1985-1989
Foundation and early organisation
Critical care nursing was still finding its place as a specialty. Education was limited and often local, with no consistent national pathway. Skills varied widely between regions.
BACCN was set up in 1985 to tackle this gap. It gave nurses a shared voice and pushed for fair access to education. Early leadership included founding president Neal Mellon and later chair Patsy Barrie‑Shevlin.
The first national conference took place in Manchester in 1986, with further events in 1987 and 1988. These meetings helped nurses share knowledge and build a community. Regional groups also began to form, offering support beyond major centres. Around the same time, the Irish Association of Critical Care Nurses was established in 1986, showing a wider move towards professional organisation.
At a system level, the UKCC had taken on regulation of nursing education from 1983. The ENB introduced intensive care courses, which started to formalise post registration learning. In 1987, NCEPOD began its work, bringing national attention to patient outcomes and care quality (https://www.ncepod.org.uk/1987.html)
In practice, there was growing recognition that critical care required specialist skills. Early steps were taken towards structured education and shared standards.
Overall This was a formative period. BACCN emerged to address unequal access to training and to represent critical care nurses, laying the groundwork for more consistent education and professional standards.