Following the success of 2008’s event, the 9^th Annual Abracadabra Diabetes Nursing Conference will for the first time ever be held in Ireland. Over the years there has been a strong contingent of Irish delegates attending the UK conferences, so we thought it was about time to bring the conference across to you! This is a very exciting development, and our hope is that more of you will be able to join us at the conference, which has become so renowned over the last decade.

Diabetes care in general, and diabetes nursing in particular, is undergoing rapid change. The priorities for primary and secondary care are shifting, nurses are being asked to take on new roles, and there are a plethora of new diabetes therapies and management approaches. The evidence base underpinning our practice also continues to grow at a startling rate. What are the implications of all these changes for the nurse working in diabetes? How should we best use the evidence available to navigate the complex diabetes management pathway? Is it always practical to follow guidelines and recommendations, or are there times when ‘the rules’ should be bent?

In the 2009 conference, we aim to provide nurses with practical guidance on how to negotiate these complex and sometimes confusing issues, with the ultimate aim of providing people with diabetes an optimum level of care. We hope you will be able to join us– we promise it will be as exciting, interactive and engaging as ever!