Endocrinology is one of the most fascinating specialties to work in as a nurse (although I know I am biased!). The roles can vary widely from one nurse to another. Some nurses work as part of a large team, whilst other nurses work alone.

The Society for Endocrinology has created a Facebook group, which is quick and easy to join and allows nurses to communicate and interact with one other, no matter where they are based in the endocrine community. Those of you who are keen users of social media can also follow the endocrine nurses on Twitter. You will find details for joining both these groups on this page.

Raising standards, promoting excellence in nursing and reaching out to fellow endocrine nurses is important, not only nationally but also internationally. The mission of the Federation of International Nurses in Endocrinology (F.I.N.E) is to do just that. F.I.N.E proudly developed and presented a nurse programme at the 17th International Congress of Endocrinology (ICE 2016) which was held in collaboration with the 15th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Endocrinology last year. You can read more about this work in the article written by Kate Davies and myself.

Continuing on the theme of excellence in nursing, we look forward to Nikki Kieffer receiving the inaugural Endocrine Nurse Award and delivering her presentation at Endocrine Nurse Update on 20–21 March in Birmingham. There is still time to register if you have not already done so via the Society’s website. I look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be an interesting and interactive programme.

Lisa Shepherd

Nominations are now open for the 2018 Endocrine Nurse Award. Visit the Society’s website for more details.