated Europe.

The event was supported by a range of leading organisations, including the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the Royal College of Nursing's occupational health group (RCN SOHN NI), the Occupational Health Managers Forum (OHMF), and the consortium behind the HOHNEU (Harmonising Occupational Health Nursing in the European Union) project.

 Congress at a Glance 

 Delegates and speakers travelled from across Europe – including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Slovenia and the United Kingdom – as well as from further afield, including Australia, Canada and South Africa, reflecting FOHNEU's role as a genuinely pan-European and international professional platform.

 Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Julie Staun (Denmark), President of FOHNEU, and Bernie Jackson (United Kingdom), Chair of the RCN OH European Group, who together welcomed delegates to the Congress and to the United Kingdom. The ceremony concluded with a joint question-and-answer panel involving all keynote speakers, followed by the Congress Reception in the Grand Hall.

Main Theme and Topics
The central theme of the Congress, “The Challenge!”, reflected the pace of change facing occupational health nursing across Europe. Topics addressed included the economic and social burden of occupational accidents and ill health, the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders, psychosocial risk and workplace stress, the management of sickness absence and rehabilitation, and the future of occupational health nursing education and professional recognition across the European Union.

Keynote and Invited Speakers
The Congress featured the following keynote and invited speakers:
● Dr. Francisco Jesús Alvarez Hidalgo – European Commission, Unit “Health, Safety and Hygiene at Work”
● Geoffrey Podger – Chief Executive, Health and Safety Executive, United Kingdom
● Annette Kennedy – President, European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN)
● Professor Dame Betty Kershaw FRCN – Emeritus Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield
● Zinta Podniece – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Bilbao
● Professor Dame Carol Black – National Director for Health and Work, UK Government
● Paula Naumanen – Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
● Dr. Paul Fleming – University of Ulster, United Kingdom
● Jean-Michel Miller – European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
● Professor Robert (Bobby) Zachariae – Aarhus University, Denmark
● Dr. Jeremy Broadhead – The Priory Hospital, Kent, United Kingdom
● Joan Lewis – Legal Consultant in Employment Law and Human Resource Management, United Kingdom
● Mary McFadzean – MMC Absence and Health Management Ltd., United Kingdom
● Professor Frank van Dijk – Coronel Institute, Academic Medical Centre, the Netherlands
● Christina Butterworth (BG Group) and Caroline Minshell (BP) – United Kingdom
● Dr. Grahame Brown – Birmingham Orthopaedic Hospital, United Kingdom

The Closing Session was addressed by Professor Jorma Rantanen (Finland), President of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH).

HOHNEU Master's Degree Launch – Special Session
Within the framework of the Congress, a dedicated session marked the official launch of HOHNEU (Harmonising Occupational Health Nursing in the European Union), an ambitious three-year Leonardo da Vinci project. Its goal was to develop an online Master's degree in Occupational Health Nursing, accessible to nurses across Europe regardless of country or clinical setting, built collaboratively by seven partners: FOHNEU, the Danish Society of Occupational Health Nurses, the University College Maribor (Slovenia), the Irish Nurses Organisation, the Jagiellonian University Krakow (Poland), Swiss Occidental Leonardo, and the University of Sheffield. Project team members were on hand throughout the Congress to answer questions and recruit candidates, with the programme expected to commence in September 2008.

Free Paper and Poster Sessions
Across the three days, six numbered parallel sessions of free papers ran in the Grand Hall and York Suite, covering education and professional development, workplace risk and case studies, psychosocial risk factors, health risk management, and the management of sickness absence and rehabilitation. Presentations were given by speakers from, among others, Finland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

A poster session ran throughout the Congress, featuring 21 poster presentations spanning topics such as the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk, smoking cessation support, workplace alcohol and drug abuse prevention, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and quality of life, musculoskeletal complaints among multifocal-glasses wearers and computer users, shift work and cortisol response in ICU nurses, and support for the occupational skills of ageing employees. The Nordic collaboration NORDSAM was also presented as a poster.

Social and Cultural Programme
The scientific programme was complemented by a full social calendar: a Congress Reception in the Grand Hall on the opening evening, followed by a Congress Dinner on the second evening of the event. Delegates also had the opportunity to visit the exhibition running alongside the Congress throughout the three days.

Closing Ceremony and Awards
Following Professor Jorma Rantanen's closing address on future perspectives in occupational health, the Best Poster Prize was awarded to recognise the outstanding contribution among the Congress's 21 poster presentations. The Closing Ceremony was chaired, as at the opening, by Julie Staun (Denmark) and Bernie Jackson (United Kingdom), who thanked delegates, speakers, sponsors and organisers before bringing the 4th FOHNEU International Congress to a close.

Programme Booklet and Abstract Book

Congress Programme