BASHH

Senior Nurse - Nurse Practitioner and Sexual Health Information and Protection team

Hello I joined the board in 2011 as the Nurse Representative having been actively involved in HIV and latterly sexual health since the early 1990's in Australia.  I qualified as a State Registered Nurse (General) in Adelaide in 1981, as a State Certified Midwife in 1984 whilst living in Scotland, hold a post Graduate Certificate in Operating Room Nursing and a post Graduate Diploma in Education (Adult).

I completed the Sexual Health & Venereology post graduate certificate with Sydney Hospital in 1995 whilst the Clinical Nurse Consultant - Sexual Health and HIV in northern Tasmania. I was one of the early members of ASHNA (Australasian Sexual Health Nurses Association) and I remain an overseas member.

Returning to the UK in 1997, I commenced work at the Jefferiss Wing Centre for Sexual Health. I have been a participant in many sexual health groups that include the RCN: Sexual Health Forum as a member and committee member resigning in 2009. I was seconded to the RCN as Sexual Health Adviser part time during 2005/6, working on the core business of sexual health for the RCN, & co - presenting sexual health workshops at the annual RCN Congress.

I have been a part of the National Service Team: Sexual Health, as a Consultant Nurse from its inception and have undertaken many visits throughout the England to assist challenged services. In a professional capacity I have written several articles for the nursing press and have co authored chapters in three nursing texts relating to sexual health. Along with David Evans & Kathy French, I co authored Sexual Health Skills for Nurses originally hosted by the RCN & latterly by the University of Greenwich.  

My involvement with BASHH beyond being a member has been initially with the STIF sub group assisting in the review and recent rewriting of the core materials. I have latterly been the nurse representative on the Education Committee. I have presented papers on issues relating to sexual health, infection control and operating room nursing at local, national and international meetings; the most recent being a poster at IUSTI in Georgia 2010. I have been a member of IUSTI since 2009 and have enjoyed the diversity that many of these meetings have provided.

I look forward to being able to continue the agenda established by my predecessors and I can be contacted on colin.roberts@nhs.net .