The 2012 Enhancing Practice Conference was hosted by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and held in Sydney, Australia, between 31st October and 2nd November. More than 200 delegates from across the globe came together to discuss, debate, challenge and enrich one another through sharing work, ideas and thinking about current practice and future direction. What was evident when reflecting on the conference presentations was the further building of relationships to support person-centred care between higher education providers, researchers and those involved directly and indirectly in delivering healthcare. These relationships are essential to further the theory and evidence around practice development and its application to healthcare practice. A range of perspectives was provided; sometimes complementary to each other, at other times challenging our thinking about aspects of practice development, person centredness, the engagement of consumers and how we influence an evolving workplace culture.

We would like to share the following words, which are drawn from participant feedback on the conference:

Day 1

Critical conversations and dialogue

Boot camp for your practice development imagination!

We are listening to consumers – are they being heard?

Day 2

Authenticity requires bravery

Stop sheltering from innovation

Transition → Freedom – I am reconnected

Day 3

Loving the realness and vulnerability of the keynotes ‘modelling the way’

Listening is not the same as waiting to speak – listen just listen – think, listen more and then finally speak

Thank you, fantastic! Wonderful! Enlightening! Inspiring, so glad I came

While these words reflect on the conference experience, we suggest they provide us with an opportunity to stop and reflect on our own practice, and to challenge ourselves to strive continually to connect what we say with what we do.

The next Enhancing Practice Conference will be hosted by our Canadian partners of the International Practice Development Collaborative in Toronto, on 24th to 26th September, 2014. This is a beautiful time to visit Canada in the midst of the fall season, so please note this next conference in your diary.

We would encourage you to join the delegates of the EP14 conference so that together we can further our journey in the provision of person-centred care.

This article by Val Wilson and Annette Solman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 License.