RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Report 2023/24
ABOUT THE FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
Established in 1974, the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery plays a pivotal role in leading and supporting the development of the nursing and midwifery professions nationally and internationally. This is achieved through the delivery of transformative learning experiences, impactful research in the areas of professional development and supporting the contribution of nurses and midwives to healthcare and societal well-being. The Faculty’s Strategic Plan (2019-2022) identified the following objectives:
• Design, develop and deliver transformative learning experiences to facilitate the continued professional development and lifelong learning of nurses, midwives and professionals in the healthcare arena;
• Lead impactful research in areas of professional development, lifelong learning and the monitoring and maintenance of professional competence at clinical, educational, research, management, technological and policy levels;
• Support the contribution of nurses and midwives to healthcare and societal well-being in Ireland and internationally.
THE BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
The Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery comprises a Dean and thirteen members. It is bound by the Standing Orders of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and the constitutions of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Council of the College.
THE DEAN’S MEDAL
The Dean’s Medal was designed by the Founding Dean, Mary Frances Crowley. It comprises of the College Badge, mounted on a black background and encircled by eight stars representing the essential qualities of leadership: Knowledge, Responsibility, Conciliation, Availability, Wisdom, Coordination, Co-operation and Prudence.
The Annual Report 2023 – 2024 covers the reporting period 01 July 2023 – 30 June 2024. The Board and the Executive of the Faculty wish to acknowledge and thank RCSI Design and Snap Design for their exceptional work, artistic vision, creativity and professionalism throughout the year.
THE YEAR IN NUMBERS
» 5 clinical bursary awards presented
» Over 290 delegates from 9 countries attended the Annual International Conference
» The Faculty conferred 9 members this year.
» The Faculty conferred 81 Fellowships this year.
• 63 Fellows by Examination
• 10 Fellowships Ad Eundem
• 4 Fellowships by Election
• 4 Honorary Fellowships.
» 3,832 applicants completed the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas General Nurses and 25 applicants completed the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Psychiatric Nurses.
» Milestone of 15,000 applicants completing the Overseas Aptitude Test reached.
» The Faculty produced 178 outputs including 39 journal articles and 51oral and poster presentations.
» The Faculty launched the Social Prescribing Evidence Hub, the first of its kind in Ireland.
DEAN’S REVIEW
On behalf of the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, it is my great pleasure to present to you the 2023-2024 Annual Report. I welcome all of the newest Fellows Ad Eundem, By Election and By Examination and Members of the Faculty who were conferred in December 2023. I also wish to welcome our newest Board Members, Prof. Richard Ricciardi and Ms Teresa McNally both of whom bring a wealth of experience to the Board. I also wish to acknowledge the appointment of Ms Deirdre Lang as Honorary Secretary and the continuation of Mr Ken Jordan’s tenure as Honorary Treasurer.
I wish to sincerely thank the Board and the Executive who, through their extraordinary commitment, reliability and professionalism, continue to deliver on and grow the Faculty’s aims. Building on the successes of previous years, this last year has seen further growth and development as we expanded our educational, research, and policy endeavours. As we continue to mark our 50th Anniversary we can see just how far the Faculty has grown since its inception. I have no doubt that our Founding Dean, Mary Frances Crowley, would be proud of the enduring legacy she left to nursing and midwifery here in Ireland and indeed internationally through her work both at home and abroad. To learn more about the remarkable experiences of Mary Frances Crowley, visit the RCSI Heritage Collections blog at L’hôpital irlandais de Saint-Lô: Mary Frances Crowley, The Matron Amongst the Ruins (rcsiheritage.blogspot.com).
Throughout the year, significant work was undertaken in relation to the governance of the Faculty. As reported previously, the 2019 – 2022 Strategic Plan was extended due to the changes in leadership of the Faculty, and the impending publication of the RCSI Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027. In August 2023, the Faculty commissioned Genesis consultancy to draft our new strategic plan. A key focus of the strategy development process has been to build on the success and progress of the previous strategy while equipping the organisation to respond in an increasingly complex and dynamic operating environment. Given recent investments by the
Faculty, including an expansion of the executive and operations teams, the establishment of the Global Innovation and Leadership Academy (GILA), together with securing funding for nine research PhDs, the process was about more than developing a strategy. It was also about building organisational coherence and commitment to support the future strategy and plan of action to achieve it. To ensure a comprehensive approach, an extensive discovery phase was undertaken. This included in-depth, one-to-one interviews with key internal and external stakeholders, a series of workshops with the Board and Executive team and a survey of Fellows and Members. The final draft of the strategy has now been ratified by the President of RCSI.
The Faculty Standing Orders were first developed at the foundation of the Faculty in 1974 and act as the Faculty’s constitution. In pursuance of good governance, the Faculty Board has reviewed the Standing Orders in recent years to ensure that the document is timely and represents good governance. The newest version of Faculty Standing Orders were approved by the Surgical and Postgraduate Faculties Board in June 2024.
The Faculty’s Code of Corporate Governance was first developed in 2019 and supports the Faculty’s Standing Orders. It is currently being updated to bring it into line with the Standing Orders and the Faculty’s 2024 – 2027 Strategic Plan.
Over the last year, the Succession Planning SubCommittee worked closely with the Senior Executive
Assistant and RCSI IT to develop a new Board recruitment and voting system. This saw a move from paper voting to online voting, overseen by RCSI IT and administered by the Executive. This system improved the operation of the Board election immensely and create fairer opportunities for all Fellows, globally, to participate. As part of this work, a gap analysis was carried out to ascertain what strengths and capabilities were most needed on the Faculty Board at the time of election, and this was used as a shortlisting mechanism, the first time a formal shortlisting process was utilised by the Faculty for Board elections. Furthermore, EDI considerations were brought to the forefront of the election process and the stipulation that a nominee must be seconded by another Fellow was removed, as it may have presented a barrier to entry for Fellows outside of Ireland.
The Faculty Board reports to the RCSI Surgery and Postgraduate Faculties Board (SPFB). The SPFB met four times this year where I presented a highlight activity report on the work of the Faculty.
The Global Innovation and Leadership Academy was established in Spring 2023 under the co-direction of Prof. Thomas Kearns and Prof. Michael Shannon. This academy was developed to house the candidate WHO Collaborating Centre, with the intention of building out a suite of supporting programmes in the future.
Following the success of the Faculty’s commission of two art pieces for the 40th anniversary of the Annual Conference, approval was given by the Board for the commissioning of two art pieces in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Faculty. This work was initiated in January 2024, with artist John Rainey reengaged to work on the commissions.
Together with Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean; Prof. Michael Shannon, Dean Emeritus; and Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean, I travelled to Dubai in late May to meet with representatives of the College of Nursing at the Gulf Medical University in Ajman. This was at the request of the Dean, Prof. Chacko. On this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations was signed which paves the way for collaboration between the organisations in a number of areas.
Prof. Charlotte McArdle, Prof. Michael Shannon and I represented the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery RCSI at the Global Partners Meeting at the invitation
of Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, Chief Nurse World Health Organisation. The meeting was a collaborative between ICN/ICM and WHO and included discussions and workshops on the current status of data of the World’s Nursing 2025 report and considerations for the next State of the World’s Midwifery report, and discussions and workshops on equity, access and availability of nurses and midwives. The Patron, Her Highness Princess Muna Al Hussein, WHO Nursing Ambassador and Honorary Fellow of the Faculty attended the opening and closing ceremonies. Dr Amelia publicly thanked the Faculty for our outstanding support, in particular for the Basic Emergency Care programme which aims to provide nurses and midwives with access to first contact emergency care training in 25 low and medium –income countries.
We were saddened to hear of the passing of two leading figures in nursing and healthcare this yearMs Josephine Bartley, Founder Member and Former Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (13 May 2024) and Dr Catherine O’Neill, Former Senior Lecturer RCSI Dublin and Bahrain and former Board Member of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (29 March 2024). These powerful women were driving forces for change, advocates for the profession and the people we care for, and an inspiration for generations of students and staff. Testament to their character are the many touching tributes included in the obituaries published in the national press.
Finally, on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the Executive team under the leadership of Prof. Mark White who have worked exceptionally hard this year as you will see as you read through this report. I wish to also thank all our Fellows, Members, associates and collaborators who continue to support the work of the Faculty.
I hope you enjoy reading about the developments in the Faculty over the last year and I look forward to seeing you in RCSI at some of our upcoming events.
Dr
Mary Boyd Dean 29 November 2024
EXECUTIVE DEAN’S REVIEW
Great things don’t just happen by themselves and I would like to thank the two new Executive Vice-Deans, Prof. Mary-Rose Sweeney and Prof. Mary Lynch, Mr Paul Mahon Operations and Education Manager and the entire Faculty Executive team for their unwavering support for me in my role and the dedication, pride and enthusiasm that they bring to their own roles and the work of the Faculty. Sincere thanks to Prof. Laura Viani (outgoing President), Prof. Cathal Kelly (CEO/Vice Chancellor) and Mr Kieran Ryan (Managing Director of Surgical Affairs) who enable and encourage the Faculty to grow, develop and be the very best that we can.
FACULTY TEAM
The Faculty team continues to grow with a number of postdoctoral and other positions supporting various projects. Denise McKernan joined us in late 2023 as the Programme Lead for the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement for the RCSI Hospital Group following the promotion of Paul Mahon to Operations and Education Manger in April 2023. Dr Shuhua Yang joined as a funded Post-Doctoral Researcher and Dr Julze Alejandre, Prof. Nina Kilkku, Dr Clare Lewis and Dr Elizabeth Morrow have joined as visiting Research Fellows on various funded research projects. Dr Katja Savolainen joined as a lecturer supporting the Flourishing programme. Dr Llinos Haf Spencer joined the Faculty in May 2024 as Research Fellow for the WEATHER project for 48 months. Ms Aine Halligan returned to her position as Operations Manager
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Faculty’s 2023/2024 Annual Report, my first full report as Executive Dean. I would like to commence my review by thanking Dr Mary Boyd (Dean), Ms Mary Godfrey (Vice Dean) and the entire Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, for their support for me and the new Executive team over the past 12 months as we transitioned into our roles and commenced a series of strategic projects and changes. As outlined previously by the Dean, the Faculty continues to diversify its activities in order to evolve, develop and grow. I would like to thank the previous Executive Director, Prof. Thomas Kearns who helped develop the Faculty over many years for his support, guidance and counsel over the last year. It has been invaluable.
following maternity leave and a big thank you to Ms Victoria Green who covered her position whilst on leave.
FELLOWSHIPS AND MEMBERSHIPS
The growth of the Faculty’s Fellowships and Memberships continues. We processed 63 Fellows by Examination and nine Memberships for conferral in December 2023. In addition to our Clinical Bursary awards, the Dean launched an innovative PhD sponsorship scheme for Faculty Fellows and Members at the conference in February 2024.
As 2024 is our 50th Anniversary we scheduled a number of additional networking and celebratory events for our Fellows and Members. These are in addition to our Christmas Festive Event which was particularly memorable in 2023 with some touching words from the Ukrainian Chief Nurse who was visiting Ireland at the time. The summer event was held in May 2024 and was a most entertaining evening.
STRATEGY
The Faculty commenced the development of its new strategic action plan in Quarter 4 2023 via an extensive strategic dialogue with all of our partners and stakeholders internally and externally. This exercise has been so beneficial for the Faculty and underlines our commitment to listen to what all our Fellows, Members, and partners want us to focus our
efforts on in the coming years. The Faculty’s strategic plan whilst in an advanced draft stage, is not due to be formally launched until the Autumn / Winter 2024. Until its release we have been reporting all activities in the previous format of: Delivering a Transformative Learning Experience, Leading Impactful Research and Supporting Healthcare and Society.
DELIVERING A TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
MOBILE CPD PLATFORM
The Board approved a significant investment researching, developing and testing a mobile CPD platform (mCPD) in 2019/2020. The objective of the platform is to transform the lifelong learning experience of nurses and midwives through digital technology and AI. Following procurement, we appointed a gaming development company to support the design of our mobile learning technology platform. 2023/24 was a significant year for development and the Faculty issued a tender in late 2023 for the development of a minimum viable product (MVP) version of the FLO mobile training App. A number of next-stage options for the project have been developed for decision by the Faculty Board.
OVERSEAS APTITUDE TEST
The RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Nurses remains the Faculty’s primary activity and continues to facilitate internationally educated nurses from overseas wishing to register and practice in Ireland. 2023 - 2024 served as our busiest year for testing with 3433 applicants processed. Twenty-five applicants undertook the assessment for Psychiatric Nursing in this period.
The Faculty would like to acknowledge the leadership and professionalism of Dr Maria Neary, Aptitude Test Coordinator and Ms Pamela Peppard, Administrator, in the management and coordination of this very significant work and, of course, Ms Lasarina Maguire FFNMRCSI, Board Member, who acts as a “super assessor”. Notably, the Faculty acknowledge Mr Brian Casey and colleagues in ERC Beaumont, the RCSI IT Department, Ms Catherine Behan, and the 150 OCSE Assessors who are critical for the successful delivery and provision of the test.
CPD
The Faculty’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio continues to expand with clinically relevant, innovative CPD programmes. In addition
to our existing commitments to SIPTU and the PNA under our MoU, the Faculty have developed and are now offering new programmes of interest, including: an Executive Coaching Programme, Flourishing (a programme to support mental wellbeing in nurses and midwives), a human trafficking awareness programme, a module about the deconditioning of patients in hospital settings for Health and Social Care Professionals, an Addiction Programme (in conjunction with the Dublin Simon Community), a short Social Prescribing programme and a short Menopause in the Workplace CPD.
The leadership programme for the Romanian Order of Nurses was completed at the end of 2023 and was evaluated favourably, leading to a request from the Ukrainian Chief Nurse to deliver a similar programme to the country’s senior nurses. This programme commenced in May 2024 with a cohort from Ukraine visiting RCSI and our clinical partners.
LEADING IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
The research portfolio of the Faculty continues to grow under the leadership of Prof. Mary Lynch. Prof. Lynch is leading/contributing to a number of national and international projects and submitted eight research grants between 2023/24, some unsuccessful and a number still under review. Of note, Prof. Mary Lynch as joint co-PI was successful in securing a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation Call 5 award for the WEATHER project. This is a collaborative partnership between RCSI, the University of KwaZuluNatal, the University of West of Scotland (UWS) and Portsmouth University. This project commenced in January 2024 and will run for 48 months. The award for this research grant is €2,289,516 with €458,924.78 awarded to the Faculty for Prof. Lynch to lead the project as well conduct the project evaluation along with Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney. See https://tinyurl.com/2x8w48ra.
The Faculty Board provided a financial allocation to both Prof. Lynch and Prof. Sweeney to grow their research interests and PhD students in the Faculty via scholarships. The Faculty, in partnership with the School of Postgraduate Studies, hosted an event on Valentine’s Day “Faculty First Dates” for Prof. Sweeney and Prof. Lynch to meet co-supervisors from various disciplines to work with them on the nine fully funded Ph.D. scholarships.
The Faculty was commissioned to lead and publish three evaluations and policy briefing papers on behalf
of Skillnet Ireland. The Faculty joined two European COST actions during 2023/24 and have applied for a number of large European grants. The Faculty team were responsible for 178 outputs, including five books, book chapters or reports; 39 journal articles, 51 oral and poster presentations, 14 research applications with a further six awaiting submission, seven under review and 13 rejected; ten ANP newsletters, nine CNS Reviews, 12 NHI Bulletins and 12 NHI interactive sessions.
CONFERENCE
The Faculty hosted its Annual International Research, Education and Practice Conference on the 21 and 22 February 2024. Now in its 43rd year, the focus of the conference this year concentrated specifically on the Changing Landscape of Health. The Faculty reintroduced the pre-conference masterclasses this year and each of the four Honorary Fellows Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge (WHO), Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu (WHO), Prof. Sir Michael Marmot CH, and Dr DianaLoreta Păun (Presidential Advisor in the Department of Public Health in Romania) delivered a presentation of their current research interests.
Delegate numbers were up this year compared to last year at 299 registrations from nine different countries. The conference fee was reintroduced in 2024 following previous Covid measures. There were 66 scheduled concurrent presentations from global experts and 71 posters presented on the day, showcasing the very best of practice, education, policy and research initiatives.
SOCIAL PRESCRIBING EVIDENCE HUB
The Faculty launched the ‘Social Prescribing Evidence Hub’ (SPEH) in Ireland with key partners on the 18 April in the RCSI which brings together the HSE and other academic collaborators to work collectively on joint initiatives and research applications in the area of social prescribing.
EUROPEAN CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
The Faculty’s European Centre of Excellence for Research in Continuing Professional Development continues to expand its reach. During the past year the Centre continued to deliver on major European Erasmus Research projects. My thanks to Dr Fitzgerald, and to Dr Aleo who has covered her maternity leave in the centre.
S UPPORTING HEALTHCARE AND SOCIETY
FACULTY
OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY TRANSITION SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES
The Faculty submitted its Transition Support Programme for Internationally Educated Nurses proposal to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland in early 2024. Although not successful on this occasion, the feedback is encouraging and another submission is to be made at the start of Quarter 3.
My thanks to Joanne Peters for her leadership in the development of the proposal and to Gill Berry for her expert advice and contribution.
A big thank you Prof. Mary-Rose Sweeney, Mr Paul Mahon and all of the Executive team who row-into our Education offerings.
GLOBAL INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (GILA)
GILA was established in 2023 by the Dean and the Board to incubate and house global nursing and midwifery projects under the stewardship of Prof. Thomas Kearns and Prof. Michael Shannon. GILA has had a remarkable first year leading the following projects: the WHO Collaborating Centre application, the Pan-European Mental Health project, WHO CNO’s community of practice, WHO’s Council of Deans, WHO Quality in Human Rights in Mental Health project and the Student and Early Career Leadership Programme as well as facilitating many international networking opportunities for the Faculty. My sincere thanks to Prof. Kearns and Prof. Shannon and the post-doctoral support of Prof. Nina Kilkku, Dr Clare Lewis and Dr Emily McWhirter who work with the projects within GILA.
CENTRE FOR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY ADVANCEMENT (CNMA) FOR THE RCSI HOSPITAL GROUP
We were delighted to have the Programme Coordinator position for the CNMA filled by Denise McKernan and I thank our Board Member Petrina Donnelly for her efforts in this regard. The CNMA has continued to grow its work with the ANP Forum in the RCSI Hospital Group and I offer gratitude to Prof. Marie Carney for her continued support with the forum.
The Faculty sponsored the ‘Excellence in Midwifery’ Award competition on International Day of the Midwife in the Rotunda and we continue to explore how we can support midwifery in the RCSI Hospital Group.
The CNMA developed a new module on ‘Cultural Integration and Diversity’ and ‘Digital Competency Development’ and we thank Ms Judy McEntee for her guidance and counsel. The DAISY award continues to grow across the Hospital Group and the Faculty are honoured to support the awards again. I would like to thank all of the Directors of Nursing and Midwifery across the Hospital Group for their enthusiasm and support for the CNMA and for the Faculty.
NURSING HOMES IRELAND (NHI)
The Faculty continues to support NHI with a visiting Professorship role through Prof. Marie Carney. The position has enabled a number of online educational webinars with the sector and the introduction of an Education and Research Newsletter for NHI. My thanks to the leadership of Prof. Carney, Mr Tadhg Daly CEO, NHI and Ms Deirdre Shanagher.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would also like to acknowledge the on-going support and collegiality from colleagues in RCSI. In particular, Prof. Deborah McNamara, President RCSI; Prof. Laura Viani, Past President RCSI; Prof. Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar RCSI; Mr Kieran Ryan, Managing Director Surgical Affairs RCSI; Mr Justin Ralph, Chief Technology Officer RCSI; Mr Dónall King, Legal Advisor; Mr Barry McGowan, Senior Financial Accountant and colleagues in Finance, our HR Partner, Ms Rachel Hipwell and members of the Surgery and Post Graduate Faculties Board. A special mention to Ms Suzanne May, Secretariat to the Faculty Board who manages to seamlessly coordinate Board and Executive business in a most professional manner.
Finally, I would also like to welcome all of our new Fellows and Members and we look forward to welcoming you to future Faculty, and Fellows, Members and Friends’ Events. I hope you enjoy perusing our Annual Report, see some familiar faces in the documenting photographs and we look forward to engaging with you in the future.
Prof. Mark White Executive Dean
BOARD OF THE FACULTY
Dr Mary Boyd Dean
Ms Jacinta Collins Board Member
Dr Kevin McKenna Board Member
Ms Teresa McNally Board Member
Prof. Richard Ricciardi Board Member
Ms Mary Godfrey Vice-Dean
Ms Petrina Donnelly Board Member
Ms Marianne Garvey McMahon Board Member
Ms Deirdre Lang Honorary Secretary
Dr Cora Lunn Board Member
Ms Lasarina Maguire Board Member
Prof. Charlotte McArdle Board Member
Mr Ken Jordan Honorary Treasurer
Prof. Thomas O’Connell Board Member
STAFF OF THE FACULTY
Transition Support Programme Coordinator
Dr Giuseppe Aleo Visiting Research Fellow UPGRADE Centre
Dr Clare Lewis Visiting Research Fellow
Dr Nicola Pagnucci Visiting Research Fellow UPGRADE Centre
Dr
Yang Postdoctoral Researcher
Operations and Education Manager
Research Assistant UPGRADE Centre
Research Fellow
Programme Coordinator mCPD
Visiting Professor to NHI and Programme Lead, ANP/CNS Forum
Prof. Marie Carney
Dr Edward Naessens
Prof. Thomas Kearns Consultant and Co-Director of GILA
Niamh Walsh
Prof. Nina Kilkku Visiting
Shuhua
Dr Elizabeth Morrow Visiting Research Fellow
Dr LLinos Haf Spencer Research Fellow
Paul Mahon
Joanne Peters
Dr Catherine Fitzgerald UPGRADE Centre Lead
Prof. Mark White Executive Dean Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney Executive Vice Dean for Education
Denise McKernan Programme Lead, CNMA
Dr Maria Neary Coordinator of the Overseas Aptitude Test
Prof. Mary Lynch Executive Vice Dean for Research
Dr Katja Savolainen Lecturer
STAFF OF THE FACULTY
Prof. Michael Shannon Consultant and Co-Director of GILA
Pamela Peppard Lead Administrator, Overseas Aptitude Test
DEAN’S HIGHLIGHTS 2023 - 2024
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery hosted its 43rd Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research, Education and Practice conference on the 21 and 22 February. Over 290 participants from nine countries attended.
The Faculty conferred Honorary Fellowships upon Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, Prof. Sir Michael Marmot CH, Dr Diana-Loreta Păun and Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu.
The Faculty was delighted to host a delegation of senior nurses from across Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian Nurse leadership development programme.
A video was created by the RCSI Arts Committee to mark International Sculpture Day 2024. The video features the Faculty’s commissions of the busts of Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth O’Farrell with both the artist, John Rainey, and the Dean, Dr Boyd, contributing. You can view the short video here or by scanning the QR code. The sculptures were also shortlisted for the Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice supported by TileStyle at the Business to Arts Awards, held in the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, 12 September 2023.
DEAN’S HIGHLIGHTS 2023 - 2024
On the invitation of Dr Tedros Ghebreysus Director General World Health Organisation, Dr Mary Boyd and Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney attended a global health challenges event, held in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Faculty launched the Social Prescribing Evidence Hub which aspires to build the critical evidence base for Social Prescribing in Ireland, and internationally. It is a first in Ireland and complements other centres in the UK.
As part of our 50th Celebrations, the Faculty hosted a Summer Fellows, Members and Friends event, Caring Voices, with entertainment provided by Lisa Lambe and her musicians.
The kick-off meeting for the TEAMCARE Project was held at the RCSI on the 5 October 2023. This project is a three-year Erasmus+ project grant entitled: an inTerprofessional EuropeAn curriculuM for health and social Care staff: developing a speciAlist in personalized useR-centered carE in the community.
STRATEGIC PILLAR 1: DELIVERING A TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
As the longest established provider of higher education to nurses and midwives in Ireland, the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery has a rich heritage in delivering innovative and clinically focused programmes to nurses, midwives, and in more recent years, a more diverse healthcare workforce.
FELLOWSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
The Fellowship and Membership Conferring is an annual highlight in the Faculty calendar. This year, the Fellows, Members and Diplomates Conferring Ceremony was held on Monday, 4 December. The Faculty celebrated the conferring of a total of 77 Fellows and nine Members from across the globe including Ireland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the United States, Philippines, Malta, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Canada, Taiwan, Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, the Maldives and Uzbekistan. This included 63 Fellowships by Examination, 10 Fellowship Ad Eundem and four Fellowships by Election. The award ceremony can be viewed here or by scanning the QR code.
The Faculty acknowledges the expertise and support of colleagues in RCSI Marketing under the leadership of Paul Nolan, Head of Marketing and Sophie Ryan, Digital Specialist, for supporting the development of a comprehensive marketing campaign to raise awareness of the Faculty Awards. The college marketing team reported a large volume of interest on social media and the Faculty webpage in both areas. The Faculty hosted a series of live interactive information sessions for the Fellowship and Membership awards. These involved presentations from Prof. Marie Carney, Paul Mahon and Denise McKernan. Each webinar was well
attended and positively evaluated. The Fellowship and Membership awards were also promoted at a variety of events including the DAISY Awards, the ANMP Grand Rounds, and at Nursing Home Ireland educational sessions. The Criteria and Processes for both the Fellowship and Membership awards were updated and approved again this year.
MEMBERSHIP AWARD (MFNMRCSI)
Membership is an award offered by few colleges worldwide and exclusively in Ireland by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery RCSI. Following an extensive scoping review, the Membership Award (MFNMRCSI) was launched in 2021 as an innovative and supportive mechanism by which nurses and midwives nationally and internationally are afforded the opportunity to actively engage with the Faculty and its community of practice at all stages of their careers. Membership enables nurses and midwives to demonstrate their professional commitment to excellence, compassion, teamwork and preceptorship in their nursing and midwifery practice.
Membership is open to any nurse or midwife, from any jurisdiction and from any scope of practice. Applicants must possess a degree in nursing, midwifery or equivalent or a post graduate diploma. An Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) route is also available to experienced nurses and midwives.
Nine Membership Awards were conferred at the ceremony in December:
• Mr Allen Cantos, Enhanced Care Staff Nurse, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Aoife Sommers, Community Homecare Nurse, Irish Home Care, Leitrim, Ireland
• Ms Besi Paul, Staff Nurse, Dublin North City and County Mental Health Services, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Cebi Paul, Staff Nurse, Dublin North City and County Mental Health Services, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Clio Milne, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Sexual Health Service, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Ireland
• Ms Elamira Nemate Mohamed Hassan Abo Shall, Clinical Resource Manager, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital, United Arab Emirates
• Ms Justine McGrane, Clinical Nurse Specialist, St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Rincy Rajan, Health Protection Nurse, Department of Public Health, Cork, Ireland
• Ms Sandra O’Rourke, Clinical Nurse Manager II, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Ireland.
Further information on Membership is available on the Faculty’s website: https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/about/ faculty-of-nursing-and-midwifery/membership
FELLOWSHIP OF THE FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY (FFNMRCSI)
The Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery RCSI (FFNMRCSI) is exclusively offered by
the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and is one of the most prestigious professional qualifications awarded to nurses and midwives. The Faculty conferred its first Fellowship award in 1982, and since then a host of nurses and midwives from a diverse range of clinical, educational, leadership and research roles have been conferred. Fellowships are awarded in different categories: Honorary Fellowship, Fellow Ad Eundem, Fellow by Election, and Fellow by Examination.
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP, FELLOWSHIP AD EUNDEM AND FELLOWSHIP BY ELECTION
Honorary Fellowship, Fellowship Ad Eundem and Fellowship by Election are awarded to candidates in recognition of outstanding work and/or exceptional leadership in the professions of nursing and midwifery or a related science, to those who have given significant service to the profession or those who have positively influenced and impacted on health and society. Candidates for these awards are first nominated and ratified by the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery prior to review and ratification by the Surgery and Postgraduate Faculties Board (SPFB), RCSI. This year, we conferred four Honorary Fellowships, ten Fellows Ad Eundem and four Fellows by Election.
Honorary Fellowship:
• Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Professor Sir Michael Marmot CH, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity, UCL Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, United Kingdom
• Dr Diana-Loreta Păun, Presidential Advisor in the Department of Public Health, Romania
• Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, Chief Nursing Officer, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Fellows Ad Eundem:
• Dr Sandra Bibb, President Elect, Sigma International, United States of America
• Prof. Aurelija Blazeviciene, Head of Nursing and Care Department, Faculty of Nursing, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania
• Prof. Kuei-Ru Chou, Dean College of Nursing Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
• Prof. David Evans OBE, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
• Dr Leslie Mancuso, CEO and President, Jhpiego, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
• Prof. Afaf Meleis, Dean Emerita, University of
Pennsylvania, United States of America
• Prof. Calvin Moorley, London South Bank University, United Kingdom
• Dr Rikhsinisa Kamilovna Salikhodjayea, Chief Nurse of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
• Prof. Laura Serrant OBE, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
• Prof. Milko Patrick Zanini, University of Genoa, Italy.
Fellows by Election:
• Mr Mario Grazic, President of the Croatian Chamber of Nurses and Secretary of the European Nursing Council, Croatia
• Mr Tim Guest CEO Canadian Nurses Association, Canada
• Ms Carmel Kelly, Network Manager, Skillnet, Ireland
• Mrs Geraldine Rogers OBE, Director of Nursing Leadership and Quality, NHS England, United Kingdom.
FELLOWSHIP BY EXAMINATION
Fellowship by Examination is open to any nurse or midwife from any jurisdiction and from any scope of practice - clinical, research, education, leadership / management - and from any clinical speciality, from primary to tertiary care and across the life span. Most professions such as medicine, engineering, and architecture provide for a Fellowship as it is viewed as an award that links to the significant contribution made by professionals to their profession, society and in the case of nursing / midwifery to patients, service users, colleagues and students. Further information on Fellowship by Examination is available on the Faculty’s website: https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/about/ faculty-of-nursing-and-midwifery/fellowship
This year, 63 Fellowships by Examination were awarded:
• Ms Aysha Albuarki, Clinical Placement Coordinator, RCSI, Bahrain
• Mrs Khansa Ali, Nursing Unit Head, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
• Mr Hamza Alshraiedeh, Wound Care Nurse, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
• Dr Jonathan Bayuo, Clinical Academic Nurse (Burns and Plastics), Lecturer, Presbyterian University, Ghana
• Mrs Sarah Belton, Gynaecological Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Suzanne Brown, Chief Nursing Information
Officer, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• Mrs Maryam Sharfi, Hospital Breastfeeding Committee Chairperson, King Hamad University Hospital, Al Sayh, Bahrain
• Mrs Yvonne Timony, Research and Innovation Lead, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• Mr Lucky Jhon Tiongco, Nursing Faculty, General Santos Doctors Medical School Foundation, Maldives
• Dr Jasper Erwin Tolarba, Endowed Chair of Nursing Practice, Education, Research and Innovation, Nuvance Health and Sacred Heart University, New York, United States
• Ms Myrna Traboulssi, Nursing Director/ Head of Nursing, Awali Hospital, Manama, Bahrain
• Mr Earl Omar Tumanguil, Development Programme Manager, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
• Prof. Niamh Vickers, Lecturer/Assistant Professor Public Health Nursing and Subject Head for Public Health and Community Nursing, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Niamh Walsh, Post-Doctoral Researcher, European Centre of Excellence for CPD, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
• Ms Catherine White, Project Manager for ONMSD Classroom Learning Management System, Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, Ireland
• Ms Margaret Williams, Leadership Advisor/Deputy Director (ADON), National Clinical Leadership Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Ireland
• Ms Julie Zakaria, Senior Nursing Instructor, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
VISIT TO RCSI BAHRAIN
Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney, Paul Mahon, and Denise McKernan travelled to RCSI Bahrain to promote the Faculty’s Fellowship and Membership awards and CPD programmes. On Wednesday, 17 January 2024 the delegation attended the meeting of the Joint Board for RCSI Bahrain and Private Hospitals where Mr Mahon presented an overview of the Faculty and the Fellowship and Membership Programmes. Much interest was expressed in the Fellowship and Membership awards and discussion was held in relation to CPD. Later that evening, a social event was held for alumni of RCSI Bahrain to network and promote CPD and the awards. On Thursday, 18 January a visit was facilitated to King Hamad Medical Missionary Hospital by Dr Deepak Abraham Chief of Medical Staff, to view their newly built facilities including the RCSI wing complete with purpose-built simulation rooms. While in King Hamad Medical Missionary Hospital, the delegation were able to meet the Director of Nursing who also showed interest in the Leadership by Executive Coaching Programme. That afternoon, Mr Mahon presented once again to the current undergraduate students of RCSI.
Above Dr Mary Boyd presents the Fellowship parchment to some of the Fellows that were unable to attend the conferring ceremony in Dublin at a meeting in the United Arab Emirates
RCSI FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY OVERSEAS APTITUDE TEST
To work as a nurse in the Republic of Ireland, a person must be on the Register of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). A person who trained overseas must undergo a regulatory assessment by the NMBI. Following such an assessment, a person may be required to successfully complete a compensation measure as a pre-requisite to registration. One such measure is the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Nurses. Since the commencement of this aptitude test in December 2015, the Faculty has assessed more than 15,000 Internationally Educated Nurses for registration from 59 countries across the globe.
In 2014, Prof. Thomas Kearns, Executive Director of the FNM, scoped the concept of an Aptitude Test and conducted an in-depth national consultation and research study that informed its development. The first test took place in December 2015. The Aptitude Test is based on two assessment methods: a theoretical component and a practical component. The theory component consists of an RCSI supervised online assessment of professional knowledge and understanding. A method of assessment known as multiple-choice questions is used. A methodology known as Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is used for the practical component.
The RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Nurses continues to facilitate internationally educated nurses from overseas wishing to register and practice in Ireland. Between 1st July 2023 and 30th June 2024, 3,832 applicants completed the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas General Nurses and 25 applicants completed the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Psychiatric Nurses. This is a significant contribution to the challenges associated with recruitment, retention and the universal workforce challenges faced in Human Resources for Health in Ireland, Europe and globally.
The OSCE assessors are experienced nurses, from a wide range of healthcare facilities, who hold a post-graduate qualification and have been trained by RCSI as OSCE assessors.
The predicted challenges to the health services
posed by the pandemic included the number of nurses needed to meet increasing demands. RCSI FNM continued to plan for a capacity increase in the number that could be facilitated by the Aptitude Test. The number of applicants undertaking the test more than doubled that in the pre-pandemic era, thereby significantly contributing to the nursing workforce. Great credit goes to the incredible on-going professional support of so many.
OVERSEAS APTITUDE TEST ASSESSORS EVENING
Once again this year, Dr Mary Boyd and Prof. Thomas Kearns extended a dinner invitation to the Overseas Aptitude Test assessors and coordinators in appreciation of their significant contribution to the success of the Overseas Aptitude Test. This dinner took place in the College Hall of RCSI on Tuesday 16 April 2024 with 81 assessors and coordinators in attendance.
The evening commenced with an address by Irish stand-up comedian, actor, and mental health advocate P.J. Gallagher. P.J. spoke about his own struggles with mental health and recalled his childhood where his adoptive mother boarded and cared for patients from a psychiatric hospital, with the house split into two halves with the ‘Men’ on one side and his family on the other. P.J. partners with advocacy groups to dismantle the stigma of facing mental health difficulties, and through his recent documentary Changing my Mind (which aired on RTE in May) he explored his own mission to sustain his mental health, meeting researchers, psychotherapists and men’s groups.
P.J. Gallagher with Pamela Peppard, Faculty Administrator
Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean, welcomes P.J. Gallagher to the stage
P.J. Gallagher addresses the guests
GUESTS ENJOY THE EVENING
GUESTS ENJOY THE EVENING
FACULTY CPD PROGRAMMES
NMBI SEMINAR – ‘KNOW YOUR CODE PROTECT YOUR PRACTISE’
The Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement facilitated a seminar in conjunction with HSE Dublin and Northeast Regions Hospitals and NMBI, which took place on Monday 10 June in The Boardroom. This seminar ‘Know your code protect your practise’ was aimed at Midwives across Ireland wishing to gain insights into how their Code of Conduct can support them in their daily work. Lorraine Clark Bishop (Professional Officer, Education, Policy and Standards Department, NMBI) and Jeanne Tarrant (Fitness to Practise Officer, NMBI) discussed The Code of Conduct and Fitness to Practise as well as facilitating an open discussion which was both engaging and informative.
LEADERSHIP BY EXECUTIVE COACHING
The aim of this programme is to enhance the leadership skill of senior nurses and midwives by maximising their potential and fostering healthy and productive cultures in their professional and personal lives. Through a series of targeted tools and interventions, the programme aims to provide a structured framework for self-assessment which identifies individual leadership tendencies, fosters proficient communication, and guides leaders towards growth – ultimately empowering them to become exceptional leaders capable of driving and delivering positive change within the modern healthcare milieu.
The programme is delivered over a 6-month period via a blend of engaging, enjoyable and interactive live online coaching sessions with the Leadership Consultant Annree Wogan using directed learning activities. The ethos and intention of the programme is to be motivating and energising for the participants. Recognising the busy personal and professional lives of senior nurses and midwives, the weekly directed learning activities are short, focused segments that can be completed anytime over the 7-day period. Drawing on the knowledge and expertise of the participants, a key component of the programme is the sharing of experiences in a confidential space and the opportunity to build informal support networks.
The first cohort undertook the programme in January 2024 with the second cohort commencing in April. The next programme will run in September. An exclusive masterclass organised by Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney was also held on Friday, 1 March 2024 with senior nursing and midwifery leaders from a variety of settings attending.
FLOURISHING: A WELLBEING PROGRAMME FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES
Nurses and midwives operate in high-stress environments that are psychologically and physically demanding, with long working hours and shift work. There are huge clinical care responsibilities with additional stress, such as threat of violence from patients and visitors1 . Understanding nurses’ and midwives’ own wellbeing is key for individual stress management, and this could also have an impact on care delivery. Positive health outcomes for nurses and midwives are now understood to be paramount for the provision of optimal healthcare2 . Due to the need for 24-hour care, there are often intense strains on nurses’ and midwives’ time and energy which concurrently impact their overall wellbeing3.
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery is creating a CPD online programme that aims to promote nurses’ and midwives’ own wellbeing by raising their understanding of their own health behaviours and how these can influence their own wellbeing. By providing tools and skills on how to use their own digital data, the programme will help individual nurses or midwives to create healthy habits. At the end of this CPD programme learners will be able to:
• Discuss and appraise the theories of wellbeing and behaviour change within the context of their own experiences
• Understand the role of health behaviours in relation to wellbeing
• Formulate personal goals, raise self-awareness and identify the skills or resources required to achieve them
• Reflect upon their own health behaviours and feelings throughout the process of self-enquiry.
This programme is an online programme that the participant can complete in their own time, consisting of a variety of topics tailored to the nurse and midwife working in a busy healthcare environment. This CPD is accredited by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI and carries 5 CEUs. Participants will receive access to a range of resources produced by experts in their field and a certificate of completion.
NURSING EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL SURGERY COURSE (NEASC)
This new multidisciplinary course teaches the management of patients presenting with emergency abdominal conditions to acute hospitals. The inaugural EASC was held at the Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Ireland in May 2012. The initial premise for this course was to focus on decision making in patients with common emergencies in a multidisciplinary learning approach. Designed by Donegal Clinical Research Academy, EASC instructs clinicians on how to identify the diagnosis, outline a clear management plan, and be aware of tips and traps for each condition. This practical approach is supplemented by the latest international medical literature. Led by Mr Michael Sugrue, the Nursing Emergency Abdominal Surgery Course (nEASC) is a unique course, specifically designed for nurses providing emergency surgical care - whether that be in the ED, ICU, ward, or perioperative setting.
The nEASC course was held in conjunction with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery on Thursday 25 January in the Albert Lecture Theatre.
ADDICTION CARE IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM: A CPD TO RAISE KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND SKILLS AMONGST HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
The prevalence of drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the misuse of substances such as opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana, methamphetamines and cocaine has increased over the past few years. Addiction to these substances has detrimental effects on the physical and mental wellbeing of affected individuals, and often requires emergency treatment or admission to hospital. Specialist expertise in the treatment and care of individuals experiencing addictions is rare with very few health professionals knowledgeable or specialised in that field. Healthcare staff now routinely encounter patients/service users experiencing addiction to multiple substances, within everyday health care settings. Due to the scarcity of specialised addiction knowledge and expertise within the healthcare system, most staff are not equipped to provide optimum care to service users/patients experiencing addiction. Therefore, patients often
1Kohnen D. De Witte H. Schaufeli W. B. Dello S. Bruyneel L. & Sermeus W. (2023) What makes nurses flourish at work? How the perceived clinical work environment relates to nurse motivation and well-being: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 148, 104567.
2Hirschle A.L.T. & Gondim S.M.G. (2020) Stress and well-being at work: a literature review. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva 25, 2721-2736.
3Healy S. & Tyrrell M. (2011) Stress in emergency departments: experiences of nurses and doctors. Emergency nurse 19(4).
do not receive care and support specific to their needs. Staff working under these conditions without the appropriate training, knowledge and skills are also at higher risk of work-related stress.
This CPD will equip healthcare staff who routinely interact with service users / patients experiencing addiction with the knowledge and skills required to provide better care and treatments. It will also increase their confidence levels, foster better working environments and improve job satisfaction. Developed in conjunction with Samantha Makiwa, Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Clinical Nurse Manager at Dublin Simon Community, this programme will run from January 2025.
MENOPAUSE AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Some women enjoy a wonderful journey during menopause. However, one in four women experience serious symptoms, with two in five stating that their symptoms were worse than they expected. Common menopause symptoms can include hot flushes, brain fog, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and lack of confidence. On top of this, menopause can also have a serious impact on cardiovascular, bone and possibly gastrointestinal health. With symptoms lasting anywhere from four to 12 years from the woman’s last period, it is unsurprising that eight out of 10 women experience menopause while working / in the workplace. The physical and cognitive symptoms associated with menopause can affect not only the workplace performance and professional relationships but also personal performance and relationships with partners, family, and friends. Developed in conjunction with the Menopause Workplace Training Network, the aim of this CPD programme is to raise awareness of, appreciation for, and knowledge about menopause amongst colleagues in employment settings, and the impact that menopause can have on some women in workplace. It further aims to start a national conversation about menopause. The first programme was held in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on Thursday 4 July.
UKRAINIAN NURSE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Following the success of the Romanian Leadership Development Programme, the Faculty was approached to deliver a similar programme for senior nurse leaders across Ukraine. The programme was developed in conjunction with the Ukrainian Chief Nurse, Dr Kateryna Komar, and her team. The first component of the programme, a five-day study visit to Dublin, was hosted in May 2024.
The journey to Dublin was not an easy one for delegates due to the ongoing conflict within Ukraine and the absence of any commercial air travel into or from the country. Delegates left Kyiv on an overnight bus journey to Warsaw in Poland on Friday, 17 May, arriving in Warsaw on the afternoon of Saturday, 18 May. After overnighting in Warsaw, participants flew to Dublin on Sunday, 19 May and were greeted in Dublin Airport by Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Paul Mahon, Operations and Education Manager. The delegation was escorted to their coach by Dr Boyd and Mr Mahon, which transported them to their accommodation in Dublin City Centre.
The study visit commenced proper on Monday, 20 May when Paul Mahon met the delegation at their hotel and guided them to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland campus. Here they were greeted by Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, before engaging in a day of scholarly discussion examining priorities for nursing and midwifery leadership globally and locally, leadership styles and theories (delivered by Prof. Marie Carney, Former Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Coordinator of the RCSI HG ANP Forum), and the impact of coordinated approaches to nursing and midwifery leadership collaborations (delivered by Prof. Fiona Hanrahan, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Rotunda Hospital Dublin and Fellow of the Faculty).
On Tuesday, 21 May the delegation visited the Department of Health for a meeting with Ms Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer Ireland, and her team. During the visit, participants witnessed how the strategic directions for nursing and midwifery in this jurisdiction align to the global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery and how these aims inform policy and practice in Ireland. Following the visit to the Department of Health the group next visited the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland to learn more about undergraduate and
postgraduate education and training, regulation of nursing and midwifery in Ireland, and strategic priorities for NMBI. While in Blackrock, delegates took some time out to enjoy the view of Dublin Bay from the seafront. This was a poignant moment in the study visit as delegates have been unable to visit the seaside since the war in Ukraine began.
In a surprising development, Bryan Adams (Canadian singer-songwriter and musician), having being informed of the study visit donated tickets to the delegation to attend his concert in the 3Arena that night.
Wednesday was another busy day for the group with a full schedule of talks from Deirdre Lang (National Lead for Older Persons Services HSE and Honorary Secretary Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), Derek Cribbin (National Lead Critical Care Programme HSE), Marie Kilduff and Claire Fagan (National Clinical Leadership Centre), Prof. Marie Carney (Coordinator of the ANP Forum), Fiona Colbert (rANP Beaumont Hospital) and Prof. Mary Lynch (Executive Vice Dean for Research). That evening the group attended and performed at the Fellows, Friends and Members Summer Event in the Examination Hall (for further detail on this event, see later in this report).
On Thursday, 23 May the group visited Beaumont Hospital. The visit was facilitated by Sinead Connolly, Interim Director of Nursing and Fellow of the Faculty. The visit comprised of talks delivered by members of the hospitals Nursing Executive, Education and Practice Development team and Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioners. Delegates also visited some of the clinical areas in the hospital to learn more about nursing and nurse led services. Concurrently, a second visit to the Rotunda Hospital was facilitated by Prof. Fiona Hanrahan, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Rotunda Hospital Dublin and Fellow of the Faculty, for delegates who had a particular interest in midwifery education and practice.
The study visit concluded on Friday, 24 May with a final day of class-room discussions in RCSI. Topics discussed included the evolution of undergraduate nurse education in Ireland (Paul Mahon, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), postgraduate nursing and midwifery education in Ireland (Denise McKernan, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), meeting the continuing education needs of nurses and midwives (Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery) and skin, wounds and trauma research (Prof. Declan Patton, Dr Aglecia Budri and Dr Pinar Avsar, School of Nursing and Midwifery). The day culminated with a tour of RCSI facilitated by Mr
The delegation departed Dublin on Saturday morning and arrived safely in Kyiv on Sunday, 26 May. All the various learning resources from the study week were collated and forwarded to Dr Komar’s office to inform the second part of the programme – a series of online seminars – which will be delivered in the Autumn. The Faculty wish to sincerely thank all those who contributed to the study visit.
Frank Donegan, Head Porter, before Paul Mahon led a final session reflecting on the learning from the week.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARDS
The Faculty continues to sponsor the Annual National HealthTech Innovation Awards. This year the award ceremony was held on Thursday 23 November in the Round Room at the Mansion House Dublin. The awards were attended by Paul Mahon, Operations and Education Manager, and Nipuna Thamanam, Post-Doctoral Researcher. The Faculty sponsored the Most Transformative Impact Medical Device Award which was presented to Sentimag Magseed Magtrace Brennan & Co Ltd.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, RCSI SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery is delighted to acknowledge the academic achievements of students. The School of Nursing and Midwifery Conferring Ceremony took place on Monday, 20 November 2023, with over 470 degrees awarded. The Florence Nightingale Award, which commemorates the work of the Florence Nightingale Committee in the Faculty and in Ireland, is awarded to the student who has the highest overall grade in the RCSI BSc Nursing Programme. The recipient this year was Anju Nellampurath Narayanan Nair. The award ceremony can be viewed here or by scanning the QR code below.
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY VISIT
A group of nursing students from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois visited RCSI on Monday 27 May to learn about undergraduate and postgraduate nurse education in Ireland. The group received presentations from Prof. Mark White, Paul Mahon, Denise McKernan and Gillian Berry. The group also received a tour of the Sim suite in 26 York Street facilitated by our colleagues in RCSI SIM.
PEN PROGRAMME
The RCSI Institute of Global Surgery and RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery previously partnered with the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON) to deliver the Perioperative Nursing E-learning Foundational Programme (PeN Programme). ECSACON represents nurses in sixteen countries of the region: Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub project officially launched on 28 June 2023 and one of the courses available on the Hub is PeN Programme. This resulted in the programme being made available to a wider audience outside of Africa (visit ECSACONM’s moodle site or SURGhub). Operation Smile have also agreed to support the cost of translating the “PeN” Programme Perioperative Nurse E-Learning Programme into Spanish – initially as a precourse training for a cohort of a nurses who will be participating in an Operation Smile training programme in Peru in August. ECSACON are currently developing a Fellowship programme that builds on the PeN programme and the Faculty are providing advice on this.
FLO MCPD
In Q3 and Q4 2023, the project’s sub tech group (Mr Ken Jordan, Mr Kabir Vaderaa, and Dr Edward Naessens) successfully completed a tender process and reviewed three bids received from Irish and European IT consortia. The team selected a preferred bidder. The Project Oversight Committee (POC) has been engaged in detailed discussions since Q1 2024 in reviewing potential options for the project. The POC has met with RCSI IT to discuss strategy alignment and presented recommendations to the Faculty Board at the end of Q2.
Dr Edward Naessens with the support of the RCSI Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) has begun discussions with Enterprise Ireland (EI) with a view to carrying out a feasibility study for the FLO mCPD EdTech platform. Pending approval, a report will be issued in Q1 2025. Both EI and RCSI IT have commended the Faculty’s innovative approach to engaging AI-assisted technology to address the known challenges of managing CPD. During the year Dr Naessens presented at the Media and Learning Conference 2024 KU Leuven on the topic “Forging stronger ties between Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Higher Education”.
TRANSPLANT, UROLOGY AND NEPHROLOGY CONFERENCE
On Friday 24 November 2023, Denise McKernan (Programme Lead Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement) co-presented at the 11th Annual Beaumont Hospital Transplant Urology and Nephrology Conference. This presentation highlighted a project undertaken in Beaumont Hospital and led by Denise McKernan which established a catheterisation training programme for paramedics to support hospital avoidance in older adults. The conference was a great success with excellent presentations across all disciplines.
RCSI HOSPITAL GROUP WRITING FOR PUBLICATION WORKSHOP
On Friday 22 September 2023, the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery facilitated a Writing for Publication Workshop for the winners of the RCSI Hospital Group Clinical Scholarship Award. This Award was developed by the Office of the Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the RCSI Hospital Group with the intent of supporting a publication in a peer reviewed professional journal related to clinical research findings, clinical audit findings or clinical quality improvement initiatives. The winners this year included Karen McGowan RANP Beaumont Hospital for her initiative titled Implementation of a Nurse led Rapid Access Post Menopausal Bleeding Service, Bernadette Conlon RANP Fragility Fracture and Bone Health
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda for her initiative titled Falls and Fractures, How is One Acute Irish Hospital tackling the Tsunami?, and Preethy Manoj CNM II Stroke Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown for her initiative titled Association Between IDA and Ischaemic Stroke with a Focus on the Incidence, Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcome in Adults. The workshop was held in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and included presentations from Ms Petrina Donnelly (RCSI HG Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery and Faculty
Board Member) and Paul Mahon (Operations and Education Manager) with support from Prof. Mark White (Executive Dean), Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney (Executive Vice Dean for Education) and Prof. Mary Lynch (Executive Vice Dean for Research). In addition to supporting the publishing skills of the award winners, the workshop also served to facilitate the sharing of learning and linking of the projects across the hospital group.
INTERNAL QUALITY REVIEW
The first ever internal quality review of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery commenced in early 2024. The Internal Quality Review consists of an initial self-assessment report (SAR) followed by a two and a half-day site-visit by a team comprised of peer and external reviewers commissioned by the Quality Committee and supported by the Quality Enhancement Office. Based on the SAR and the site-visit the team will produce a report and a series of recommendations which, in consultation with the Faculty, will form the basis for a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). The QIP will consist of agreed timelines and will be monitored and supported by the Quality Committee and the Quality Enhancement Office.
Throughout Quarter Two 2024, we commenced our SAR. The self-assessment exercise is a process by which we reflect on our mission and objectives, and critically analyse the activities we engage in to achieve these objectives. It provides for an evaluation of the performance of our functions, services and administration. In line with the RCSI Strategy 2023 - 2027 ‘ Innovating for a Healthier Future’ it provides assurance to the University of the quality of our operations and facilitates a developmental process to effect improvement.
The fundamental objectives of the review process are to:
• Review the quality of the learner experience, and of teaching and learning opportunities
• Review research activity including management of research activity, and assessing the research performance with regard to research productivity, research income, and recruiting and supporting doctoral students
• Identify, encourage and disseminate good practice and to identify challenges and how to address these
• Provide an opportunity for us to test the effectiveness of our systems and procedures for monitoring and enhancing quality and standards
• Inform RCSI’s strategic planning process
• Provide robust evidence for external accreditation bodies
• Provide an external benchmark on practice and curriculum
• Provide public information on the RCSI’s capacity to assure the quality and standards of its awards.
The second part of the process, a site visit with external reviewers, will take place in early in 2025.
STRATEGIC PILLAR 2: LEADING IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
LAUNCH OF THE SOCIAL PRESCRIBING EVIDENCE HUB
Social Prescribing (SP) is a nonclinical approach to addressing health and wellbeing needs in the community. To further enhance SP activities and evidence in Ireland the formation of a virtual, evidence-based centre is essential to stimulate collaborations between practitioners and researchers and to grow the evidence for SP in Ireland. The formation of the Social Prescribing Evidence Hub (SPEH) in Ireland will complement the established All Ireland Social Prescribing Network (visit the website by scanning the QR code) by adding the academic leadership for evaluation and the dissemination of best practice. The SPEH in Ireland will provide a collaborative opportunity for further research between academic partners as well as with Community of Practice (CoP) based on priority needs for SP in Ireland.
The SPEH aspires to build the critical evidence base for SP in Ireland, nationally and internationally and is a first in Ireland complementing other centres in the UK, Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR) and National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) in England. The SPEH in Ireland will nurture high-quality SP ‘real world’ research, development, and evaluation and translate SP research/evaluation findings into practice, policy and education. It will build capacity for SP through studentships and create a Public Patient Involvement (PPI) group to integrate, co-design and co-produce SP research-based activity.
The Faculty was delighted to launch the Social Prescribing Evidence Hub on Thursday 18 April 2024 in the Bouchier Hayes Lecture Theatre. Speakers at the event included Prof. Mary Lynch, Prof. Carolyn Wallace, Dr Julze Alejandre, Prof. Deirdre Connolly, Mr Abraham Makanjoula, Prof. David Robinson, Prof. Mark White and Ms Mary Godfrey Vice Dean.
Prof. Carolyn Wallace addresses attendees at the launch of the SPEH
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL NURSING AND MIDWIFERY RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE CONFERENCE
The RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery hosted its Annual International Research and Education Conference from 21-22 February 2024. Since its’ inception in 1982, the conference has gone from strength to strength and is the oldest of its kind in Europe. The conference has a reputation for the contemporary relevance of its themes and content, the quality of its keynote and concurrent speakers and as both a scholarly and social event within the nursing and midwifery community.
Now in its 43rd year, the conference this year concentrated on the Changing Landscape of Health. Reflective of our current strategic plan, which focuses on the three aims of delivering a transformative learning experience, leading impactful research and supporting healthcare and societal wellbeing in Ireland and internationally, the conference was structured under four subthemes of Innovation and Digitalisation, Health and WellBeing, Sustainable Development Goals, and Transforming Nursing and Midwifery Research, Education and Practice.
OPENING CEREMONY AND MASTERCLASS
The conference commenced on the afternoon of the Wednesday 21 February with the Opening Ceremony and Masterclass. Welcoming guests to the Albert Lecture Theatre, Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, acknowledged our duty as nurses and midwives to use our expertise to improve both human health and the health of our planet, and to enhance our understanding of the link between the two. She remarked that the landscape of health is indeed changing and that sustainable development, innovation and digitalisation, health and well-being, and the transformation of nursing and midwifery education, research and practice are, and will continue to be, key to meeting the challenges that these changes present.
Chaired by Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, the Masterclass was delivered by our four Honorary Fellows who have each have made significant contributions to education, research, practice and sustainability throughout their careers. Prof. Sir Michael Marmot CH, Director of the Institute of Health Equity and Professor in Epidemiology and Public Health at
University College London spoke of the need for hope, dignity and freedom in the midst of the global uncertainties including pandemics, wars, and political instability. He highlighted the growing distance of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in the United Kingdom and the impact that this poverty is having on mortality statistics. His observation of the working class in Britain becoming more reliant on food-banks and temporary short-term housing and the impact that has on health was a stark reminder to those in the audience who see similar trends in Ireland.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, echoed Prof. Sir Marmot’s sentiments with a call for trust in science and the need for hope. His thoughts and certainty around future pandemics brought a sense of reality to the lecture theatre as many were brought back to the restrictions and turmoil of Covid 19. Dr Kluge highlighted the important role that nurses have to play promoting public health and expanding their practice into the prevention of disease and further pandemics. He mused about who had the most influence on his career his father, a medic or his mother - a nurse.
Dr Diana-Loreta Păun Diana, Presidential Advisor on Health in Romania, provided an overview of her career progression and the pride in being involved in national policy decision making in Romania. She underlined her commitment to expanding the role that nurses play in the health system in Romania and praised the strides that the Ordinul Asistenţilor Medicali Generalişti, Moaşelor şi Asistenţilor Medicali din România – the Romanian Order of Nurses, Midwives and Medical Assistants have made in this regard.
Recognising the need for a global nursing and midwifery community of practice, Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, Chief Nursing Officer of the World Health Organisation, highlighted the importance of having a repository of webinars, events and newsletters generated by the World Health Organisation Chief Nursing Office that would act as a resource and regional hub for discussion. Dr Amelia spoke passionately about her early nursing career living quite close to the hospital where she then worked as a staff nurse in Tonga and highlighted the importance of allowing every nurse work to the potential of their license.
The Masterclass was followed by a canapé and drinks reception in the Boardroom where guests were provided with the opportunity to network and meet our Honorary Fellows. The Faculty was
privileged to also have present at the event His Excellency Dr Laurențiu-Mihai Ștefan, Romanian Ambassador to Ireland and Ms Georgeta Bratu, Minster Counsellor, Romanian Embassy in Ireland.
HONORARY CONFERRING CEREMONY
Following the Opening Ceremony and Masterclass, the Honorary Conferring Ceremony was held in the College Hall. Deirdre Lang, Honorary Secretary, opened the ceremony by welcoming His Excellency Dr Laurențiu-Mihai Ștefan, the President of RCSI Prof. Laura Viani, Deans, Vice Deans, Board Members and distinguished guests. She noted that the Honorary Fellowship is the highest award that the Faculty can convey.
The ceremony began with the Honorary Conferring of Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge. Reading the citation for Dr Kluge was Dr Kevin McKenna, Board Member. Dr McKenna spoke of Dr Kluge’s 25 years of service spanning three continents leading to his current position as the WHO Regional Director for Europe. Dr McKenna recalled Dr Kluge’s time working to address emergencies in Liberia, Somalia, the Russian Federation, Myanmar and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Dr McKenna also highlighted how Dr Kluge is committed to providing pragmatic support to address health priorities in the WHO European Region that are both evidenceinformed and driven by country needs. Recalling Dr Kluge’s dream of a society where no one is left behind and a WHO European Region where people-centred and sustainable public health and health-care services are available to all people he noted that Dr Kluge challenges us to remember that it is action, and inaction alike, that reverberate and directly impact our individual health, the health of the Region’s ageing population, as well as the health of future generations.
Prof. Charlotte McArdle, Board Member, was next called to read the citation for Prof. Sir Michael Marmot CH. Prof. McArdle described Prof. Sir Michael’s eminent career covering 50 years as one of significant public service at both national and international levels. Prof. McArdle informed guests that in recognition of his unparalleled contribution to epidemiology and the understanding of health inequities, in 2000, Sir Michael was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, while in the 2023 New Year Honours he was made a Companion of Honour.
Prof. McArdle also noted Prof. Sir Marmot’s 130 honours and distinctions, his WHO Global Hero
Award, his 20 Honorary Doctorates from prestigious academic institutions including the Universities of Miami, Ghent, KU Leuven, Malmo, and Trinity College Dublin, and his 9 Honorary Fellowships from organisations such as the American College of Epidemiology, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists, General Practice, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics and the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians. With more than 1260 publications to his name, Prof. Sir Marmot and his team produced the Marmot Review, Fair Society Healthy Lives in 2010 and in 2020 Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On. His books include Status Syndrome: how your place on the social gradient directly affects your health and The Health Gap: the challenge of an unequal world.
Prof. McArdle concluded the citation by quoting Prof. Marmot who contends that “taking action to reduce health inequalities is a matter of social justice. But policies and interventions must not be confined to the health care system; they need to address the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.’
Third to read was Petrina Donnelly, Board Member, who recited the citation for Dr Diana-Loreta Păun, Presidential Advisor in the Department of Public Health in Romania. Ms Donnelly noted that Dr Păun is a distinguished figure in the realm of healthcare and medical research, with a multifaceted career spanning clinical practice, education, management, and advisory roles. Ms Donnelly outlined how Dr Păun’s passion for knowledge and continuous professional development has led Dr Păun to complete numerous programmes of study including a PhD in Medicine and a Master’s degree in Public Health and Health Services Management in addition to her qualifications in diabetology, osteoporosis, endocrine ultrasonography, and other programmes across a diverse array of subjects including informatics, clinical endocrinology, infertility, management, public procurement, quality, and public health amongst others.
Citing some of the many notable achievements across Dr Păun’s career, Ms Donnelly outlined Dr Păun’s career from her early days as a doctor at The Burghele Hospital, to becoming the Endocrinology Resident at CI Parhon Institute of Endocrinology, Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor in Endocrinology at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Head of the CI Parhon National Institute of Endocrinology Bucharest, her appointment as State Adviser in June 2015, and most recently her appointment as Presidential Advisor in the Department of Public Health in December 2019. Additionally, Ms Donnelly recounted how Dr Păun, in her role of educator, has shared her vast knowledge and experience both nationally and internationally, has published extensively across journal articles, scientific papers, books, and book chapters, and built collaborative relationships across a large number of national and
international endocrinology associations. Ms Donnelly concluded by acknowledging Dr Păun’s unwavering dedication to endocrinology, healthcare management, education, and research and how her ability to seamlessly transition between clinical practice, academic endeavours, and advisory roles speaks not just to her versatility and determination, but also the reason why she continues to inspire and elevate the field of endocrinology both in Romania and beyond.
The fourth and final citation was delivered by Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean, for Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu.
Ms Godfrey commenced the citation by observing that Dr Amelia’s appointment to the role of Chief Nursing Officer of the World Health Organisation is just the latest peak in a remarkable career spanning 29 years across clinical practice, academia, hospital management and politics - both in the Kingdom of Tonga, and internationally.
In relation to Dr Amelia’s clinical career, Ms Godfrey described how Dr Amelia demonstrated her leadership capacity early in her career by taking charge of the busiest ward in Tonga’s main hospital at the young age of 21, and how from here she moved to manage a psychiatric ward before joining the School of Nursing as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and then Acting Principal, and ultimately Director of Nursing. Ms Godfrey observed that it was not long before Dr Amelia’s abilities were noted nationally and in 2014 she was appointed the Tongan Chief Nursing Officer – a position she held until her appointment as Tonga’s first female Minister for Health in 2019.
Dr Amelia’s many awards and decorations include an Honorary Full Professorship at the University of Sydney, Australia, the Knight Grand Cross: Royal Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Tonga, the Tongan Prime Minister’s award, the International Women’s Award and the Tongan Police Award and Patronage. Additionally, Dr Amelia was the first person from Tonga to achieve a PhD in Nursing for her research which informed the development of the Tongan National Professional Standards for the Registered Nurse and Midwife.
Ms Godfrey also illustrated how Dr Amelia has led the development of nurse and patient satisfaction systems, career pathways, policy and procedure manuals, code of ethics, regulation system, visionary leadership programmes, research alliances, and performance management systems. Citing Dr Amelia’s commitment to supporting global nursing and midwifery to maximally transform health systems to serve all the population
of the world Ms Godfrey concluded the citation by quoting Dr Amelia’s most important piece of advice
As a leader, make sure you deliver.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE DINNER
Subsequent to the Honorary Conferring Ceremony, the Annual Conference Dinner was held in the College Hall. Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery opened the dinner by welcoming guests and reiterating our thanks and appreciation to all the distinguished guest speakers who addressed the masterclass. Dr Boyd remarked that from an academic perspective the conference embodies the words of our Founding Dean, Ms Mary Frances Crowley, who once stated that “An autonomous nursing profession [will] come to develop an intellectual space of its own”, while from a social perspective, the conference provides the opportunity for us to step away from our busy professional lives to exchange ideas, to renew old relationships, to relax, and to make new friends.
During the dinner, the Deans Award was presented to Dr Maria Neary, Coordinator of the Overseas Aptitude Test. The Deans Award, comprising of the Mary Frances Crowley medal, is presented annually to a Fellow, Member or student who has made an outstanding professional contribution to the Faculty or who has attained achievements beyond the reach of most. In presenting the award, the Dean stated that:
“Since the inception of the OAT, and through the dedication, diligence and leadership of our awardee, this assessment centre has tested over 14,000 internationally educated nurses for registration and employment into the Irish healthcare system. This is indeed an outstanding contribution. As further testament to the commitment, resourcefulness, diplomacy, and operational excellence of our awardee, during the Covid pandemic – a time of lock-down and the suspension of international travel – our awardee doubled the numbers of internationally educated nurses completing the Overseas Aptitude Test. This is most certainly an achievement beyond the reach
of most. It is with great thanks and heartfelt pride that The Faculty Board and Executive acknowledge your outstanding contribution.”
The presentation of the Deans Award was followed by a toast to the President of Ireland, proposed by Petrina Donnelly, Board Member and a toast to the guests, proposed by Georgina Bassett, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health. Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu proposed a toast to the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and stated that
“Since its foundation in 1974, the Faculty continues to play a key role in setting the agenda for nursing and midwifery in Ireland, and this year’s conference brings together global leaders and policy makers to recognise and celebrate the contribution of nurses and midwives to the changing landscape of healthcare. As the Faculty enters its fiftieth year, we reflect on the wisdom, courage and strength of its Founding Members who established the first provider of higher education to nurses and midwives in Ireland. May the Faculty always pursue the noble mission of supporting nurses and midwives contribution to healthcare and society here in Ireland and indeed internationally.”
Closing the evening’s events, Dr Boyd thanked colleagues from across RCSI for their professionalism, help and dedication in planning the masterclass, honorary conferring ceremony, dinner and conference including, Prof. Laura Viani, RCSI President; RCSI Design; Snap Printing; Mr Frank Donegan and his team in Portering; Mr Cornelius Jacobus Petrus Jansen Van Vuuren and his Team in Catering; Louise Loughran and her team in Communications; Ms Cara Mc Veigh, Ms Emma Nolan and Ms Nadine Pilcher in RCSI Conferencing, Bookings and Events; Ms Collette Power, Ms Yvette Moffat and Mr Billy Cahill in Estates; the RCSI Security Team, harpists Teresa and Mary O’Donnell, and our good friends in CPI, Floral Events, the Alpha Quartet, and Maxwell’s Photography. Ms Victoria Green (Operations Manager), Ms Eimear
Frew (Faculty Administrator) and Mr Markuss Rusmanis (Conference Intern) were presented with a small token of appreciation for their extended efforts in bringing the events to fruition.
The Dean also thanked Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean; Dr Kevin McKenna, Board Member; Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney, Executive Vice Dean for Education; Prof Mary Lynch, Executive Vice Dean for Research, and the scientific committee, chair persons and judges for their significant contribution to the planning of the conference. Finally, the Dean thanked our esteemed guests and friends for attending the events of the day and wished them all the very best for conference day.
CONFERENCE DAY
The 43rd Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference was held on Thursday 22 February. The conference was attended by 299 delegates from a number of countries including Ireland, Bahrain, India, Italy, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United States. There were 46 concurrent sessions and 87 posters demonstrating best practice and research. The theme of this year’s conference was Changing Landscapes of Health with the day structured under four sub-themes of Innovation and Digitalisation, Health and Well-Being, Sustainable Development Goals, and Transforming Nursing and Midwifery Research, Education and Practice.
Opening the conference, Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, noted the significant role the conference plays in bringing together both international experts and novice researchers and practitioners to promote and encourage high calibre research, pedagogy and practice so that we may continue to educate, nurture, and discover for human health. During her remarks, Dr Boyd welcomed Prof. Catherine Greene, School of Postgraduate Studies, to the stage to launch the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery PhD Scholarship Award. This award
was developed in collaboration with the School of Postgraduate Studies and aims to support nurses and midwives to undertake impactful research that will inform and shape the future of healthcare provision and societal well-being. Each award is up to €12,000 per year for up to five years of full-time study and is open to all Fellows and Members of the Faculty, with applications that address WHO health priorities or UN Sustainable Development Goals particularly welcome. Dr Boyd concluded by extending thanks to everyone who worked to make the conference a reality and wished all an informative and enjoyable day.
The morning session comprised of an opening address by Ms Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer and keynote addresses from Dr Helen Bevan OBE, Chief Transformation Officer NHS, and Prof. Michael West CBE, Visiting Fellow at The Kings Fund, London. This was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Here, discussion focused on supporting people to build their own agency and power, prioritising relationships and building large scale capability for experimentation.
Top to bottom: Ms Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer, Prof. Michael West CBE, Visiting Fellow at The Kings Fund, London, Dr Helen Bevan OBE, Chief Transformation Officer NHS.
After the morning keynote addresses and panel discussion, delegates had the opportunity to enjoy some morning refreshments, view the scientific posters and exhibition stands, and also to engage in a movement and relaxation session in the Boardroom with Lifestyle Coach and Personal Trainer, Ciara McKinley. After the break, and in a change to the usual order of proceedings, delegates attended the ten concurrent sessions featuring presentations across the four sub-themes of the conference.
The afternoon plenary session commenced with Dr Annette Kennedy, Founder Health and Social Care Education Human Trafficking (HSCEHT) group. The HSCEHT is group of concerned individuals representing professional, regulatory, statutory and voluntary organisations who understand the important role that health professionals have in the identification and care of victims of human trafficking. Next, Prof. Carolyn Wallace, Professor in Community Health and Care Services at the University of South Wales, explored the emerging role of social prescribing in communities and explained how nursing and social prescribing fit together along the lifespan to improve wellbeing and resilience. Brenda Courtney, Chief Operations Officer Infocare Healthcare Systems, then considered how digital transformation can be deconstructed while Annree Wogan, Leadership Consultant and Executive and Team Performance Coach inspired delegates to own their leadership and influence. The session closed with an engaging and interactive panel discussion chaired by Prof. Mark White.
It was then time for the Faculty to announce the winners of the Clinical Bursary Awards and the oral and poster presentation awards. The Faculty awarded five clinical bursaries, each to the value of €5,000 to Registered Nurses and Midwives, in the direct provision of health and social care, across all practice settings. These awards were open to all Registered Nurses and Midwives in the Republic of Ireland. Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean, invited each of the Awardees to the stage where a short video presentation of their initiative was played before the awardee received their parchment. The winners of this year’s Clinical Bursary Awards were:
• Ms Abigail Armstrong (CNS) and Ms Maria Greene (CNM III), Beaumont Hospital, Dublin for the initiative titled Peritoneal Dialysis: Your Care, Your Place, Your Time. A Digital Learning Hub
• Ms Aoife St John (cANP, Avista Children’s Disability Services), Ms Debbie Hourican (CNS Austism / Behaviours of Concern, Avista Children’s Disability Services) and Louise Farrell (CNSp in autism, Avista Children’s Disability Services) for the initiative titled A Brain Body Approach to Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Autistic Children
• Ms Helen Byrne (rANP (Emergency), Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda for the initiative titled Implementing a Paediatric Multi-Sensory Environment in Dundalk Injury Unit
• Mr John Campbell-O’Brien (cANP, CAMHS and ADHD Pathway) HSE DNCC CAMHS for the initiative titled What is the Impact of an ADHD Specific Parent Training Programme on the Treatment Outcomes of Children with ADHD in an ANP-led ADHD Assessment and Treatment Pathway
• Mrs Katrina Byrne (PhD student and Registered Nurse in Intellectual Disability, TCD and Stewarts Care, Palmerstown), Prof. Mary McCarron (Director of the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability) and Dr Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig (Lecturer Specialist in Special Care Dentistry, Dublin Dental University Hospital) for the initiative titled The Implementation of the Modified Oral Status Survey Tool into Intellectual Disability Services to Identify the Oral Health Status of People with Intellectual Disability in Ireland.
Oral presentation prizes were presented by Prof. Mary Lynch, Executive Vice Dean for Research. The winners included:
• Best international oral presentation: Ms Deirdre O’Flaherty for the presentation titled What Matters Most Contributes to Nurse Leader Engagement and Wellness
• Best first time presenter: Ms Enobong Asquo for the presentation titled Social Support Categorisation in Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder Studies Among Nurses: A Scoping Review
• Runner up oral presentation: Ms Mary Doyle for the presentation titled Community Rehabilitation Impatient Specialist Programme (CRISP): Supporting Older Adults
• Best overall presentation: Dr Michelle Hardiman for the presentation titled Can Using an EHR in Acute Hospitals Enable Person-Centred Care?
Poster presentation prizes were presented by Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney, Executive Vice Dean for Education. The winners included:
• Best international poster: Ms Sara Mohamed for the poster titled Reducing the Incidence of Hospital Acquired Catheter Related Urinary Tract Infections
• Best first-time poster presenter: Ms Pamela Dunne and colleagues for the poster titled Creating Digital Life Stories with an Intellectual Disability Setting
• Best runner up poster: Mr Graham Malone and Dr Aine McHugh for the poster titled Debriefing Following Physical Interventions Maintains Wellbeing of Mental Health Nurses
• Best overall poster: Ms Sarah Penney and colleagues for the poster titled My Home Life: An Innovative Approach to Leadership Development
Dr Ann McMahon and Prof. Andree Le May presented the Journal of Research in Nursing awards for the most impactful poster and oral presentations as voted for by the delegates. The Journal of Research in Nursing (JRN) is a leading peer reviewed journal that blends good research with contemporary debates about policy and practice. Each issue contains a variety of papers and review commentaries within a specific theme. Through linking policy, research and development initiatives to clinical and academic excellence JRN aims to support nursing and healthcare professionals in their development, for the overall benefit of quality healthcare services. Prizes awarded included:
• Most impactful oral presentation: Dr Anita Byrne for the presentation titled Longitudinal Impact of an Interdisciplinary Perinatal Mental Health Education Programme on Participant Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Confidence: A Qualitative Evaluation
• Most impactful poster presentation: the decision was tied so two awards were made to Ms Alice Hoffmeister, Teresa McCreery and colleagues for the poster titled The Impact of Affirmation Cards During Pregnancy, Birth and Post-Natal: A Research Study and to Mr Paddy McTeague and colleagues for their poster titled Co-Production in Physical and Mental Wellbeing for People with intellectual Disability
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Faculty wishes to acknowledge the contribution of all sponsors for their ongoing and generous support of the Faculty’s Annual Conference. The delivery of a professional conference takes considerable work and time commitment. Sincere gratitude is conveyed to members of the Conference Team and Faculty Staff. Sincere gratitude is also conveyed to Conference Partners International, Floral Events, Maxwell’s Photography, the Alpha Quartet, the Faculty Board and Executive -in particular Mr Paul Mahon, Ms Victoria Green, Ms Eimear Frew, Ms Denise McKernan and Mr Markuss Rusmanis - the Scientific Committee, our Chairpersons and Judges, and harpists Teresa and Mary O’Donnell.
The Faculty also wishes to sincerely acknowledge our colleagues from across RCSI including the Office of the President, Ms Cara Mc Veigh (RCSI Conferencing and Events Manager), Mr Cornelius Jacobus Petrus Jansen Van Vuuren (Catering Manager), Mr Karl O’Hara (Head Chef) and the Catering Team, Mr Frank Donegan (Head Porter) and the Portering Team, Mr John Quinlan (Media Services) and his team, RCSI Design, RCSI Estates, RCSI Merchandising and Design, Security, Nadine Pilcher (Booking and Events Coordinator) and all in Bookings, Ms Louise Loughran (Chief Communications Officer) and her team – all of whom support the Faculty in numerous ways with the planning and delivery of the Annual Conference.
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
CONFERENCE 2025
The 44th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research, Education and Practice Conference will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, 26 and 27 February 2025. The theme of this years conference is Recruiting, developing, retaining, and sustaining the global nursing and midwifery workforce for future health and care needs.
The conference website and abstract submission system is now live and can be viewed here: https:// www.rcsi.com/dublin/about/faculty-of-nursing-andmidwifery/conference
The four sub-themes of the conference are:
• Novel approaches to perpetual workforce challenges
• Retaining and replenishing the nursing and midwifery workforce
• Expanding our professional view and impact
• Nursing and midwifery in a new world of health deter minants.
ROSEMARY COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT
An event was held in the University of Limerick on Thursday, 29 February for the launch of the Rosemary Collaboration. This initiative is sponsored by Special Olympics International and aims to achieve health system reforms to improve health access and outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities. The project is being led by the University of Limerick (Dr Sean Healy) and has partners from RCSI (Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney), DCU (Prof. Anthony Staines), and TCD (Dr Eilish Burke).
FACULTY FIRST DATES
On Wednesday 14 February, the Faculty hosted “Faculty First Dates,” a unique event aimed at matching prospective candidates with our nine fully funded Ph.D. scholarships. These scholarships are being delivered in a joint venture with the School of Postgraduate Studies and offer comprehensive support including €8,000 per annum in annual fees, a €22,000 annual stipend, and a €5,000 total travel bursary.
The Ph.D. Projects announced were:
1. Reducing Healthcare Associated Waste through Innovative Material Science Technology
2. Exploration of the Impact of Mass Movement of People into Ireland on the Health System: A Mixed Methods Study
3. Exploration of Breast-Feeding Environments in Ireland and Cross-County Comparison using a Citizen Science Approach
4. Rising Aggression, Hostility, and Abuse: An Exploration of Experiences of Safety and Support Needs in Healthcare Settings in Ireland
5. Commercial Determinants of Health: Toward New Political and Economic Models that Sustain People and the Planet
6. Social Cost-Benefit Analysis of a ‘Connect’ AI Support Coaching App Intervention to Address Rising Obesity Levels in Ireland
7. Valuing the Health and Wellbeing Benefits of the Health Service Executive Outdoor Estate
8. Economics of Frailty and Use of Community Assets
9. Warning System for Extreme Weather Events: Awareness Technology for Healthcare, Equitable Delivery, and Resilience (WEATHER)
The event commenced with a warm welcome from our Executive Vice Deans Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney (Executive Vice Dean for Education) and Prof. Mary Lynch (Executive Vice Dean for Research). They engaged with the candidates in one-on-one ‘speeddates’ to assess their suitability for the available scholarships. The success of the event was evident, as both Executive Vice Deans expressed satisfaction with the quality of the interviews conducted. Consequently, at least three supervisors were selected for each of the nine scholarships offered, ensuring a promising future for these research endeavours.
COST ACTION BETTERCARE LAUNCH
The Care Economy is a ground-breaking field due to population aging and the increase of noncommunicable diseases. Providing safe care at home and ensuring people stay in their home as much as possible are current challenges around the world. Due to the increased complexity and intensity of caregiving at home, there is a greater chance of making errors that affect both the recipients’ health and the caregivers’ wellbeing. This Action joins efforts to ensure an error-free care environment at home. Cross-national collaboration involving citizens, end users, different disciplines, and perspectives is being used to create an open dialogue and discussion among all stakeholders about the consequences of caregivers’ errors. The launch meeting at the COST Association for European Cooperation in Science and Technology in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday, 26 October was attended by Prof. Mark White. 161 members from 37 countries are currently participating in this Action.
COLLABORATIONS WITH THE RCSI HOSPITAL GROUP
Throughout the year, Prof. Carney collaborated with hospital clinical staff in the RCSI Hospital Group and with Faculty colleagues in relation to research and publications. This included publications in relation to strategic management in health care, advancing nurse and midwife practice, and integrated care and older person care in relation to the development of integrated framework and algorithm to prevent admission of older persons to the Emergency Department. Her most recent research explored Integrated Care: the way forward for Advanced Nurse Practitioners by using strategy initiatives. Work in relation to research human rights and Advanced Practice continues.
NEW FUNDING RECENTLY AWARDED TO THE FACULTY
The two new Vice Deans, Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Prof. Mary Lynch have been awarded funding for two new projects from Skillnet. The first project is titled Feasibility of a National Induction Programme for Health Support Worker’s working in Homecare. Funding of €31,948.48 was awarded to Prof. Sweeney as Principle Investigator in July 2023. A variety of factors, including an ageing population, combined with recruitment and retention challenges in nursing and midwifery over the past 20 years or more, has led to the increasing demand for and availability of Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) in Ireland and globally. HCAs have slowly expanded their roles and taken over certain tasks from nurses and midwifes, supporting medical staff in providing care in hospital settings. Specific to the focus of this research, induction programmes for Home Support Workers (HSWs) previously referred to as Healthcare Attendants (HCAs) are currently offered by multiple providers in Ireland across the public and private sector. HSW are expected to do a new induction programme each time they move to a new employer. This is costly in both time and money, and places strain on individual employers and employees. The aim of the proposed work
to offer baseline data to provide insight and make recommendations on the development of a career development and pathway for HCSW’s development connected with continual professional development in Ireland. As part of this project, a green paper was developed and sent out for consultation (see https://tinyurl.com/yc4943j9)
This project objectives are:
• To undertake an international literature review to establish contemporary Home Care Support systems/models that incorporate levels of acuity or dependency
• To undertake a domestic and international scoping review within both public and private sectors to identify contemporary home care support systems or models that incorporate any career progression systems or frameworks and/ or that integrate CPD for HCSW’s
• To produce a green paper providing international findings and outline draft recommendations for developing a contemporary Home Care Support model/ system that incorporates a framework for career progression in an Irish Context
To undertake relevant consultations with key
EUROPEAN CENTRE
OF EXCELLENCE FOR RESEARCH IN CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPGRADE)
The UPGRADE centre remained very active this year with a number of projects ongoing and completed.
SKILLNET DIRECTORS OF NURSING IN THE IRISH LONG-TERM CARE SETTING REPORT
The role of Director of Nursing in the long-term care sector is pivotal in ensuring that residents receive a high standard of quality care. However, growing evidence highlights the risk of burnout and intention to leave among Directors of Nursing in the sector. This research, conducted by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery UPGRADE Centre examined the attitudes and experiences of Directors of Nursing and Assistant Directors of Nursing in the long-term care sector in Ireland regarding their educational and training needs, their work environment, their intention to leave, their level of burnout and to identify other supports they require in their role.
In order to gain a better understanding of the challenges experienced and the support required, this research sought the perspectives of Directors of Nursing regarding their role from the public, private and voluntary sector. This evidence was used to develop key recommendations to support Directors of Nursing in their role. In addition, the perspectives of private nursing home owners and HIQA representatives were also sought to inform this research. These key recommendations will inform policy makers, educators and providers about the supports required to retain and attract Directors of Nursing. It also highlights key recommendations for long-term care workforce development strategies to strengthen the long-term care workforce and develop gerontological nursing in long-term care as a specialty.
Co-investigators on the project were Dr Giuseppe Aleo, Ms Niamh Walsh, Dr Nicola Pagnucci, Prof. Thomas Kearns, and Dr Catherine Fitzgerald, RCSI. Launching the report at the Annual International Research, Education, and Practice conference on
Wednesday, 21 February, Carmel Kelly Network Director for Leading Healthcare Providers Skillnet, expressed her thanks to the Faculty and to all the member companies and the participants who contributed to this research report. The final Report is now available online: https://www. lhpskillnet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ DirectorOfNursingInTheIrishLong-TermCareSettingReport.pdf
TEAMCARE PROJECT
The UPGRADE Centre is a member of the International Coordinating team for an ERASMUS+ project titled an inTerprofessional EuropeAn curriculuM for health and social Care staff: developing a speciAlist in personalised useRcentered carE in the community (TEAMCARE). Teamcare seeks to train health and social care professionals in transversal, soft and digital skills enabling them to work effectively as a team in undertaking effective multidimensional patient assessments and tailoring personalised care plans. A total grant of over €1.1 million was obtained for this three-year project with €213,982 awarded to the Faculty. Work Package 2 has now been completed after conducting an e-Delphi study involving 18 experts, through which 58 core competences for “Specialists in Community-Based Interprofessional Teams (CBIT) for person centredcare” have been identified and an easy-to-read summary framework has been produced. This represents the preliminary step for the development of an EU Curriculum for Specialists CBITs for person centred-care, which is the aim of Work Package 3. This Work Package commenced at the beginning of May and ends in October 2024. All the public project reports and deliverables can be download from the TEAMCARE Project website: https://www. projectteamcare.eu
ECHOES PROJECT
The UPGRADE Centre is a full partner of another Erasmus+ Project entitled Exchange of Expertise in Healthcare Professionals Education (ECHOES). This three-year project is being coordinated by the University of Malta and was awarded a total grant of over €400,000 with €58,607 awarded to the Faculty. This project started on 1 December 2023 and will end on 30 November 2026. The aim of the ECHOES project is to develop a digital platform to facilitate the exchange of expertise between healthcare universities across Europe. The UPGRADE Centre of Excellence is leading on Work Package 2 aimed at developing the survey on “Expertise Gaps in Healthcare Professional Education Across Europe”. The Centre has now completed the content and face validation of the ECHOES Survey and it is going to be disseminated online to collect at least 200 responses from all over Europe. This will be followed by Focus Groups, and a publication. The in-person Kick-off Meeting was held at the University of Malta on 22 January 2024.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION
A contract for a total of €70,000 is being drawn up with the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE - https://amee.org): A Capacity Building Project to evaluate through 6 Focus Groups and a Survey the quality of the AMEE Interprofessional CPD Program that trains teachers who provide CPD programs in three African countries. This study will be conducted from September 2024 to August 2025.
BRITISH ACADEMY CALL FOR DISCUSSION PAPERS
Dr Elizabeth Morrow, Visiting Research Fellow was successfully awarded a grant of £2,500 towards the production of a discussion paper titled Exploring Human-AI Intelligent Caring in Home-Based Support for Super-Aged Societies. The paper will be published later this year.
Dr Giuseppe Aleo presenting at the kick-off meeting of the ECHOES project in Malta
Dr Giuseppe Aleo delivering his oral presentation on: CPD, job satisfaction and intention to leave for Newly Qualified Nurses and Midwives at the 29th ICN Congress in Montreal
Dr Giuseppe Aleo (L) with John Farrell, Director of AHA Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN), a Partner of the Erasmus+ TEAMCARE Project.
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery is well represented at the WHO Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Hub meeting in Bucharest (above and left)
Dr Pagnucci (R) presenting at the INHWE conference, Barcelona
Dr Catherine Fitzgerald at the European Council of the Liberal Professions meeting
Prof. Mary Lynch with Dr Tatiana Bolger (new Fellow) at the Science Conference in Milan
Prof. Mary Lynch was invited to address the International Social Prescribing conference in Westminster University London, June 2024
Prof. Mary Lynch with Prof. Carolyn Wallace at the international social prescribing conference
STRATEGIC PILLAR
3: SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE AND SOCIETAL WELL-BEING IN IRELAND AND INTERNATIONALLY
ALL IRELAND INSTITUTE OF HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE
The All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is a leading organisation with national and international influence promoting excellence in palliative care. AIIHPC is a collaborative of hospices, health and social care organisations, charities and universities on the island of Ireland.
The AIIHPC aim to ensure excellent palliative care is available for everyone at the right time and place across the island of Ireland through:
• involving service users, carers and communities in palliative care delivery and development
• working to integrate palliative care across the health system so people are supported as early as possible
• supporting the development of specialist palliative care services for everyone who needs them.
The Faculty became a member of the AIIHPC in August 2023.
HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE IRELAND NURSE OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Faculty continues to support the Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) Nurse of the Year Award. The HCCI Nurse of the Year award is awarded to someone who demonstrates exceptional abilities in the care of their clients, who works to meet the holistic needs of their clients, and who demonstrates how nursing skills integrate and support social/home care. This year, the award was presented to Mariana Gordo from Heritage Home Care in Dundrum. Mariana was chosen from a number of entries by a panel of independent judges including Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Commenting on the variety and standard of nominations, Prof. White remarked that
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery is very pleased to be affiliated with the HCCI Awards and honoured with the professional accolade associated with the annual Nurse of the Year Award.
NURSING HOMES IRELAND (NHI)
NHI is the national representative body for the private and voluntary nursing home sector in Ireland. This group includes over 460 nursing homes providing care to over 25,000 people. Prof. Marie Carney is the Visiting Professor to Nursing Homes Ireland. This is an exciting project for the Faculty as the purpose of the role is to support the development of education, policy and research for NHI staff. The aim of the role of Visiting Professor to NHI is to:
• Assess, identify, reflect on, and implement transformative educational programmes for the senior nursing council and other grades of staff
• Promote an education culture that cascades downwards to all nurses and HCAs’
• Contribute to collaborative quality assurance and quality improvements of education programmes with the nursing council that are linked to health policy and the health need of residents.
During the year, Prof. Carney identified the needs of staff and from this scoping review developed a series of interactive video sessions, webinars and research newsletters, focussing on the needs of older persons care. Leadership programmes for senior management and staff nurses were also undertaken virtually and in person. Prof. Carney also researched and developed Research Bulletins for NHI during 2023/24. The aim of this research is to support NHI nurses with new research and education in the areas relevant to nursing home resident care, including managing Covid, stroke management, infection control and strategic management of services.
A second strand relevant to NHI was the introduction of the Daisy Awards and Nightingale Challenge to nurses in RCSI HG nursing home in Sunhill, Termonfeckin, Co Louth. External recognition of this NHI initiative took place through a publication written jointly with the NHI strategic manager and Visiting Professor and research methods presentation on the Visiting Professor role during the Annual Research Conference in University of Maribor. Prof. Carney also attended the NHI annual conference in the Lyrath Hotel.
Over the course of the year, Prof. Carney has provided 12 interactive web-based and in-person sessions to almost 650 nurses working in residential care settings.
AUTISM FRIENDLY SCHOOLS COFFEE MORNING
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery were delighted to share an invitation to a free AutismFriendly Schools Research Project Family Friendly Coffee Morning. The event was hosted by Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Dr Sinead McNally in RCSI’s College Hall on Saturday, 4 May. The Autism Friendly Schools Research Project is a nationwide study exploring the school experiences of autistic pupils in Ireland. It aims to capture the missing voices of autistic pupils to inform educational policy and practice, addressing ongoing challenges around the full inclusion of all autistic pupils in the Irish education system. The project is exploring inclusion in education from the perspective of primary and secondary school students and their families. The purpose of the coffee morning was to provide families with an opportunity to learn more about the project and to find out how they could get involved.
The research team includes Dr Sinead McNally (Principal Investigator), Dr Lisa Keenan and Ciarán Ramsbottom from the Institute of Education, Dublin City University and Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney (CoPrincipal Investigator) from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI.
ENHANCING EUROPEAN PREPAREDNESS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, PRE-HOSPITAL, AND DISASTER MEDICINE
Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney attended a Colloquium “Enhancing European Preparedness in Public Health, Pre-Hospital, and Disaster Medicine” in the European Parliament organised and hosted by the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), and the European Council for Disaster Medicine (ECDM) on Monday 25 March 2024. The convergence of distinguished individuals from various ecosystems and organisations aimed to foster an environment rich in knowledge, expertise, and experience. Together, the attendees embarked on a journey of collaborative brainstorming, paving the way for strategic imperatives aimed at shaping public health curricula to effectively address the dynamic challenges of European Preparedness in Public Health, Pre-Hospital, and Disaster Health. Subject matter experts, academics, and leaders
from across Europe convened in a high-level meeting to launch the development of an enhanced curriculum to better address current and future challenges. This colloquium drew from the WHO / ASPHER competency framework and built essential ingredients to strengthen the public health discipline as viewed from the lens of changing geopolitical events, creating a nuanced understanding of the intersections between mass violence, war, and disaster for public health practitioners of the future. The outcomes will pave the way for transformative public health education that prepare professionals to navigate the intricate landscape and unique challenges of the 21st century, ultimately contributing to resilient societies in Europe and beyond. The resultant working group methodology will entail ongoing meetings, workshops, in depth conversations and content development.
CENTRE FOR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY ADVANCEMENT (CNMA)
CENTRE FOR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY ADVANCEMENT STEERING GROUP
Denise McKernan, Programme Lead for the CNMA, Petrina Donnelly and Judy McEntee (Chief and Deputy Chief Directors of Nursing and Midwifery of the HSE Dublin and Northeast Regions) organised a meeting to reconvene the previously established Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement Steering Group. The purpose was to review and reassess the priorities initially identified for the then Hospital Group and the CFNMA and their ongoing collaborative work. The meeting, held on Wednesday 28 February, was well attended by Directors of Nursing and Midwifery across the region, Faculty Executive Dean Prof. Mark White, Executive Vice Dean for Education Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Operations and Education Manager, Paul Mahon. This meeting was also a wonderful opportunity for collaboration with some colleagues new to our hospital’s region with representation from the Mater, Cappagh and Navan Hospitals.
Presentations were delivered from Petrina Donnelly (Hospital’s Regions priorities 2024), Denise McKernan (CNMA work to date and future plans) and Adrian Cleary (Hospital experiences of working with the CNMA). Attendees then worked in groups to discuss and review the work to date and identify future priorities for both the hospital’s region and the CNMA, followed by a wider discussion of these. An outline of these priorities and plans for future collaborative projects is currently being finalised.
DAISY AWARDS
The DAISY award® (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) was created by the Barnes family in the USA after their son Patrick Barnes died at the age of just 33 with the autoimmune disease ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenia). The Barnes spent the last eight weeks of Patricks’ life at his bedside and felt compelled to support the ongoing recognition and celebration of extraordinary work of the nurses in honour of Patrick and the care he received. The DAISY award for extraordinary nurses was named by Patrick’s wife Tena and launched shortly after Patrick’s death in 1999.
The DAISY Award has become a strategic meaningful recognition tool in 40 countries and territories around the world (https:// daisyfoundation.org/about-us) for nurse recruitment, retention and resilience. The DAISY awards invite patients, families or colleagues to nominate individual nurses who go above and beyond in their duties to provide excellence in clinical practice and compassionate care. The prestigious nominee and honouree statuses are widely recognised and commended as markers of excellence in practice (Lefton, 2012).
The Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement and ANMP Forum have supported the DAISY awards since 2021 and to date there have been 55 honouree awards, 376 nominee pins, two Lifetime Achievement awards and one team award presented across the RCSI Hospital Group. The award ceremonies are organised by DAISY Coordinators in each hospital site and are attended by Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery staff. The award ceremony is a wonderful celebration of the fantastic work of nurses and the impact this can have on patients, families and colleagues. They also provide an opportunity for staff to hear about
other Faculty initiatives including our Fellowship and Membership Awards, Clinical Bursary and PhD Scholarships, and the work of the ANMP Forum.
In April 2024 Prof. Mark White presented the Barnes family with a research proposal examining the impact of a meaningful recognition programme (such as DAISY) on workforce issues in nursing. The Barnes family were happy with the research proposal which The Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement will progress this October as a PhD project.
NURSING AND MIDWIFERY CHALLENGE
Based on the global Nursing Now Challenge, this programme is aimed at supporting the development of leadership skills in early career nurses and further strengthening the nursing voice in healthcare. The third Nursing and Midwifery challenge concluded in September 2023. Over the course of five study days participants had a unique opportunity to hear some of our most senior nursing leaders speak.
Participants also had the opportunity to engage with senior leaders as they completed their group projects based on strategic priorities identified for our region’s hospitals. Projects such as Team Judy’s ‘Promoting Professional development Plan’ and Team Richard’s ‘Progressing and Developing Digital Health’ delivered wonderful oral and poster presentations of their work. Congratulations to those who completed the programme:
• Jennifer Reid – Rotunda Hospital
• Jenny Power - Rotunda Hospital
• Rebecca Murphy – Rotunda Hospital
• Sarah Gahan – Rotunda Hospital
• Fidelma McGivney – Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Joanna Tan - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Justine Robles - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Maria Lourdes Vergara - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Maria McArdle - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Lisa O’Hanlon - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Rafael Quirante - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Rathi Selvaraj - Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda
• Viswan Sasidharan – Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
• Linda Mateveke – Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
• Ann Marie Murray – Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
• Bency Babu – Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
• Sini Thomas – Beaumont Hospital
• Imelda Farrell – Beaumont Hospital
• Amy Kenny - Beaumont Hospital
• Jenny Boylan – Beaumont Hospital
• Angel Aragon – Beaumont Hospital
• Siobhan Fagan – Connolly Hospital
• Katie Molloy – Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
• Rhiannon Duff - Cavan/ Monaghan Hospitals
The fourth intake of 26 participants from across the newly formed region commenced their Nursing and Midwifery Challenge in April 2024.
ROMANIAN NURSE LEADER PROGRAMME
The closing conference of the Romanian Nurse Leader Programme was held on Thursday 5 October 2023 in Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest. The conference was attended by Prof. Mark White, Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Paul Mahon. Prof. White addressed the conference to highlight the importance of leadership while Paul Mahon delivered his personal reflections on the project, the development of an impactful learning experience and the importance of the study visits. The conference also heard powerful testimonials from programme participants as to the value of the programme on their practice.
PRIDE EVENT
Denise McKernan attended the Pride event in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on Wednesday, 26 June. The annual event featured live music and refreshments in the Staff Garden.
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY
International Nurses Day fell on Sunday 12 May 2024 (the birthday of Florence Nightingale). Celebrations across the HSE Dublin and Northeast Region began on Friday 10 May. The event in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda was attended by Paul Mahon and Prof. Marie Carney, while Prof. Carney also joined Denise McKernan at the event in Beaumont Hospital later in the afternoon.
The festival of nursing continued on Monday 13 May with events in Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals and Cappagh Hospital both attended by Denise McKernan and Prof Marie Carney. Each site put their unique spin on celebrations from entertainment, competitions, multicultural celebrations, blessing of the hands, awards and much more, to support, acknowledge and highlight the significant contribution nurses make to healthcare.
PEN PROGRAMME
The RCSI Institute of Global Surgery and RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery previously worked in partnership with the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON) to deliver the Perioperative Nursing E-learning Foundational Programme (PeN Programme). This programme is a constituent part of the RCSI/COSECSA collaboration programme, supported by Irish Aid. Given the centrality of nurses to safe surgery and patient care, there has long been a desire to support the perioperative nursing workforce in the region. The programme was launched in September 2022, with additional modules being added in 2022 and 2023.
The United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub project officially launched on 28 June 2023 and one of the courses that is available on the Hub is the PeN Programme. This resulted in the programme being made available to a wider audience through both the ECSACON Moodle site and through SURGhub. Operation Smile have also agreed to support the cost of translating the PeN Programme Perioperative Nurse E-Learning Programme into Spanish – initially as a pre-course training for a cohort of a nurses who will be participating in an Operation Smile training programme in Peru in August. ECSACON have also developed a Fellowship programme that builds on the PeN programme and the Faculty are providing advice on its development.
FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
GLOBAL INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Through the leadership of the Dean, support by the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and GILA Co Directors Prof Thomas Kearns and Prof Michael Shannon, GILA has been committed to supporting the implementation of the following projects.
WHO COLLABORATION CENTRE
GILA is leading the designation of the first Nursing and Midwifery WHO Collaboration Centre in Ireland. The designation will facilitate working in partnership with the Office of European WHO Collaborative Centre and the Chief Nursing Officer Department of Health, Ireland on joint global nursing and midwifery collaboration projects.
WHO PAN EUROPEAN MENTAL HEALTH COALITION WORK PACKAGE
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This research supports the work package by:
• Conducting a situational analysis of the mental health workforce in European countries from the viewpoints of settings, professions, education and capability
• Undertaking an in-depth knowledge on pilot countries of the diversification of conditions and care needs, settings, and service provisions of the mental health workforce as well as evidence and examples of good practices.
WHO CHIEF NURSING OFFICER
GILA is supporting a number of initiatives to include the WHO 25/25/25 programme and the achievement of the strategic goals of the WHO CNO.
WHO POLICY LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT
GILA has established a collaboration with Dr Michelle Funk, Unit Head of the WHO Policy Law and Human Rights, on a global nursing and midwifery programme that sets out principles and provisions that can be mirrored in national legislation to support human rights policies.
Dr Gintare Valentelyte (Research Assistant in the School of Population Health RCSI) who works 20% with GILA is the research lead for the WHO Quality Rights e-training programme research project being conducted by GILA.
EUROPEAN STUDENT AND EARLY CAREER LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
The development of a European Student and Early Career Policy Leadership Programme is being led by GILA and European partners. A project steering committee/group has been created to co-design and pilot a leadership development programme for early career nurses and midwives in Europe by December 2024.
Prof Michael Shannon, Dr Mary Boyd and Prof Thomas Kearns attend a meeting with the WHO Chief Nurse at the WHO Geneva
FACULTY OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY TRANSITION SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES
Over the past year, significant strides have been made towards addressing the critical need for alternative pathways to nurse registration in Ireland, a necessity driven by the growing healthcare demands of the population. The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Transition Support Programme for Internationally Educated Nurses is currently being developed under the leadership of Joanne Peters with the supervision of Prof. Mark White and Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney. This initiative is further supported by the contributions of Paul Mahon and Gillian Berry, whose involvement has been invaluable.
The programme is specifically designed for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who currently do not meet the requirements set forth by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and/or EU Directives. The programme aims to equip these nurses with the necessary skills and experience to achieve the six domains of competence through a combination of theoretical and experiential learning.
The development of this programme has been made possible through the unwavering support of the RCSI Hospital Group and the invaluable guidance from RCSI’s Academic Affairs and Registry team. Their contributions have been crucial in shaping a programme that not only addresses current healthcare challenges but also ensures the sustained quality and competence of nursing professionals in Ireland.
CHARTER DAY MEETING
The Annual Charter Meeting was held from Tuesday, 6 February to Friday, 9 February 2024. This event marks the anniversary of the granting of the Royal Charter to the College in 1784 and provides an opportunity for the entire RCSI community and the broader healthcare community in Ireland and overseas to come together to celebrate our shared heritage and the advancements we continue to make in the field of healthcare. The theme of the Meeting was Rising to Challenges in a Changing World. As part of the celebrations, the Faculty hosted a workshop on Thursday, 8 February. The
workshop was opened by Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean, and included presentations from Prof. Mark White, Prof. Thomas Kearns, Prof. Mary Lynch and Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney. Following the presentations, an interactive questions and answers session was held. The workshop was delivered in hybrid format with many attending both in person and online.
HEALTH SUMMIT 2024
Prof. Mark White was invited to speak at the 20th Health Summit which was held in Croke Park on Wednesday, 7 February. The event featured plenary sessions and dedicated conference tracks addressing some Big Health System topics including:
• Understanding the past as we prepare for the future: Progress made, challenges faced and future goals for improving healthcare
• Imagining and creating the future: How welldesigned policies will help us to stay well for longer
• Funding our healthcare system: the path ahead for the healthcare budget
• What needs to be done to ensure integrated care works for people and populations
• Our ageing population: Is Ireland ready to face up to the impact the ageing population will have on our society and healthcare system?
• Going digital: Crucial areas for healthcare policymakers
• Creating the workforce of the future: The skills, leadership and culture needed for digital change
• Innovation: What will it take to bring improvement from the margins to the mainstream?
• Accelerating the benefits of collaboration for patients and communities
• Taking action to achieve the vision of moving care closer to home: What needs to be done to ensure integrated care works for people and populations
• What we can learn from case studies and best practices at home and abroad.
Prof. White took part in a panel discussion focusing on Ireland’s future healthcare workforce challenge which examined the characteristics and critical skills necessary for the workforce of the future, the educational needs of the future health care workforce, the number of healthcare staff will we need by 2040, and the role of artificial intelligence in addressing these challenges. Also on the panel were Prof. Brian Kinirons Medical Director, National Doctor Training and Planning, HSE; Lana Kane Director, Medforce; Prof. Thomas O’Dowd, GP, Public Health and Primary Care, TCD and Dr Ronan Glynn, Partner and Health Sector Lead, EY Ireland.
ALL IRELAND NURSING FESTIVAL
Prof. Mark White was also invited to speak at the All Ireland Festival which was held in The Helix on Tuesday, 11 June. This event aimed to showcase nursing’s best practice and to help nursing leaders, practising nurses and health care workers deliver better integrated care within an ever-changing healthcare environment. The day heard from speakers on topics as diverse as workforce development, digital health and virtual wards, opportunities for nursing and midwifery, nurse led innovation, intellectual disability, education and regulation, inclusion, retention and working with new technology. Speaking to the changing nature of our workforce, Prof. White highlighted how nurse
managers are key to enhancing staff engagement, satisfaction and retention – none more so than with our emerging Generation Z nurses and midwives.
ROMANIAN HEALTH WORKER REUNION AND NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS
On the Wednesday 11 October 2023, the Romanian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency LaurențiuMihai Ștefan hosted a reunion of health workers in Ireland. This event was to recognise the contribution of Romanian nationals to the health service in Ireland, and to provide an opportunity for these health care professionals to network. His Excellency noted that health services across the world are all facing the same issues and that events such as this give us an opportunity to look forward and seek solutions. Prof. Mark White, Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Paul Mahon were invited to attend the event. Prof. White addressed the audience to speak of the ongoing collaboration between the Faculty, the Embassy and colleagues in the Order of Nurses, Midwives and Medical Assistants in Romania. He stressed the importance of bilateral visits and looked forward to continued collaboration.
(L-R) Prof Brian Kinirons, Prof. Mark White, Lana Kane, Prof. Thomas O’Dowd and Dr Ronan Glynn
On Friday 1 December 2023, the Romanian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency LaurențiuMihai Ștefan hosted the Romanian National Day celebrations in the Boardroom and College Hall. This day celebrates and commemorates the Great Union of 1918 which marked the unification of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania forming the modern nation. The event included an address from Paul Mahon, Operations and Education Manager, an address from His Excellency, an operatic performance by two Romanian singers and a wine tasting event in the College Hall. The event was also attended by Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney and Prof. Marie Carney.
ADVANCED NURSE / MIDWIFE PRACTITIONER FORUM
The ANP/AMP Forum was established to recognise nurses and midwives working in advanced practice roles in the RCSI Hospital Group. The Forum Network was launched on 25 October 2019 in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery by Ms Mary Jacob, Former Dean and Former Faculty Executive Dean Prof. Thomas Kearns. Prof. Marie Carney was appointed Coordinator of the ANP/AMP Network Forum at the launch and remains so. The purpose of the Forum is to support advanced practitioners in keeping up to date with research thereby enhancing their clinical practice. The ANP/AMP Forum has continued its existence to the present day. This initiative supports teaching, learning, research and community engagement, and quality is being enhanced by the Forum by providing local, national and international dimensions. External recognition of the Forum is taking place through presentation of the Forum and ANP roles at seminars and conferences nationally and internationally and in peer reviewed journal articles. Prof. Carney supported this initiative throughout the year by:
• Researching and developing newsletters for ANP/AMPs and separate newsletters for Clinical Nurse Specialists in the RCSI hospitals
• Providing educational supports through up to date journal articles from around the world relating to advanced nurse practice and midwifery education, new research and new clinical developments
• Supporting ANMP’s in their current research and in publishing their work
• Facilitating communication with other services in the RCSI Hospital Network, for example, cardiology, emergency, and minor injuries
• Providing information about the Faculty’s international research and education conference.
BEAUMONT HOSPITAL ANP GRAND ROUNDS
Grand Rounds have been long associated with the medical community. In the 19th century John Hopkins Medical School introduced a novel way of clinical education – teaching at the bedside (Beeson, 1986). Beaumont Hospital’s Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) Network developed an educational platform for Advanced Nurse
Practitioners (ANPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS’s), in 2021, called “ANP & CNS Grand Rounds”. These sessions involve ANP / CNS speakers presenting in an auditorium on their service, scope of practice, governance and case studies. Benefits have been observed from this educational platform, the most obvious being an easy way to incorporate continuous professional development into the nurse’s week. For the novice public speaker, it is a friendly forum to begin their presenting career where confidence and competence regarding the art of public speaking really can grow. It is also a place where seasoned ANPs and CNS’s can provide mentorship, advice and guidance to those starting on their journey as ANP’s or CNS’s (Garvey 2024). Prof. Marie Carney supported and attended the ANP Forum and Nursing Grand Rounds in Beaumont Hospital, every second Wednesday between September and June 2024.
ANNUAL ADVANCING NURSING AND MIDWIFERY PRACTICE GRAND ROUNDS
The 2nd Annual RCSI Hospital Group Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Practice Grand Rounds was held on Tuesday, 31 October 2023 in Dundalk Institute of Technology. The event was organised by colleagues in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda in conjunction with Petrina Donnelly (RCSI HG Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery), Judy McEntee (RCSI HG Deputy Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery), Dr Myles Hackett (Head of School, DKIT), and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery who also sponsored the event. The day was well attended with 110 colleagues present.
The annual event is an opportunity for specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery practitioners from across the RCSI HG and beyond to come together, share best practice, network, and learn. The event was opened by Adrian Cleary, (Director of Nursing Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda). Referencing the national Policy on Graduate to Advanced Practice and the systemic transformation of the health service Adrian noted that specialist and advanced practitioners need to be clear about their purpose and to continue to demonstrate their nursing and midwifery values in the face of great change. Cathy Clarke (rANP Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and event organiser) noted that it can be a lonely journey to advanced practice and events
such as the Grand Rounds are important to build relationships with other practitioners across the Group. She stated that the Grand Rounds have helped empower, educate, engage, and encourage specialist and advanced practitioners in their pursuit of excellence. Petrina Donnelly (Group Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery) highlighted the commitment of the hospital group to achieve a minimum 3% target advanced practitioners across the hospital group. She also highlighted the importance of practice-academic partnership, such as the one between the Faculty and the Group.
Throughout the day delegates heard from a wide range of specialist and advanced practitioners including Valerie Small, the first Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Ireland, Karen McGowan rANP Gynaecology, and Dr Michelle Acorn, International Council of Nurses. Present on the day were representatives from the Chief Nurses Office in the Department of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
Closing the event Paul Mahon (Operations and Education Manager) encouraged delegates to take a multi-dimension view of the knowledge that informs their practice, to enhance their socio-political awareness and to articulate the value of their practice from empirical, esthetical, personal, ethical, emancipatory and economic perspectives. He further encouraged delegates to translate the local to the global by engaging in research, publishing and national and international collaboration.
The event was also an opportunity to promote the various awards offered by the Faculty.
CLINICAL NURSE / MIDWIFE SPECIALIST RESEARCH REVIEW
Prof. Marie Carney researched and presented a new Clinical Nurse Specialist Nursing Review during all Nursing Grand Rounds in Beaumont Hospital. It is acknowledged that CNS’s may have little time in their busy environments to read about new research which is available from the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement in the Faculty. The aims of the CNS Research Review, similar to the aims of the ANP Newsletters, are to inform CNS’s working in the RCSI Hospital Group of new research and to acknowledge their work in delivering safe patient care in challenging environments. The Research Reviews presented to date relate to a range of surgical conditions including sepsis. Celebrating International Nurses’ Day and the Florence Nightingale birthday celebrations were also presented.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
The ANMP Forum established several international collaborative and partnership initiatives during the year, commencing in June 2023 with attendance at Sigma USA the Omega Epsilon-at-large Chapter on line, when a large number of Irish nurses were inducted into Sigma. Prof. Carney presented on ‘The future of nursing and midwifery in primary healthcare in Europe’ during the WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Federation of Nurses (EFN) and European Forum of Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA) webinar. She continued her advanced nurse practice education work in interactive sessions with Italian Nurses and Dr Giuseppe Aleo on ‘advanced nurse practice in Ireland –lessons for practice.’ This work continued in November with ‘The Leadership Challenge’ via on line webinar presented to Romanian nurse and midwife managers. A request was received and granted to permit use of this presentation to nurses and midwives in Romania. Prof. Carney also presented to nurses virtually on ‘Leadership and Management in Nursing and Health Care’ during the International Scientific Conference in the University of Maribor, Slovenia in 2023 and also in June 2024 on ‘Advanced nurse practitioners valuable role in nursing and sustainable healthcare globally.’
The advanced nurse practice theme continued when she presented on the ‘ANP’s role in Pain
management: Application to practice from an interdisciplinary perspective’ during the 3rd International Interdisciplinary Pain Management Conference held in Rome in November. This theme was further continued in March 2024 during the Federation of International Nurses Education Conference (FINE) held in the University of Barcelona, with her presentation on ‘Nursing education for a sustainable future, challenges and opportunities.’ Finally, she presented on two occasions to Ukrainian senior nurse managers who were visiting RCSI in May 2024. Presentations were titled ‘Leadership Principles and Theories’ and ‘Leading Advanced Nurse Practice’.
DETERIORATING PATIENT SYMPOSIUM
The Faculty was invited to attend the inaugural RCSI Hospital Group Deteriorating Patient Symposium which was held on Thursday 16 November 2023 in the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan.
The symposium provided an opportunity for expert clinicians, educators, researchers and leaders across the RCSI Hospital Group to come together to address the many challenging aspects for staff around patients who deteriorate. It also provided an opportunity to showcase much of the good work that is being done to overcome these challenges across the Group. The symposium discussed 19 different topics across the areas of anticipating, recognising, responding to and evaluating sepsis and deterioration in both acute and continuing care settings.
FELLOWS, MEMBERS AND FRIENDS EVENTS
ANNUAL FESTIVE GATHERING
The Annual Fellows, Members and Friends Festive Gathering was held in the College Hall and Boardroom on Tuesday, 5 December. The event was preceded by a meeting between the Faculty Board and Executive, Dr Kateryna Komar Chief Nursing Officer of Ukraine and Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer Ireland and members of her team. The meeting was an opportunity to hear first-hand about the challenges facing nursing, midwifery and the health system in general in Ukraine and to explore areas of collaboration.
The festivities commenced with a wine and canapé reception in the Boardroom before the RCSI Choral Society opened the evening in the College Hall with their renditions of Pure Imagination and Antiphonal Noel. Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery then welcomed guests to the college, reminding those present that this is a
time of year when families and friends across the world gather together to celebrate, to reinvigorate old acquaintances, and to look to the future with renewed hope and optimism. Welcoming in particular Dr Komar and her team, Dr Boyd remarked on the inconceivable suffering across the globe as a result of ongoing wars, drought and starvation, and the devastating impacts of climate change and how this is tempered by acts of kindness and compassion, acts of altruism and affability, and the collective good, coming together, to respond in times of darkness.
Following the Deans welcome, Prof. Laura Viani President of RCSI addressed the audience via video. Echoing the Deans comments, Prof Viani remarked that the recent tragedies of war and conflict remind us of the transient and fragile nature of life. She suggested that ‘as human beings, we thrive on human connection and interaction. As we reflect at the close of the year, let us appreciate and celebrate the importance of showing our human side, of connecting with one another and being together!’
The evening of music, poetry and prose continued with the RCSI Choral Society’s rendition of On with the Snow before Molly Case was invited to the stage to recite two of her poems Spinal and Night Shift on the Dementia Floor. Welcoming Molly to the stage Dr Boyd informed the audience that Molly is a spoken word artist, writer and nurse from England who has achieved national recognition in England after performing her poem Nursing the Nation at the 2013 Royal College of Nursing Congress. The Dean remarked that Molly ‘has an inimitable ability to beautifully illustrate the intricacies of the human condition, and the oscillating rhythms of life and death’.
Next to the stage was the internationally acclaimed Irish folk singer and actress Lisa Lambe who was joined on keyboard by Vincent Lynch. For her performance, Lisa began by singing Dancing in the Dark. She followed this by recounting the role of the midwife in Irish culture and heritage with a tale taken from the National Folklore Collection about the midwife, Nelly O’Connor. Completing her performance, Lisa sang a traditional Irish ballad, Donal Óg, and the folk Christmas song River by Joni Mitchell.
The Dean next welcomed to the stage the Ukrainian Chief Nurse, Dr Kateryna Komar. In her welcome, the Dean noted that as of May 30 2023, the WHO had verified more than 1000 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine since the invasion began – the highest number the WHO has ever recorded in any humanitarian emergency. She stated that ‘This grim milestone yet again highlights the difficult and dangerous circumstances in which Ukraine’s health system operates. It also reveals both the courage, and the cost borne, by healthcare services and personnel in their unfailing commitment to their fellow human, irrespective of, and despite, whatever the adversity which has befallen them.’
During her address, Dr Komar praised the resilience of nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals who continued to work in the hospitals in Ukraine despite being under the threat of bomb and drone attacks. In demonstration of the challenging working conditions within the health service, she recounted a story of one midwife who had delivered 136 babies over the course of 46 days in a bomb shelter. Dr Komar concluded her remarks by thanking the people of Ireland for their support and wished all present a safe and peaceful Christmas with their families.
In a fitting addition to Dr Komar’s address, Dave Fadden – an internationally recognised musician and composer from Dublin – played Mo Ghile Mear (My Gallant Darling) on the uilleann pipes. This traditional Irish lament, which in part originates from the 1746 poem Bímse Buan ar Buairt Gach Ló (My Heart is Sore with Sorrow Deep) provided an opportunity for guests to reflect on the poignant words of Dr Komar and gave pause to all to remember the healthcare workers who dedicate their lives when working in places of conflict across the globe.
Introducing some comic relief, Aoife Martyn next took to the stage to perform an excerpt from her comedy show Nursey. Aoife comes from County Mayo and graduated from BSc General Nursing NUI Galway in 2011 and from the Gaiety School of Acting in 2017. Nursey is the story of an overzealous young nurse from the West of Ireland who leaves the loving embrace of her Mayo home to fulfil her destiny by healing the sick, the sad and the destitute of 1970s Dublin. Since opening in May 2022, the play has toured nationally, receiving an overwhelming response, with a number of sold out runs up and down the country.
Welcoming Molly Case back to the stage, Dr Boyd thanked Aoife for her wonderful performance and for her hilarious take on life as a nurse in Ireland in the 1970’s. Introducing Molly’s next poem, Nursing the Nation, Dr Boyd noted that it was penned in 2013 as a response to the frustrations Molly and her fellow students felt at the unrelenting bad press received by all NHS workers – frustrations still evident today. Following Molly’s reading the Dean thanked everyone who attended and who were involved in producing the evening’s entertainment.
On behalf of the Faculty Board and Executive, she wished guests, their families and all nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals a happy and peaceful festive season before introducing the RCSI Choral Society one last time for a final performance of Seasons of Love and Feliz Navid.
SUMMER FELLOWS, MEMBERS AND FRIENDS EVENT
As part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, and coinciding with the Ukrainian Nurse Leadership Development Programme, the Faculty hosted a Summer Fellows, Members and Friends event titled Caring Voices on Wednesday, 22 May 2024. Ms Mary Godfrey, Vice Dean opened the evening on behalf of the Dean, Dr Mary Boyd and the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Reflecting on the wisdom, vision and determination of our Founding Fellows who established the Faculty fifty years ago, she noted that the Faculty continues to build on its legacy to innovate and educate for a healthier future for all, not just in Ireland but internationally. With reference to the Ukrainian Nurse Leader Development programme Ms Godfrey stated ‘We are indeed a global community of nurses and midwives and such sharing of learning is of benefit to all. In these times where populations around the world face an existential threat, remembering and sharing our past and holding hope for the future has never been more important.’
The evening consisted of a bespoke performance by Lisa Lambe of her new project Nightvisiting. ‘NightVisiting’ reconnects us to the social role that night time social house-visits once played in Irish oral traditions and folklore, and in the preservation of our songs and stories from tender love songs to songs of loss and longing. The role of the midwife was highly important in Irish Folklore and Lisa celebrated some of those special stories and folktales alongside world class traditional musicians, taking us back almost 100 years with the songs and stories of our nation. The evening also included a performance of traditional songs by the Ukrainian delegation and an address by Dr Kateryna Komar, Chief Nursing Officer of Ukraine and Olena Nykonchuk, Head of the Science Sector of the Department of Medical Personnel, Education and Science of Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
Closing the evening, Prof. Mark White, Executive Dean thanked Lisa Lambe and her musicians Tim, Claire and Mike, and our colleagues from Ukraine for presenting a unique and special evening. He also thanked colleagues from across RCSI, for their collegiality, enthusiasm and support, and without whom, the evening would not have been impossible, including:
• The President of RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Prof. Deborah McNamara
• The Dean and Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
• Mr Frank Donegan and his Team in Portering
• Mr Cornelius Jacobus Petrus Jansen Van Vuuren and his Team in Catering
• Ms Cara Mc Veigh, Ms Emma Nolan and Ms Nadine Pilcher in RCSI Conferencing, Bookings and Events
• Ms Collette Power, Ms Liz McNicholl, Ms Yvette Moffat and Mr Billy Cahill in Estates
• The RCSI Security Team
• RCSI Design
• CT Ireland, Arcade Film, and Maxwell’s Photograph.
END PJ PARALYSIS GLOBAL SUMMIT
The Global Summit is the biggest annual event of the #EndPJparalysis movement. The Summit is now in its sixth year and is changing the lives of older people, preventing deconditioning and educating health professionals and carers about the dangers of immobility. Raising people’s awareness of the dangers of deconditioning helps prevent this avoidable harm. This Summit and the wider media that goes around it, in and beyond the health sector, plays an important role in raising that awareness. The Global Summit was held on 12 and 13 July 2023 and was proudly sponsored by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.
GET UP, GET DRESSED, GET MOVING WORLD CAFÉ
Get Up Get Dressed Get Moving is a national campaign by the HSE to promote independence and embed the concept of early and ongoing
movement into culture and practice across health and social care in Ireland. All evidence shows that when patients get up, get dressed and get moving, they have better outcomes than those who remain in bed. Indeed, hospital acquired deconditioning has multi-system effects including loss of muscle mass, bone demineralisation, decreased pulmonary function, constipation, urinary tract infection and compromised skin integrity amongst many others. It is estimated to lead to 37,000 premature deaths in England alone and contributes to delayed discharge in >47% of older patients.
The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, in collaboration with Health Service 360, hosted a strategic workshop on deconditioning on Monday 11 September 2023 in the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. The workshop brought together senior decision makers from national, regional, and group level across the domains of education, leadership, research, policy and practice to address deconditioning as the biggest harm event in healthcare. The aim of the workshop was to gather the collective and strategic views of senior decision makers on how we as an interdisciplinary collective can further advance the recognition of deconditioning as a major harm event and produce a discussion paper to capture this thinking.
During the morning session participants heard from Prof. Mark White (Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), Prof. Brian Dolan OBE (Director of Health Service 360 and Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), Howard Catton (CEO of the International Council of Nurses and Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), Deirdre Lang (National Lead for Older Person Services HSE and Board Member of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery), Prof. Rose Anne Kenny (TCD and Principle Investigator TILDA project), Prof. Lynda Holt (CEO Health Service 360), and Siel Blu Ireland (a not-for-profit organisation that offers exercise programmes for older persons and people living with physical and intellectual disabilities). Participants also heard from Rachel and George Spencer on how they are living their best life.
During the afternoon world café event participants engaged in critical conversations to answer five strategic questions of how we change behaviour and culture, how can we measure deconditioning, how we influence the education agenda, how we change the narrative around deconditioning, and what needs to be done from a workforce perspective. These collective thoughts will subsequently be developed into a position paper to further the Get Up, Get Dressed, Get Moving Campaign.
To view the highlight reel from the event, visit https://youtu.be/qlOnBEqxNNk or scan the QR code:
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
STAFF TRAINING
A staff training day was held on Wednesday, 4 October in the Westbury Hotel, Dublin. Facilitated by Performance Partners, the Everything DiSC workshop provided participants with insight into themselves and others through a psychometric assessment and personal development tool rooted in the DiSC model. With its elegant simplicity, the model categorises individuals into four primary styles: Dominance (D), Influence (i), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). In doing so, it helps individuals to identify their own strengths and communication preferences. Throughout the day, the workshop explored the intricacies of the various styles, their impact on our interactions within the workplace, and how they can be utilised for success. Each participant received personalised insights that illuminated their unique preferences and tendencies, fostering a profound understanding of both oneself and colleagues. A follow-up workshop was held on Wednesday 5 June which was attended by previous participants and new members of the Executive Team.
FACULTY GOVERNANCE
Throughout the year, significant work was undertaken in relation to the governance of the Faculty. As reported previously, the 2019 – 2022 Strategic Plan was extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the changes in leadership of the Faculty and the impending publication of the RCSI Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027. In August 2023, the Faculty commissioned Genesis consultancy to draft our new strategic plan. Following an extensive consultation and discussion period, this is now nearing completion and will be published towards the end of 2024. Once the new strategic plan is agreed and operationalised, an updated version of the Code of Corporate Governance and Standing Orders will be produced to align with our new strategy.
OBITUARIES
We were saddened to hear of the passing of two leading figures in nursing and healthcare this year - Josephine Bartley (13 May 2024), Founder Member and Former Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Dr Catherine O’Neill (29 March 2024), Former Senior Lecturer RCSI Dublin and
Bahrain and Former Board Member of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.
Dr Catherine O’Neill was a leading academic in the health sector who specialised in nursing ethics. She trained as a General Nurse in the Richmond Hospital, Dublin before going on to achieve qualifications including a BA, MA, Masters of Social Sciences and a PhD. Throughout her academic career she held posts in RCSI Dublin and Bahrain, UCD, Trinity College Dublin and in Dublin City University. She also contributed to nursing and midwifery nationally through her involvement in the review of the NMBI Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives, and internationally through her contribution to the European Code of Conduct and Ethics for European Nurses. From 2015 – 2019 she served on the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. At her funeral, Aisling Culhane of the Psychiatric Nurses Association described Dr O’Neill as “a lovely lady, great teacher and a truly authentic person” while Prof. Marie Carney said: “She was a dear friend, kind and thoughtful and a wonderful teacher to her many students.” The obituary to Dr O’Neill can be viewed here: https://www.independent. ie/irish-news/obituary-dr-catherine-oneill-leadingfigure-in-irish-medicine-who-specialised-in-nursingethics-and-had-a-lasting-impact-on-the-treatmentof-patients/a1192129627.html
Ms Josephine Bartley was the First Director of Nursing in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and Founder Member and Former Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. She is widely acknowledged as a leader in the nursing profession who, through her dedication and commitment to excellence, reached the pinnacle of nursing in Ireland. She was elected to the Board of the Faculty in 1985 and appointed as Dean in March 1990. Many changes and developments occurred during her term as Dean including the offering of the first Diploma in Nursing (Dip. N.) in 1992. A particular highlight during her Deanship was the conferring of the first Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery on Saint Teresa of Calcutta in Rome in 1992. Throughout her career, Ms Bartley worked tirelessly to maintain and develop post registration education for nurses and was responsible for initiating several post-registration courses in partnership with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. In recognition of
her impressive legacy in Beaumont Hospital, each year one graduating student nurse is presented with the Ms Josephine Bartley Prize for Excellence in Nursing Care. After retiring from Beaumont, she served on the Board of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and also on the Research Ethics Committee. Her dedication to the advancement of education and practice has impacted significantly on the lives of countless professionals and indeed the patients we serve. The obituary for Ms Bartley can be viewed here: https://www.irishtimes.com/ obituaries/2024/07/06/josephine-bartley-obituary-adriving-force-in-the-elevation-of-nursing-in-ireland/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Faculty wish to acknowledge all those who have supported us over the year, and without whom our successes would not be possible. In particular, we wish to thank:
• Prof. Laura Viani (Past President) and Prof. Deborah McNamara (President)
• Ms Patsy Connolly, Executive Assistant for the Office of the President
• Mr Tony Temple, Olivia Browne, and Ms Nattanya Meredith from RCSI Design
• Mr Frank Donegan and his Team in Portering
• Mr Cor nelius Jacobus Petrus Jansen Van Vuuren and his Team in Catering
• Ms Louise Loughran and her team in Communications
• Ms Cara Mc Veigh, Ms Emma Nolan and Ms Nadine Pilcher in RCSI Conferencing, Bookings and Events
• Ms Collette Power, Ms Liz McNicholl, Ms Yvette Moffat and Mr Billy Cahill in Estates
• The RCSI Security Team
• CT Ireland, Arcade Film, Floral Events and Maxwells Photgraphy.
PROFILE OF THE BOARD
Dr Mary Boyd Dean
Dr Mary Boyd (PhD, MA, PG Dip (CPW), FFNMRCSI) is currently Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland since March 2022. As Chief Executive Officer of Western Care Association, Mayo, Mary comes to this key role with a wealth of experience and a strong track record of success in leadership roles within health and social care settings, nationally and internationally, as well as strong expertise in all aspects of nursing, midwifery and healthcare.
As Chief Nursing Officer, until July 2023, at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates she was awarded the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. This acknowledged her distinguished career as a nurse manager, nurse in clinical practice, administration, education and research. This award acknowledges Mary’s active and effective engagement in the professional development of others in the nursing profession and her contribution to improved patient experience and satisfaction.
She was the Regional General Manager for Governance and Systems with the Child and Family Agency, Túsla and has twenty-six years of executive management hospital and advisory board experience and conducted quality audits in many healthcare settings and hospitals.
Mary received her Doctorate in Governance from the School of Law, QUB in 2008, and her MA in Public Management from the IPA in 1996. She completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Child Protection and Welfare in TCD in 2020. Mary is also a GNLI scholar. Mary was conferred as a Fellow by Examination with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of RCSI and was elected to the position of Dean in March 2022 having served as Vice Dean and Honorary Secretary. Dr Boyd’s expertise in nursing and midwifery leadership has greatly contributed to the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Mary contributes to the newly developed GILA which enhances the work for World Health Organisation projects and is a key contributor to achieving the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI’s goals and objectives.
Ms Mary Godfrey Vice Dean
Mary (RGN, RM, RCN, RNT, BNS, MA (Ethics of Health Care), Grad Dip Healthcare (Risk Management and Quality), FFNMRCSI.
Elected Board Member in September 2017, current ViceDean since March 2022 and previously Honorary Treasurer (November 2019- February 2022).
Formerly a Senior Clinical Risk Manager and Clinical Risk Adviser in the State Claims Agency Mary’s extensive experience emanates from a diverse range of positions in children’s nurse education, the Nursing Policy Division and Chief Medical Officer’s office, Department of Health, Ireland, and the Health Service Executive resulting in the development of both national policy and professional guidance to support the nursing and midwifery professions; professional regulation; leading the development and implementation of national service initiatives; quality and risk management, research ethics and governance.
As an elected member of An Bórd Altranais (2007-2012), Mary served on the education and training, registration, ethics, continuing competence, advanced practice (Chairperson) and Fitness to Practice committees.
More recently, Mary was a member of the HSE National Policy Working Group - General Principles and contributed to the development of the National Consent Policy 2022.
Ms Deirdre Lang Honorary Secretary
Deirdre Lang initially trained in St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park, as a Registered General Nurse. During her career she spent a number of years working in acute services in Australia and in Ireland. She has had a variety of experiences, having worked in mental health and practice development. Her experience in Older Persons Services includes the roles of Clinical Nurse Manger II, Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Nursing (HSE and private sector).
Her role as Director of Nursing Older Persons Services brings together all aspects of her experience to date, together with her passion for the older patient and those who provide their care. Having worked and studied in the RCSI, Deirdre is committed to the values and mission of the organisation and in particular to the RCSI vision of “supporting healthcare professionals, through high quality education, research and service, to enable people to live long and healthy lives”.
Mr Ken Jordan Honorary Treasurer
Ken Jordan is the former Head of Transformation for the National Treasury Management Agency and until December 2019 was a Deputy Director and Head of ICT for the NTMA. He was in the NTMA ICT management role for over 20 years having worked prior to that mainly in senior IT roles for Qatar Petroleum, Bord Na Mona, Digital Equipment International and the Irish Department of Energy (including in the role of Minister’s Private Secretary). Ken retired from the NTMA in October 2020.
Ken is a Computer Science graduate of TCD (Primary and Masters Degrees) and has also studied IT Management and Business Finance at the IMI. He has a keen interest in overseeing delivery of robust and secure innovative ICT solutions to business, cognisant in particular of the increasing cyber and data integrity risks inherent in the modern business environment. Ken’s current Board appointments are:
• Clontarf Hospital – Member of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee, providing primary oversight of the ICT function to the Board, including the design and implementation of a new ICT and cyber security infrastructure. Commended by the Chairperson in the 2021 Annual Report for contribution to the response to the HSE cyber-attack.
• RCSI Nursing and Midwifery Faculty – Honorary Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, Member of the Governance and Risk Committee. Providing primary oversight of Finance and ICT matters to the Board.
• Residential Tenancy Board – Member of Board ICT oversight sub-committee for several years (until Q1 2024).
• Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre –Board member since 2020. Responsible for the oversight of the design and implementation of new ICT facilities at the Centre and in the Youth Service.
Ms Jacinta Collins Board Member
Jacinta is a communications expert, with 25 years of experience gained predominantly in the healthcare sector. Jacinta is a co-opted member of the Board and provides a corporate and societal well-being perspective to the Board. Jacinta is Founder and Director of Argideen Communications, and is a strategic communications consultant and expert in change, culture and reputation. She is passionate about the power of purpose-driven storytelling and that is what she loves to do, help clients tell stories that connect, engage and achieve results, because they have been delivered in the right way via the right channel.
Prior to setting up Argideen Communications, Jacinta worked at GlaxoSmithKline for eight years, seven of which were spent in increasing senior communications roles within the company’s global headquarters in London, including Head of Communications for the global R&D organisation. She gained extensive experience working for 15 years in London Public Relations agencies. Jacinta has a BA in Communication Studies from Dublin City University. Jacinta joined the Board in September 2020.
Ms Petrina Donnelly Board Member
Petrina (RN, MSc, BNS, A.Dip, MSc, FFNMRCSI) is the Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Dublin and North East Hospital Region. Previous career roles include Director of Nursing for a Private Residential Care Group. Petrina also spent 18 years working in Beaumont Hospital where she undertook several nursing roles, progressing to senior management level as Directorate Nurse Manager for the National Kidney Transplant and Nephrology Service, and Deputy Director of Nursing. Throughout her career Petrina has engaged in continuous professional development. Following completion of her nursing degree, she undertook a degree in Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation, Advanced Diploma in Personal and Executive Coaching, an MSc in Organisational Change and Leadership Development and most recently completed an Advanced Diploma in Medical Law. She is currently undertaking a Global scholarship with the Florence Nightingale Foundation.
Petrina joined the Board in September 2021, as a coopted member, supporting the Board with expertise in the domains of International Health Systems and Public Health. She was appointed Honorary Teaching Associate of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in October 2020 and successfully gained Fellowship by Examination of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (FFNMRCSI) Award in 2022.
Dr Cora Lunn Board Member
Cora is an Associate Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick. Cora holds a Diploma of Higher Education in Professional Studies Nursing from the University of West London and completed a MSc in Health and Social Policy with City University of London in 2003. Cora was awarded an Irish Research Council Scholarship in 2019 and graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Limerick in 2024. Her PhD explored the role of nurse executives in acute hospitals in Ireland. Her research and academic work has focused on analysing and gaining an increased understanding of leadership and management behaviour in nursing. She has experience and expertise in evaluative health service research, with a particular interest in health policy, strategy, organisational behaviour, culture and implementation science.
Cora has worked in a variety of nurse manager, practice and project management roles in Ireland and the UK. She has previously worked regionally in the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Units Mid-West and led National Projects within in the HSE Office for the Nursing and Midwifery Development. She established the HSE National Clinical Leadership and Innovation Centre in 2010 and continued as the Director until 2018 leading the development of leadership capacity and capabilities in nursing and midwifery nationally. She has 15 years’ experience in facilitating inter-disciplinary leadership development and management programmes in a variety of health care settings in Ireland and the UK. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Personal, Leadership and Executive Coaching from Kingston College Dublin. Cora was awarded a Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery by Examination, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFNMRCSI) in 2021 and she was elected to the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in June 2021.
Prof. Charlotte McArdle Board Member
Charlotte is leading policy work on same sex accommodation, care partners for patients, and a range of safety and improvement programmes. Alongside this Charlotte leads the nursing professions response to sustainable healthcare recognising the role nurses and midwives play to reduce climate change and making strong links between the health of the planet and the health of the population. Women’s health, specifically menopause, is a key feature in Charlotte’s portfolio.
As former Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health for Northern Ireland Charlotte was the head of the nursing and midwifery professions, responsible for the professional leadership, performance and development of the professions in Northern Ireland, including providing support to the Department’s lead Allied Health Professions (AHP) Officer. She has extensive experience of working in government administration, leading and shaping strategic policy in partnership working, co-production, public involvement and patient experience, cancer services, intermediate and community care, global healthcare challenges, health inequity, and system transformation. Skilled in clinical leadership, nursing education and workforce planning, Charlotte has led complex organisations and holds a strong operational portfolio.
Charlotte is a Visiting Professor at Ulster University Faculty of Health Science.
Dr Kevin McKenna Board Member
Kevin McKenna (RPN, RGN, RNID, RNT, BA (Psy), BS (Admin), H Dip Nsg (Ed), MA Psy(Clin,) MMedSc (Nsg), PhD, FFNMRCSI) has extensive clinical experience in Irish and US mental health, general, intellectual disability and care of older persons’ settings, in diverse practice, administration, education and research roles. Prompted by his initial studies in the early years of the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kevin has since completed undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Health Administration, post graduate degrees in Psychology and Education and a Doctorate in Nursing, all of which were undertaken concurrently with full time practice roles.
Through paralleling academic and practice roles, Kevin developed a keen interest in integrating academic and clinical activities and aligning research with clinical and practice enhancement initiatives. This practice - academic research nexus is acknowledged in his contribution to many service-related research initiatives in national and international contexts, and a demonstrated commitment to the professional development of both nurses and nursing
Ms Marianne Garvey McMahon Board Member
Marianne Garvey McMahon (FFNMRCSI, MSc (Law and Ethics) BSc (Healthcare Mgt), HDip (Nursing), HDip (Psychology), HDip (Counselling), Dip (ICC), RGN, Honorary Clinical Associate FFNMRCSI, Independent Consultant and Disability Advocate) completed general nurse training at Sir Patrick Dun’s, and subsequently completed an Intensive Coronary Care Course.
Marianne held positions of Staff Nurse and Senior Manager. She gained extensive experience in Iraq and Kenya before returning to Ireland, where she held positions at SJH (1990- 1995) and later at HSE (19952015). Marianne founded the first Private Home-Health care Community Service in Ireland in 1986, recruiting and training nurses to deliver care to the patient in their own home. Marianne has twenty years’ experience advocating for autism and severe intellectual disability, with expertise on compliance in relation to the delivery of safe care to our most vulnerable cohort of people with ID and mental health issues. Marianne was a Founding Member of the first Autism School in Dublin in 1999. She was an active member of the Oireachtas Healthcare Committee (2006-2015) and a former member of Inclusion Ireland’s Education Committee (2008- 2018).
Presently, Marianne is a participating member of the Medical-Legal Society of Ireland, and is an Independent Consultant to parents, and people with Intellectual Disability. She is also a Board Director for the National Advocacy Association for people with ID. Marianne returned to Education in 2014 at the RCSI and completed an MSc (Law and Ethics) and her dissertation focused on ‘The Evolution of Disability Law and Policies’. Marianne was conferred with a Fellowship by Examination in 2018 and she was elected to the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in 2019. She was Honorary Secretary from 2022 - 2023.
Ms Lasarina Maguire
Board Member
Lasarina has an established background in nursing care of persons with an intellectual disability who have both chronic and complex illness. Her clinical roles varied from Staff Nurse and Work Force Planner to Senior Nurse Manager. She worked in a variety of educational roles including Clinical Nurse Teacher, Registered Nurse Tutor and Nurse Practice Development Coordinator. Throughout her nursing career there have been two distinct but overlapping themes namely quality and safety and palliative care. In relation to quality and safety she has vast experience of utilising clinical audit to systematically review and evaluate nursing practice against research-based standards with a view to improving the delivery of clinical care. She continues to work in this area as a super assessor with the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Overseas Aptitude Test.
Lasarina’s other passion, palliative care, is underpinned by her long established continuous professional development which she married with activities such as her involvement in the steering group that developed the HSE “Palliative Care Competence Framework” (2014) and the Irish Hospice Foundation Committee that developed the “Facilitating discussions on future and end of-life care with a person with dementia” (2015). Lasarina currently works in end-of-life nursing care as part of the Irish Cancer Society’s Night Nursing Service. She is an education facilitator for the National Clinical programme for Palliative Care. She maintains her professional links as a Board member of the Irish Association of Palliative Care.
Prof. Thomas O’Connell Board Member
Professor Thomas O’Connell (MSc Econ (Dev), MBA, RN), is a nurse, development economist, senior global health consultant and educator. Working as a critical care nurse from 1982 to 1999, his passion for public health then led to a 22-year career at the WHO and UNICEF where he worked with 70+ countries to strengthen health governance, financing and service delivery systems to support equitable and universal access. He was a member of WHO’s Nursing and Midwifery Task Force, serving as its Gender and Diversity lead. Retired from WHO in 2021, he continues to serve on various global health advisory panels, such as the Inter-Agency PHC and Immunisation Working Group. In 2022 he joined the Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. As a co-opted member, he contributes expertise in economics, financing and governance, and Chairs the Board’s Sub-Committee on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. He is a Visiting Associated Professor for the Masters of Public Health program in the Department of Global and Environmental Health at New York University, and a visiting lecturer at the American University of Antigua’s College of Medicine.
Ms Teresa McNally Board Member
Ms Teresa McNally (RGN, BSc, MSc, FFNMRCSI, MIstD), is a registered general nurse with extensive nursing and leadership experience across a range of diverse health and social care sectors in Ireland and the UK. Currently working as the Chief Executive Officer for a national home care organisation in Ireland, Teresa combines her passion for nursing and leadership to shape the future of community care.
Her previous roles include Nurse Manager, Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Quality and Clinical Governance across older person services, disability services and community services where she held responsibility for clinical practice, service delivery and organisational development. Throughout her career, Teresa has remained committed to making a positive impact on those receiving and providing care, emphasising the importance of compassion and kindness. Teresa is a member of the WHO Advisory Group on Integrating the Health and Care Workforce and is passionate about fostering positive organisational cultures, promoting ongoing learning, and facilitating professional growth opportunities to enhance the development of our workforce for future health.
Teresa is a Board Director at Home and Community Care Ireland, where she plays a vital role in shaping national policy to enhance community-based health and social care services. She volunteers as a Board Director for a disability service and is currently serving as Chairperson for HCCI’s Disability and Community Care Committee. Affiliated with RCSI since 2015, Teresa completed her MSc in Healthcare Ethics and Law in 2017 and was awarded a Fellowship by Election in 2022. Teresa is currently completing a Doctorate in Governance with the IPA. Joining the Board in 2024, Teresa continues to contribute her expertise and commitment to improve population health by advancing education and research opportunities for healthcare professionals.
Prof. Richard Ricciardi
Board Member
Richard Ricciardi is a Professor and Associate Dean at The George Washington University (GW). Professor Ricciardi also serves as the Executive Director for The Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at GW. Before his current faculty appointment at GW, Professor Ricciardi served as the Director of the Division of Practice Improvement and the Senior Advisor for Nursing at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. At the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Professor Ricciardi’s research focused on primary care practice improvement in the areas of team-based care, quality and safety, and the management of patients with complex needs, including those with multiple chronic conditions, and those with opioid use disorder. Professor Ricciardi served on active duty in the United States Army for 31 years where he held numerous positions as a nurse practitioner, clinical scientist and senior leader. Professor Ricciardi also had the privilege of serving on the board of directors of multiple professional associations and non-profit corporations. Alongside these roles, Professor Ricciardi continues to offer primary care services as a nurse practitioner at Mercy Health Clinic, focusing on uninsured and underserved communities.
PROFILE OF THE EXECUTIVE
Prof. Mark White
Executive Dean
PhD, MSc, MBS, Dip HE, FFNMRCSI, FCIPD, RGN
Professor Mark White is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences where he has responsibility for overseeing the direction and ongoing development of professional education and research in the Faculty. The role has responsibility for creating and strengthening strategic professional education and research partnerships with national and international nursing or healthcare organisations, academic institutions, national and EU research sponsors and government agencies. Prior to his appointment in 2023, Mark held a variety of senior positions in academia and the health services including as Vice President of Research, Innovation and Graduate studies at South East Technological University, Programme Manager on the Programme for Health Service Improvement, Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in NUIG, and as Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development in the HSE, where he managed a number of national nursing and midwifery projects with the ONMSD whilst overseeing the commissioning of postgraduate education, professional development, research and leadership for all nurses and midwives in the southern region. Mark is the current president of Omega Epsilon, Ireland’s of chapter of the international organisation Sigma Nursing, he is chair of the Irish Health Research Forum, an editorial board member of the Journal of Research in Nursing (a SAGE publication) and a recent member of Department of Health Expert Review Body (ERB) examining Governance and Leadership Structures in Nursing.
Prof. Mary
Rose Sweeney Executive Vice Dean for Education
BSc
(Hons) Ph.D, RGN
Professor Mary Rose Sweeney is an experienced educator, researcher and leader in academia. She brings a wealth of experience across these domains to the RCSI. Having previously been Head of the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health and Associate Dean for Research at DCU, Mary Rose has just completed her first year in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in the RCSI, in her role as Executive Vice Dean for Education. Her aim is to develop bespoke CPDs to support nurses and midwives and other health and social care professionals to enhance their personal development and professional practice in changing and challenging times. Over the past year Mary Rose became a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, in the UK and continues in her role as an external examiner for UCC for the BSc in Public Health Sciences. She has led research projects in Health Systems/Public Health since 2000 and has experience of large complex, multi-disciplinary, international projects. She has produced 180 research outputs (publications, abstracts, conference presentations) and has attracted approximately €5 million in research funding from national and international sources including the Health Research Board, the Irish Research Council, the Department of Health, the European Commission, Special Olympics, the National Disability Authority, Leading Healthcare Provider Skillnet Ireland, the Royal College of Surgeons and Irish Autism Action.
Prof. Mary Lynch
Executive Vice Dean for Research
RN, PGCE, SFHEA, MSc, PhD
Mary is the Executive Vice Dean for Research and joined the Faculty in May 2023 from the University of the West of Scotland where she was Professor of Healthcare and Adult Nursing. Mary is a registered adult nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and holds a Master of Science in sustainable rural development and a PhD in health economics from Queens University, Belfast. Mary holds a PG Certificate in Education for Health Professionals, Cardiff University and is a Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Mary is a trained Social Return on Investment (SROI) practitioner with a specific interest in Social Prescribing (SP), Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and SROI research into public health policy and evidence-based practice. Mary is one of the founding members of the Social Value Hub, Bangor University and a steering group member for the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR) and Wales Social Prescribing Research Network (WSPRN). Mary is a member of Health Economist’s Study Group (HESG) and Welsh Health Economist’s Study Group (WHESG) and visiting Professor in University of South Wales leading for social value and external examiner in the School of Nursing and Midwifery for Nursing in Specialist Practice at Queens University Belfast.
Mary leads and collaborates on research addressing health and wellbeing issues which take a life-course approach and conducts economic evaluation of public health interventions. Mary’s portfolio of research extends to health and wellbeing issues, physical activity, social prescribing interventions in green environments, community assets and rural areas. Mary has successfully attracted funding from a range of sources including; Welsh Government, Health and Care Research Wales, ESRC, NESTA, KESS 2, Welsh European Funding Office: Accelerate Wales Programme and European Regional Development Fund, Interreg VA 2Seas Mers Zeeën and NIHR.
Paul Mahon
Operations and Education Manager
MSc (Education and Training Management), PGDip CHSE, BSc (Nursing Management), MSc Nursing, BSc Nursing, Dip.N, RGN, RNT, FFNMRCSI
Paul took up the post of Operations and Education Manager in April 2023. Prior to this he was the Operational Lead for the Centre of Nursing and Midwifery Advancement for the RCSI Hospital Group. In this role, Paul worked collaboratively with the Executive Director, the Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the RCSI Hospital Group and the Group Directors of Nursing and Midwifery. Prior to joining the Faculty, Paul was the Senior Education Coordinator in the Centre of Nurse Education, Beaumont Hospital where he managed the delivery of a broad range of specialist postgraduate nurse education programmes in conjunction with a team of in-house specialist course coordinators and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI. He has organised many successful national conferences and has published in, and peer reviewed for, a number of international journals. Paul graduated in 1998 and has a range of experience across the specialties of neuromedicine, neuroscience intensive care and nurse education. Paul holds an MSc in Education and Training Management (eLearning), a PGDip Clinical Health Sciences Education, an MSc Nursing, a BSc Nursing Management, a BSc Nursing and a Diploma in Nursing. He is a RGN, RNT and a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Paul is currently undertaking a PhD focused on the transition of new graduate nurses to practice as registered nurses.
Prof. Marie Carney
Visiting Professor to NHI and Programme Lead, ANP/CNS Forum PhD, MBA, RGN, RM, RNT, FFNMRCSI, Fellowship Institute of Community Health Nursing (Honorary)
Prof. Marie Carney is Coordinator for the Advanced Nurse and Midwife Practice (ANMP) Forum in the RCSI Hospital Network Group; post- doctoral researcher in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and visiting professor to Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI). She supports a number of Faculty initiatives including the DAISY Awards, the Nightingale Challenge, and the Leadership Programme for Romanian Nurses. Prof. Carney is also an Internal Examiner for Faculty Membership and Fellowship by Examination Awards. Marie was appointed as Visiting Professor to Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) in 2022. Her work involves developing an education strategy for all staff working in NHI to progress research and education in relation to the development of Clinical Practice, CPD, Leadership, Practice Audit, Clinical Research and Health Policy. Her aim is to deliver education that enhances excellence in patient care and in healthcare delivery.
As Coordinator of the Advanced Nurse and Midwife Practice Forum in the RCSI Hospital Network, Marie provides leadership to the forum and has recently developed a new and innovative CNS Research Review to support CNSs with research knowledge and development to support their clinical and professional development. Marie’s research focus now is on undertaking research and publishing in a collaborative manner with hospital clinical staff in the RCSI Hospital Group and with Faculty colleagues in the areas of advanced practice, older person care, integrated care and human rights for older persons. Marie sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nursing Management, and presents her work regularly at national and international fora and conferences.
Denise McKernan
Programme Lead, Centre for Nursing MSc Health Sciences (Nurse Education), H.Dip (Renal Nursing) Dip.N, RGN, RNT, FFNMRCSI
Denise McKernan joined the Faculty of Nursing in November 2023 as the Programme Lead for the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement for the RCSI Hospital Group. Denise has 23 years post registration experience in the areas of nephrology and renal transplant nursing as well as nurse education. Prior to joining the Faculty, Denise was Senior Education Coordinator in Beaumont Hospital, with responsibility for nine postgraduate specialist programmes run in partnership with The School of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI. Denise has a Diploma in General Nursing from DCU, Higher Diploma (level 9) in Renal Nursing from DCU and a MSc Health Sciences (Nurse Education) from NUIG. She is an RGN, RNT and Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.
Dr Katja Savolainen Lecturer PhD, MSc (Ger ontology) RGN
Katja is a registered nurse with almost 20 years of experience in clinical, leadership, and training positions, particularly in the long-term care healthcare system. Katja obtained a MSc in gerontological nursing from Trinity College, Dublin which led her to educational roles. Through her role in long-term care facilities, she created CPD and training courses for nurses working in the care of older persons. She has also collaborated in research projects such as examining COVID-19 management in a community long-term care hospital in Dublin. Katja recently completed her PhD at the Trinity School of Nursing and Midwifery with research on the human rights of older adults in long-term care in Ireland. Her research interests continue to be within gerontology, particularly person-centred care, human rights of older people, advocacy, and the wellbeing of nurses. She has also presented research findings at international and Irish conferences. Katja started at the end of April 2024 at the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and is working on a specific CPD wellbeing programme for nurses and midwives.
Joanne Peters Transition Support Programme for Internationally Educated Nurses Coordinator
Joanne holds a BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing from Robert Gordon University, and a MSc in Health Professions Education from the Hull York Medical School. Since 2023, Joanne has served as the coordinator of the Transition Support Programme for Internationally Educated Nurses at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. In this role she is responsible for developing a course to aid internationally educated nurses to bridge the gap to gaining their nursing
registration in Ireland. Her previous role, from 2019 to 2023, was as a Health Science Teacher and Department Coordinator for the Ministry of Education in the UAE. This subject began as a pilot in 2019 and is now a compulsory subject in all government schools in the UAE. Her experience in health education and coordination, coupled with her academic background in nursing and health professions education, adds valuable expertise and insight to the Transition Support Programme.
Dr Maria Neary Coordinator of the Overseas
Aptitude Test
EdD, MA, BA, RNT, RGN, RNID; DHHSA, FFNMRCSI
Maria joined the Faculty in September 2015 to support the development and implementation of the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test for Overseas Nurses. Maria has co-ordinated several projects, nationally and internationally and has extensive experience in education and regulation. As Coordinator for the RCSI Aptitude Test, she is accountable for providing leadership and direction in the development and delivery of the test.
Dr Catherine Fitzgerald UPGRADE Centre Lead PhD, MPH, RGN
Dr Catherine Fitzgerald is a Research Fellow with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI. Her current role is to implement and roll out the European CPD Centre of Excellence for Continuing Professional Development (UPGRADE). Catherine works with a team of researchers on a variety of research projects related to continuing professional development. She collaborates with European colleagues on European grant applications. Previously, Catherine has worked as a nurse, midwife and specialist community public health nurse; she has a variety of clinical experience working in Ireland, the UK, Australia, USA and India. She graduated with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), from the University of Alabama at Birmingham USA, and a PhD in Public Health from University College Dublin. During her PhD she conducted a longitudinal cohort study examining the clinical outcomes of children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) both clinically and those detected through the new-born bloodspot (NBS) programme. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences, and has published in peer-reviewed journals. Her current research interests include health professions education, inter-professional team working long-term care research and evaluation of CPD activities.
Dr Giuseppe Aleo Visiting Research Fellow UPGRADE Centre MA, Ph.D
Giuseppe is a Visiting Research Fellow with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI. His current role is to support the work and research activities of the European Centre of Excellence for Research in Continuing Professional Development (UPGRADE). Giuseppe has a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and has taught Scientific English for over 20 years to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral nursing students in Italy and has 16 years of experience as a CPD Officer at a Dermatological Hospital and Research Institute in Rome, Italy. Giuseppe collaborated with the Italian Nursing Regulatory Board (FNOPI) to support the establishment of the European Council of Nursing Regulators in Brussels, and with the Nursing Regulatory Board of Rome (OPI Roma) to support the establishment of the first Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship (CECRI) in Italy.
His PhD in Public Health (University of Genoa, Italy) involved a national multicentre survey on sun-safe behaviours, risks, and knowledge about cutaneous melanoma in the general population. He has been a speaker at many international conferences, is co-author of a book, and of over 135 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has been an Honorary Member of Sigma Theta Tau International since 2021.
Dr Nicola Pagnucci
Visiting Research Fellow UPGRADE
Centre RN, MSN, PhD
Nicola (RN, MSN, PhD) is a Visiting Research Fellow with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI. His current role is to support the work and research activities of the European Centre of Excellence for Research in Continuing Professional Development (UPGRADE). Nicola graduated in Nursing from the University of Genoa in 2004, followed by a specialisation in Critical Care in 2007 from the University of Pisa. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Nursing and Midwifery Sciences in 2011 from the University of Pisa, and a Doctorate in Research Methodology in Nursing Sciences in 2015 from the University of Genoa. His PhD focused on a national multi-center study investigating the implementation of effective pedagogical strategies in the learning processes of healthcare professionals. He has spoken at various international conferences and served on scientific panels for both national and international nursing conferences. Furthermore, he has co-authored multiple scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. His primary research areas include: Effective pedagogical strategies in the learning processes of healthcare professionals; Ensuring patient well-being and effective communication in critical and intensive care units; Conceptualisation of nursing within the sociocultural context; Addressing violence and aggression towards nurses in the workplace; Continuing professional development in long-term care settings.
Niamh Walsh
Research Assistant UPGRADE Centre
PGDip (Gerontology), RNID
Niamh is a Registered Nurse in Intellectual Disability and a highly experienced professional with comprehensive accomplishments at Irish and international levels. Niamh joined the UPGRADE Centre of Excellence in the FNM RCSI in March 2023. With almost 25 years’ experience, Niamh has clinical, managerial and leadership expertise. She has lectured on the undergraduate B.Sc. Programme in Intellectual Disability Nursing in Ireland and has developed/ delivered nurse education at post graduate level for health services at local and national level. In recognition of her contribution to people with intellectual disability, Niamh was awarded the HSE Employee Excellence award and invited by the President of Ireland to attend a ceremony celebrating the diversity of the role of film in health education for people with intellectual disability. With her Post Graduate Diploma in Gerontological Nursing Science, Niamh was an integral part of the development, and delivery of the first National Frailty Education Programme in Ireland. Niamh developed the first heel scan clinic for people with intellectual disability and launched the first all-island Health Passport. Niamh also developed a digital app for the Health Passport which has had over 7.5k downloads across 33 countries. Access to health care is a pivotal underpinning of Niamh’s career to date and she led the Sláintecare HSE Health Passport Project for people with Intellectual Disability in Ireland. Niamh has also pursued the “changing places” facilities agenda which she presented to the Northwest regional council for infrastructure. This resulted in the acquisition of a “changing places” facility in the development of future town developments in the Northwest. Accessible information for people with intellectual disability is of particular interest to Niamh and she was fundamental in the development of accessible Covid-19 materials published by the Department of Health in Ireland.
Prof. Nina Kilkku
Visiting Research Fellow RN (psychiatric nursing), MNSc, PhD, psychotherapist
Nina is an Associate Professor in Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Addiction work in VID Specialized University in Oslo, Norway, and Adjunct Professor in Tampere University, Finland. She is a former president of the European Psychiatric Nurses (Horatio). As a part of her daily work, she is currently leading the European Mental Health Workforce Research, the collaborative research of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in RCSI and the WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition. She has extensive expertise in international, national, and regional collaboration with various mental health related organizations and NGOs, as well as on the editorial activities in international peerreviewed publications. Among her other publication activities, she edited the first European book on advanced level mental health nursing together with Professor Agnes Higgins and Professor Gisli Kort Kristofersson, in 2022. Nina is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in RCSI and a member of the Advisory Board of the European Centre of Excellence for Research in Continuing Professional Development. In 2018 she was awarded as a Fellow Ad Eundem of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in RCSI.
Dr Elizabeth Morrow Visiting Research Fellow
Dr Elizabeth Morrow, Visiting Research Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), has made significant contributions to the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery over the past year. Working alongside prominent experts, Dr Morrow has driven key research initiatives that influence the future of nursing and midwifery education and practice.
In collaboration with Prof. Mary Lynch, she has worked on advancing a career pathway for home support workers, addressing the need for professional career development in community support. Her work with Ms Mary Godfrey on safeguarding the rights of internationally educated nurses through bilateral labour agreements highlights her commitment to fair labour conditions for globally trained professionals. Additionally, her work with Prof. Thomas Kearns and Prof. Mary Lynch on language assessment in nursing and midwifery regulation will ensure robust communication standards for high-quality patient care.
Dr Morrow’s expertise focuses on advancing effective and meaningful public and community engagement in research in a rapidly changing world. By fostering inclusive approaches with the public and communities, she seeks to tackle critical societal issues such as healthcare accessibility, workforce shortages, and the evolving impacts of AI and climate change. Her work supports transformation to a more inclusive, skilled, and just society, rooted in values of knowledge sharing and collaborative action.
Dr Clare Lewis
Visiting Research Fellow
RN, BSc Hons, MSc, PhD
Clare is a registered general nurse and over her career has worked in areas of national policy, strategy and advanced practice in England and Ireland. Clare held the role of Deputy Chief Nursing Officer in the Department of Health Ireland and had the opportunity to work cross collaboratively with government departments and the WHO Europe. During her tenure Clare was involved in the Women’s Health Taskforce and Sláintecare Implementation programme, and led on the testing of a nurse-led integrated community virtual ward using telehealth and direct care to support people at home. The model of care tested has assisted in informing policy and strategy with national roll out of virtual wards in Ireland. Clare’s knowledge and expertise are diverse, with over 25 years in research, innovation and service design and was recognised for her contributions in 2020 receiving an alumni award from the RCSI for outstanding contributions to practice. Clare is a Visiting Research Fellow and a Fellow of the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and a member of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland Registration Committee. Clare is currently working with the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and WHO Europe Pan-European Mental Health Coalition on European Mental Health Workforce Research.
Dr Shuhua Yang Postdoctoral Researcher PhD
Shuhua Yang holds a PhD in Nutrition from University College Dublin. She is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI, where her work primarily focuses on research and educational programs. She works closely with two Executive Vice Deans to support education and research endeavours in the Faculty, primarily focusing on writing and assisting with research tenders, as well as overseeing projects and tenders from inception to completion. She also works on supporting new and established educational initiatives in the Faculty. During her PhD at University College Dublin, she was involved in multiple research projects related to dairy consumption, dietary assessment, and healthy eating. She is a trained Social Return on Investment (SROI) practitioner with a specific interest in Social Prescribing (SP). Her research interests are centred on human nutrition, health promotion, and community health development.
Dr Llinos Haf Spencer Research Fellow PhD (Psychology)
Dr Llinos Haf Spencer is a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery working on the Warning System for Extreme Weather Events, Awareness, Technology for Healthcare, Equitable Delivery and Resilience (WEATHER) Project: an NIHR funded study led by Prof. Mary Lynch. Since graduating with her PhD in Psychology from the University of Liverpool in 2000, Dr Llinos has worked on many studies funded by the Welsh Government, NIHR, HTA and UKRI amongst others. Dr Llinos previously worked at Bangor University- most recently as a Research Officer at the Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation (CHEME) and at the North Wales Trials Unit (NWORTH). Her research portfolio extends across health services, health economics, language awareness infrastructure support services and Welsh versions of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). In recognition of her contribution to the Welsh College of Health and Medical Sciences, Llinos received the Welsh Award from Bangor University and was invited to attend a ceremony recognising such contributions in April 2024. At Bangor University, Dr Llinos was a coapplicant on the Health Care Research Wales Evidence Centre and CYMELL projects whilst also supervising students funded through the KESS2 Masters in Research funding scheme.
Dr Edward Naessens Programme Coordinator mCPD BA, MPhil, PhD
Edward joined the Faculty in March 2019 to research and develop CPD via mobile technologies. He has overseen the delivery of a design framework and tendering process for the Faculty’s new CPD EdTech Platform, FLO mCPD. Using coaching chatbots and motivating gamification principles, he is working with our IT partners to deliver a digital learning platform to support nurses, midwives, and healthcare professionals to complete CPD more efficiently and enjoyably. Experienced in public communications, healthcare advocacy, IT programming, and project delivery, he brings a broad wealth of diverse and valuable experience to his role. He is former Chair of the Patient Advisory Group at ESTRO (the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) where he focused on the challenges of provision and optimal use of radiation therapy across Europe. He has presented widely at European healthcare conferences including a presentation at the European Parliament on the needs of cancer patients across the EU. Edward is a qualified IT software engineer, holds a degree in Mental and Moral Science, an MPhil in Creative Writing, and has completed a PhD in Persona Formation. His research interests include Ed Tech, AI and ML, Creative Arts, and Conversational Design.
Prof. Thomas Kearns is the Co-Director for the WHO Collaborating Centre, Global Innovation and Leadership Academy, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Prior to this, Thomas was the first Executive Director of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. Here he was responsible for leading and delivering on the strategic intent and operational activity of the Faculty. Thomas was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in October 2021. His career in nursing started in 1980 and over the last 20 years Thomas has worked in professional regulation, nursing and health policy and higher education. He is both a general and psychiatric nurse, he has a primary degree in Nursing, a Master’s Degree in Education and a Fellowship from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery RCSI. Thomas’ doctorate is in the area of continuing professional development and the maintenance of professional competence.
In 2017-2018 Thomas worked as interim CEO of the International Council of Nursing, an NGO based in Geneva working closely with the World Health Organisation. Thomas is a Non-Executive Director of Axia Digital Ireland, a company that develops software to support learning and development based in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. He is a member of the Rotunda Hospital Audit and Risk committee and is a member of the RCSI Hospital Group Directors Executive. Thomas is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Network of Health Workforce Education (INHWE). The Faculty is the Academic Partner for the European Council of Nurse Regulators (ENC). Thomas joined the Board of Dublin Simon in April 2020 and is Chair of its Clinical Governance Committee. Thomas is a Board Trustee at the Florence Nightingale Museum London.
Prof. Michael Shannon
Consultant and Co-Director of GILA PhD, MBA, FFFNRCSI, BSc, Dip, RGN, RPN, ONC Ed, PG Cert Imp Sc and Mediation, GNLI Scholar and Graduate
Professor Michael Shannon (PhD, MBA, FFFNRCSI, BSc, Dip, RGN, RPN, ONC Ed, PG Cert Imp Sc and Mediation, GNLI Scholar and Graduate) is owner of Global Leadership Consultancy Ltd., providing leadership and management development across multi sectoral agencies internationally. He is a Former Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI and has held posts to include Director (RCSI) International Institute of Leadership, National Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, HSE, Nursing Policy Advisor Department of Health Ireland, and Chief Nurse Dublin mid-Leinster, Ireland. Michael has co-authored a number of book chapters and has published in various international publications. He is an Adjunct Professor at University College Dublin Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences and Trinity College, Dublin.
Aine Halligan Operations Manager
BSc
(Marketing), Diploma in Project Management
Áine coordinates administrative operations in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. She works closely with the Executive Dean, Executive Vice Deans, Dean, and Board Members to ensure the smooth functioning of the Faculty. Day to day activities includes overseeing staff, collaborating with teams to achieve objectives, oversee programs and budgets, supporting the Executive Dean in business planning, attending meetings and ensuring compliance. Áine has developed expertise in the delivery of in-person and virtual events, working with a variety of platforms to optimise stakeholder engagement. Áine holds a BSc (Marketing) from Dublin Institute of Technology and a Professional Diploma in Project Management from UCD Professional Academy.
Suzanne May
Senior Executive Assistant
BA (Hons) English, Sociology
Suzanne acts as the Senior Executive Assistant to the Executive Dean, Dean and the Board of the Faculty and provides administrative support to both the Board and the Faculty’s Standing Sub-Committees. As the main point of contact for Board members, Suzanne looks after day-to-day administrative functions along with the administration of all Board and Sub-Committee meetings, the AGM and Annual Report.
Suzanne joined the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in February 2022 and comes to us with a wealth of Executive Assistant experience across different sectors and industries. Suzanne also ran her own business in the area of health content and copywriting. Suzanne holds a BA (Hons) in English and (Gen) in Sociology from Maynooth University, diplomas in Digital Marketing, Content Marketing and Stage Production. Suzanne has also studied Science and Health Communications at DCU.
Victoria Green Projects and Portfolio Manager
BA (Hons) in International Business Management, Diplomas in Project Management and Public Relations
Victoria joined the Faculty as the Operations Manager in 2023, bringing with her experience and a strong background in software and tourism. Victoria was responsible for leading the administrative team, organising and overseeing key events and maintaining general daily operations. Currently, Victoria serves as the Project Portfolio Manager. In this role, she manages a diverse array of projects, oversees Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives, and continues to enhance the Faculty’s online presence via the Faculty website and quarterly newsletter. Victoria holds a BA (Hons) in International Business Management, Diplomas in Project Management and Public Relations, and several certifications in Sustainability and Conservation.
Pamela Peppard Lead Administrator, Overseas Aptitude Test
H.Dip, Dip Executive PA, Dip Medical Secretary
Pamela is the lead administrator for the Overseas Aptitude Test, providing full administrative support to Dr Maria Neary. Pamela also assists with the training of new staff, department finances and travel arrangements. Pamela holds a Higher Diploma in Interior Design and Architecture, an Executive PA Diploma, a Medical Secretary Diploma and has recently completed a Diploma in Advanced Accounting.
Eimear Frew Administrator BA
Eimear joined the Faculty in May 2023. In her role she provides comprehensive administrative support to a wide range of strategically important Faculty colleagues and initiatives such as, the Operations and Education Manager, the CPD Programme and the Faculty’s Clinical Bursaries. Eimear also assists with the Faculty’s Awards (Fellowship by Examination and Membership), the Programme of Fellows, Members and Friends’ Events and the organisation and administration for the Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference.
Prior to joining the Faculty, Eimear worked as a Staff Officer for the HSE for their Covid-19 Contact Management Programme. Eimear holds a BA in English with Drama from University College Dublin and is also a graduate of The Gaiety School of Acting and Bow Street Academy.
Saoirse O’Keeffe Administrator
Diploma in Fashion,
Theatre and Make Up
Saoirse is the Administrator for the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. In her role, Saoirse looks after the day-to-day administration for the WHO Collaborating Centre along with providing administrative support to the Global Nursing Leadership Institute Alumni Network.
Saoirse joined the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in May 2023. Her background is in recruitment where she worked for two large tech companies. She developed expertise in administration duties by working with multiple stakeholders daily. Saoirse holds a Diploma in Fashion, Theatre and Media Make up.
APPENDICES
Appendix I: Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery publications
BOOKS, BOOK CHAPTERS, AND REPORTS
Draft report for the SROI evaluation of the NatureBased Social Prescribing to Improve Student Social Connectedness and Mental Wellbeing project. Completed April 2024.
Final report of the SROI evaluation of the Body Hotel Moving Self-Compassion programme. Completed April 2024.
Lang, D., Hoey, C., O’Shea, D. and Whitty, H. (2024) National Frailty Education Programme Report: The Fundamentals of Frailty. Health Service Executive, Dublin.
Skillnet Ireland project: Exploring a Career Pathway for Support Workers in Home Care. Green paper on Home Support Workers (HSW’s) was developed and sent out for consultation. Title: Green Paper. A Stakeholder Consultation on a Career Pathway for Ireland’s Home Support Workers and consultation ended on 26/01/2024. Green paper now in the public domain https://www.lhpskillnet.ie/wp-content/ uploads/2024/02/Green-Paper-on-Home-SupportWorkers-Leading-Healthcare-Providers-SkillnetDecember-2023.pdf
Wallace, C., Newstead, S., Wallace, S., Lynch, M., Elliott, M., Llewellyn, M., Randall, S. (2024). Social Prescribing in Wales. In: Bertotti, M. (eds) Social Prescribing Policy, Research and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52106-5_5
JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Azimirad M, Paloniitty R, Papathanasiou IV, Aleo G, Aleo, G. Kelly, C. Lordan, T. Kearns, T. Peppard, P. Hallissy, M. (2023) Teaching and learning modalities for continued professional development. Attitudes and experience of the long-term care workforce. Skillnet Ireland. February 2023. Available online: https://www.skillnetireland.ie/uploads/attachments/ Teaching-And-Learning-Modalities-For-ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf
Aleo G, Pagnucci N. Walsh N, Watson R, Lang D, Kearns T, White M, Fitzgerald, C. (2024) The effectiveness of continuing professional development for the residential long-term care workforce: A systematic review. Nurse Education Today, (137)106161 https://doi.org/10.1016/j. nedt.2024.106161
Arends, R., Austin-Ketch, T., Covelli, A. F., Davis, L., Hallas, D., Kalmakis, K., Kirkland-Kyhn, H., Melillo, K. D., O’Reilly-Jacob, M., Parish, A., Rawlett, K., Ricciardi, R., Tracy, C., Winkelman, C., & Whitehouse, C. (2024). American Association of Nurse Practitioners Research Agenda, 2023-2028. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 36(5), 257–261.
Bagnasco A, Timmins F, Moro A, Barbieri M, Napolitano F, Aleo G, Catania G, Zanini M, Sasso L. (2023) [Editorial] The organisation of nursing work in Italian hospitals - implications for job satisfaction, nurse well-being and patient safety (Accepted 25th June 2023). Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2023 [IF 3.057].
Bagnasco, A. Catania, G. Pagnucci, N. Alvaro, R. Cicolini, G. Dal Molin,A. Lancia, L. Lusignani, M. Mecugni, D. Motta, P.C. Watson, R. Hayter, M. Timmins, F. Aleo, G. Napolitano, F. Signori, A. Zanini, M. Sasso, L. Mazzoleni, B. (2024) Protective and risk factors of workplace violence against nurses: A crosssectional study (Studio CEASE-IT) Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2024 [IF 4.200] https://doi.org/10.1111/ jocn.17169
Barbieri M, Zanini M, Di Nitto M, Aleo G, Catania G, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2024) Commentary on: Understanding what shapes the priorities of women who are mothering in the context of intimate partner violence Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2024 [IF 4.200] https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.17302
Calzolari M, Napolitano F, Zanini M, Catania G, Aleo G, Hayter M, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2023) Editorial - The need for a school nursing service in Italy; time to act. Journal of School Nursing, 2024;40(1):3-4. [IF 1.700] https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405231213961
Carney M. (2023) Nurses and midwives working at advanced and clinical specialist levels are embracing their strategic management roles in delivering innovative healthcare. International Journal of Nursing Healthcare Research, Volume 5, Issue 10. Https:// dx.doi.org/10.29011/2688—9501.101352
Carney M., Mahon, P., Stoneman, P., Garvey, S. (2023) Advanced Nurse Practice: Present and Future. Where to now? International Journal of Nursing and Health Care Research 6(8) https://dx.doi.org/10.29011/26889501.101468
Carney M., Shanagher D., Kearns T. (2023) Development of visiting professor role to nursing home group: providing sustainable education for
APPENDICES
older person care. International Journal of Nursing and Healthcare Research. 6:1434. https://doi. org/10.29011/2688-9501.101434
Carney M (2024) Integrated Care: The Way Forward for Advanced Nurse Practitioners by Using Strategy Initiatives. International Journal of Nursing and Healthcare Research. 7: 1493. https://doi. org/10.29011/2688-9501.101493
Chang Blanc D, Grundy J, Sodha S, O’Connell T, von Mühlenbrock H, Grevendonk J, Ryman T. et al. (2022) “Immunization programs to support primary health care and achieve universal health coverage.” Vaccine (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.086
Chenhuichen, C., O’Halloran, A.M., Lang, D., Kenny, R.A. and Romero-Ortuno, R. (2024) The lived experience of frailty: beyond classification and towards a holistic understanding of health. European Geriatric Medicine, 15(2), pp. 435-444. https://dx.doi. org/10.1007/s41999-023-00909-4
Dasso N, Catania G, Zanini M, Rossi S, Aleo G, Signori A, Scelsi S, Petralia P, Watson R, Hayter M, Sasso L, Bagnasco (2023) Informal carers’ experiences with their children’s care during hospitalization in Italy: Child HCAHPS results from RN4CAST@IT-Ped crosssectional study Journal of Paediatric Nursing [IF 2.400] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2023.11.003
Dasso N, Ottonello G, Catania G, Risso G, Aleo G, Zanini M, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2024) Transgendered peoples’ experiences of hospitalization: a qualitative metasynthesis Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2024 [IF 3.800]
Dickinson, N., Henriquez, F., Lynch, M., Spencer, L. (2024). Systematic review of the literature investigating emerging trends in Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) and infectious disease outbreaks in South Africa. PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024526378 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record. php?ID=CRD42024526378
Donnelly P., Carney M, Carter I. (2024) Enhancing sustainable quality outcomes in Residential Care Facilities using the Integrated Care Framework Journal: Journal of Integrated Care Manuscript ID JICA-12-2023-0091 Manuscript Type: Article Keywords: Integrated care, Integrated pathways, Community care Journal of Integrated Care Journal of Integrated Care 1 ICF submitted Dec 7 2023
Fitzgerald C, Pagnucci N, Kearns T, Hallisy M, Walsh
N, Kelly K, Killeen C, White M, Aleo G. (2023) The experience and attitudes of long-term care workers with teaching and learning modalities for the delivery of continuing professional development activities: a mixed-methods study Nurse Education in Practice, 2023; 103774. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. nepr.2023.103774
Fulham-McQuillan H, O’Donovan R, Buckley C, Crowley P, Gilmore B, Martin J, MCAuliffe E, Martin G, Moore G, Morrisey M, Nicholson E, Ni Shé É, O’Hara M.C, Segurado R, Sweeney M.R, Wall P, De Brún A (2023) Exploring the psychological impact of contact tracing work on staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Health Services Research 23, Article number: 602. Published online 2023 Jun 8. https://dx.doi. org/10.1186/s12913-023-09566-6
Hancock, B., Ricciardi, R., Drenkard, K., & Begley, R. (2023). Training for Nurse Executives to Amplify the Voice of Nursing: AONL and George Washington University Partner on Pilot Program. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 53(4), 185-186. Lynam, A., Sweeney, MR., Keenan, L., & McNally, S. (2024). Autistic pupils’ experiences in primary and post-primary schools: A scoping review and consultation with autistic pupils in Ireland. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments https://doi. org/10.1177/23969415241258705
Lynch, M., Yang, S., Alejandre, J.C., Spencer, L. (2024). Understanding the role of food social prescribing in addressing food insecurity, and promoting population health: A systematic review https:// www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record. php?ID=CRD42024549731
Makanjuola, A., Lynch, M., Hartfiel, N., Cuthbert, A., Edwards, R.T. (2023). Prevention of Poor Physical and Mental Health through the Green Social Prescribing Opening Doors to the Outdoors Programme: A Social Return on Investment Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 6111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126111
Makanjuola, A., Lynch, M., Spencer, L.H., Edwards, R.T. (2023). Prospects and Aspirations for Workforce Training and Education in Social Prescribing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 6549. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph20166549
McKenna, K., Berring, L. L., van de Sande, R., Noorthoorn, E., Paterson, B. (2023). Sustaining a therapeutic environment within mental health inpatient settings during COVID-19. Results of a Delphi study. Applied Nursing Research, 151695.
Morrow, E., Kelly, C., Killeen, C., Naessens, E., Lynch, M. (2024). Exploring a career pathway for home support workers in Ireland: a systematic scoping review of the international evidence. Frontiers in Health Services, Front. Health Serv. 4:1360920. https:// doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2024.1360920
Napolitano F, Calzolari M, Pagnucci N, Zanini M, Catania G, Aleo G, Gomes L, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2023) The effectiveness of learning strategies for the development of Emotional Intelligence in undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review protocol. Nurse Education in Practice, 2023; [IF 3.430] https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103797
O’Donnell, D., Ahern, E., Davies, C., De Brún, A., Donnelly, S., Doran, T., Drury, A., Dunne, N., Finucane, L., Harnett, P.J., Harrison, R., Lang, D., McAuliffe, E., McCarthy, M., McGuigan, C., Ní Shé, É., O’Donoghue, G., O’Shea, M., Radomska, A., Travers, J., Whitty, H. and Devaney, C. (2023) A realist process evaluation of an intervention to promote competencies in interprofessional collaboration among interdisciplinary integrated care teams for older people: Study protocol, HRB Open Research, 6, p. 49. https://dx.doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13729.1
O’Shaughnessy, Í., Fitzgerald, C., Whiston, A., Harnett, P., Whitty, H., Mulligan, D., Mullaney, M., Devaney, C., Lang, D., Hardimann, J., Condon, B., Hayes, C., Holmes, A., Barry, L., McCormack, C., Bounds, M., Robinson, K., O’Connor, M., Ryan, D., Shchetkovsky, D., Steed, F., Carey, L., Ahern, E. and Galvin, R. (2023) ‘Establishing the core elements of a frailty at the front door model of care using a modified real-time Delphi technique’, BMC Emergency Medicine, 23(1), p. 123. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12873-023-00893-9
Ottonello G, Pesenti S, Napolitano F, Calzolari M, Pagnucci N, Aleo G, Zanini M, Catania G, Hayter M, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2024) Nurses’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine: a qualitative study (PROACTIVEStudy) Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2024 [IF 4.200] https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.17288
Pagnucci N, Aleo G, Orlik W, Mahon P, Kearns T, Kelly C, Lordan T, Fitzgerald C. (2023) Teaching and learning modalities for continuing professional development in the long-term care: a rapid synthesis review. Nurse Education in Practice [IF 3.430] https:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103638 Ricciardi, R. (2023). The roadmap to universal healthcare: Grit and fortitude. The Nurse Practitioner, 48(10), 6-7.
S. de Bell, J.C. Alejandre, C. Menzel, R. Sousa-Silva, T.M. Straka, S. Berzborn, M. Bürck-Gemassmer, M. Dallimer, C. Dayson, J.C. Fisher, A. Haywood, A. Herrmann, G. Immich, C.S. Keßler, K. Köhler, M. Lynch, V. Marx, A. Michalsen, P. Mudu, H. Napierala,
M. Nawrath, S. Pfleger, C. Quitmann, J.P. Reeves, K. Rozario, W. Straff, K. Walter, C. Wendelboe-Nelson, M.R. Marselle, R.R.Y. Oh, A. Bonn. (2024). Nature based social prescribing programmes: opportunities, challenges, and facilitators for implementation. Environment International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. envint.2024.108801
Skinner, A., Hartfiel, N., Lynch, M., Jones, A.W., Edwards, R.T. (2023). Social return on investment of social prescribing via a diabetes technician for preventing Type 2 Diabetes progression. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 6074. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126074
Steven A, Rossi S, Dasso N, Napolitano F, Grosso A, Villa S, Aleo G, Catania G, Sasso L, Zanini M, Bagnasco A. (2023) A qualitative exploration of undergraduate nursing students’ experience of emotional safety for learning during their clinical practice. Nurse Education Today, 2023; 121:105673 [IF 3.906] https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105673
Sweeney MR (2024). Knowledge, attitude and practices about pharmacovigilance activities among hospital nurses: a multicentre cross-sectional survey is available at https://journals.sagepub.com/ doi/10.1177/17449871241253603
Tampe, T. Spasenoska, D. Grundy, J. Omam, L. Chaudhri, I. Khalid, F. O’Connell, T. (2024) Design and Implementation of a Primary Health Care (PHC) Toolbox for improving the impact of support from Global Development Partners BMC Global Public Health 2, 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-02400046-5
Watson R, Hayter M, Zanini M, Aleo G, Catania G, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. (2023) Does nursing have a contribution to make to the silver economy?
International Nursing Review, 2023;70:145–148. [IF 3.384] https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/inr.12789
Yang, YT., Ricciardi, R., & Fry-Bowers, E. (2023). From training to trapping: The paradox of training repayment agreements in nursing. Health Affairs Forefront, November 7, 2023.
ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Aleo, G (2023) An overview of the TEAMCARE Project at the Scaling-up digital solutions for active and healthy living: Implementing across scientific disciplines, industrial sectors and scenarios”, held in Naples on 13-15 November 2023
Aleo, G (2024) Quantitative study of Newly Qualified Nurses & Midwives – Oral Presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin
Aleo, G & Killeen, C. (2024) Retention of Nursing Home Directors in Ireland: a qualitative study – Oral presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin.
Carney M (2023) Getting Published. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery sponsored ANP/CNS/Grand Nursing Rounds in Beaumont Hospital on Nov 9
Carney, M. (2023) The Leadership Challenge. On line Webinar presentation to Romanian nurse and midwife managers. A request was received to permit use of this presentation to nurses and midwives in Romania. 10 November 2023.
Carney M. (2023) ANP’s role in Pain management: Application to practice from an interdisciplinary perspective Conference Proceedings 3rd International Interdisciplinary pain management Rome 14-15 November. In person.
Carney, M. (2023) Advancing Nursing Practice’ In person RCSI presentation to Romanian senior nurses and midwife managers: 17 November 2023.
Carney M (2024) Nursing education for a sustainable future, challenges and opportunities. Federation of International Nurses education (FINE) University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 21 March.
Carney M. (2024) WHO Group. WHO meeting on Long term care delivery in Ireland. Virtual 25 March.
Carney M (2024) Advanced nurse practitioners valuable role in sustainable healthcare. Federation of International Nurses education (FINE) University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. April.
Carney M. (2024) Examining for Fellowship viva voce. Seminar for Examiners. Virtual 3 May.
Carney, M. (2024) Leadership Principles and Theories in TR 4 RCSI. In person presentation to group of Ukrainian senior nurses and midwife managers: 20 May 2024.
Carney, M. (2024) Leading Advanced Nurse Practice. In person presentation to Ukrainian senior nurses and midwife managers: 22 May 2024.
Carney M. (2024) Introduction to leadership theories, styles and application. Nightingale Challenge, RCSI. Ireland. 28 May 2024
Carney M. (2024) Advanced nurse practitioners valuable role in nursing and sustainable healthcare globally. International Research Conference. University of Maribor, Slovenia. Virtual presentation. 13 June 2024.
Couto, J. Bonello, M. Agius, R. Pagnucci, N. Smith, D. (2024) ECHOES Project Workshop - Exploring “expertise” in health at the 4th International Congress of Health Workforce Educational and Research
(INHWE) - Building Collaborative Competencies - 2627 June 2024, Barcelona, Spain
Gaisser D.J., Smalls J., Rath L., Hills D., Lam L., Lawrence C., Clune Mulvaney C., Kearns T., Guo Y. & Kent S.
Keenan, L., Ramsbottom, C., Lynam, A., Sweeney, MR., & McNally, S. (2024, April). Capturing the missing perspectives of autistic pupils in educational research through collaborative and versatile methodologies [Oral Presentation]. Educational Studies Association of Ireland Conference 2024, Maynooth University, Ireland.
Keenan, L., Sweeney, MR., Ramsbottom, C., & McNally, S. (2024, January). Inclusive education for autistic children: Assessing attitudes of the wider school community through a nationwide survey [Oral Presentation]. Neurodiversity Research Conference, SETU Waterford, Ireland.
Kelly, C (2024) Attitudes and experiences of Long-term Care workers with CPD modalities – Oral presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin.
Lynam A, Sweeney M.R., Fitzgerald L, McNally S (2023) Consulting with Young Autistic Children for Inclusive Education in Primary Schools. Accepted for Oral Presentation at the Psychology of Education Annual Conference 2023 https://www.bps.org.uk/event/ psychology-education-section-conference-2023
Lynch M (2023) Keynote presentation: Social Value and Social Return on Investment (SROI) at the Sigma chapter (the Omega Epsilon chapter) induction event on 26th June 2023.
Lynch, M (2024) All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) - Social Prescribing, Social Value and Social Return On Investment. 25th October 2023.
Lynch, M (2024) Welsh Health Economics Group (WHEG) - Annual meeting. The journey so far: insights into large grant bid preparation. 16th November 2023.
Lynch, M (2024) FNM 43rd International conference, RCSI: Nature based social prescribing for enhancing mental health and well-being. ML invited speaker. Dublin, February 2024.
Lynch, M (2024) FNM 43rd International conference, RCSI: A scoping review of the economic evidence to support the development of career pathways for home support workers ML invited speaker. Dublin, February 2024.
Lynch, M (2024) Health Economics short course delivered by Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation (Cheme), Bangor University. Building resilience for Extreme Weather Events: The
WEATHER project. 13th March 2024.
Lynch, M (2024) Invited speaker- 24th International Conference for Integrated Care (ICIC). Nature based social prescribing for enhancing mental health and well-being. Belfast 22-24 April, 2024.
Lynch, M (2024) International conference for Social Prescribing, London. 19th and 20th June 2024. Panel discussion member for evidence and evaluation.
Lynch, M (2024) Science conference, Universitaria Alessandria. Social prescribing, social value and social return on Investment. Milan, 27th June 2024.
McNally, S., Sweeney, MR., Lynam, A., & Keenan, L. (2023, September). Consulting with young autistic children for inclusive education in primary schools [Oral Presentation]. BPS Psychology of Education Conference Section, Liverpool, UK.
McNally, S., Sweeney, MR., Keenan, L., Ramsbottom, C., & Lynam, A. (2023, November). Autism-Friendly Schools: Including the voices of autistic pupils in education in Ireland [Poster Presentation]. SFI and IRC Research Summit, Cork, Ireland.
McNally, S., Keenan, L., Lynam, A., Ramsbottom., C., & Sweeney, MR. (2024, July). The lived experiences of autistic pupils in primary and secondary schools in Ireland [Oral Presentation]. International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech Republic.
Pagnucci, N (2024) Systematic Review on effectiveness of CPD in LTC Oral presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin.
Rodgers, G. Healy, S. Sweeney, M.R. Staines, A. Morgulec-Adamowicz, N. Ogonowska-Słodownik, A. Van Biesen, D. (June 2024). What helps or hinders physical activity and campus engagement among autistic students? A qualitative study to inform intervention design. [Oral Presentation] European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity (EUCAPA), Seville, Spain. Medal Winner Young Researcher Award
Sweeney, M.R. Thamanam, N., Conyard, K., White, M., Mahon, P. (2024) Feasibility of a National Induction Programme for Home Support Workers (HSWs) working in the homecare sector in the Republic of Ireland, RCSI Research Day, 2024- Poster Presentation. Thamanen N, Lehwaldt D, Sweeney M.R. (2023) Cultural Awareness: measuring undergraduate nursing students’ cultural awareness in the Republic of Ireland. Accepted as a 45-minute podium presentation at the 49th Annual Transcultural Nursing Conference, October 11 to 14, Charlestown, SC, USA. https://tcns.org/annualconference/ Thamanam, N., Lehwaldt, D., Sweeney, M. R. (2023) A National Study to Measure Cultural Awareness and
Knowledge of Religious Death Rituals in the Republic of Ireland. Oral presentation at the 9th Ph.D. Virtual Sigma Conference, 22nd November, 2023. Oral Presentation.
Thamanam, N., Lehwaldt, D., Sweeney, M. R. (2023) A National Study in Ireland to Measure Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Knowledge of Death Rituals Practised by Three World Religions (Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism), 12th Annual Palliative Care Research Network Symposium, 7th, December, 2023, Poster Presentation.
Thamanam, N., Lehwaldt, D., Sweeney, M. R. (2024) A Study to Measure Nursing Students’ Cultural Awareness, 9th International Nurse Education Conference, 2024. Abstract submitted.
Thamanam, N., Lehwaldt, D., Sweeney, M. R. (2024) A Study to Measure Nursing Students’ Knowledge of Death Rituals, 43rd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, RCSI, 2024- Oral Presentation
Thamanam, N., Conyard, K., Lynch, M., White, M., Mahon, P., Sweeney, M. R. (2024) Feasibility of a National Induction Programme for Home Support Workers (HSWs) working in the homecare sector in the Republic of Ireland, 43rd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, RCSI, 2024, Poster Presentation
UPGRADE Centre (2023) Oral Presentation on: Continuing Professional Development, job satisfaction and intention to leave for Newly Qualified Nurses and Midwives: a survey of three European Countries at the 29th Congress of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) – Nurses Together: A force for global health, 1-5 July 2023 in Montreal, Canada.
UPGRADE Centre (2023) Oral Presentation on The experience and attitudes of long-term care workers with teaching and learning modalities for the delivery of continuing professional development activities: a mixed-methods study at the 29th Congress of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) – Nurses Together: A force for global health, 1-5 July 2023 in Montreal, Canada.
UPGRADE Centre (2024) Continuing Professional Development, job satisfaction and intention to leave for Newly Qualified Nurses and Midwives: a survey of three European Countries – Oral Presentation at the Sigma European Region 7th Biennial Conference 2628th June 2024, Bournemouth, UK
UPGRADE Centre (2024) Newly qualified nurses’ and midwives’ experiences and perspectives on how Continuing Professional Development impacts their intention to remain in the profession: a qualitative study of three European Countries at the Sigma
European Region 7th Biennial Conference 26-28th June 2024, Bournemouth, UK
UPGRADE Centre (2024) The effectiveness of continuing professional development for the residential long-term care workforce: a systematic review – Poster Verbal Presentation at the Sigma European Region 7th Biennial Conference 26-28th June 2024, Bournemouth, UK
Walsh, N. Aleo, G. (2023) Continuing Professional Development, job satisfaction and intention to leave for Newly Qualified Nurses and Midwives: A survey of three European Countries at the WHO Euro/ European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA)/ EFN webinar, held online on 6 December 2023
Walsh, N (2024) Qualitative study of Newly Qualified Nurses & Midwives – Oral Presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin.
Walsh, N (2024) Intention-to-leave among nursing home directors – A cross-sectional study, Ireland - Poster Presentation at the 43rd RCSI Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference, 21-22 February 2024, Dublin.
Walsh, N (2024) Continuing Professional Development, job satisfaction and intention to leave for Newly Qualified Nurses and Midwives: a survey of three European Countries 26th April 2024 - Meeting of the WHO/Europe Government Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Hub for the Nursing and Midwifery Global Community of Practice
RESEARCH APPLICATIONS AND GRANTS
FNM, RCSI internal grant funding. Business support and development for research and education capacity building. Professor Mary Lynch and Professor Mary Rose Sweeney. €1,500,000.00.
Healthy communities: Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment in four disadvantaged areas in Dublin. €80,000.00. PI Prof Debbi Stanistreet, School for Population health. ML co-applicant providing health economics expertise.
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). W22/34HE: Strategic Investment Fund. (2022). Green Prescribing for mental health and wellbeing for students. ML co-investigator leading on SROI evaluation (£40,000) with University of South Wales and Wrexham Glyndwr University.
Lynch M (2023) submitted application for UKRI call “collaborative community research to tackle health inequalities.” CONNECTing Health Visiting to Community Assets: Improving family resilience,
wellbeing and health inequalities in young families. Co-applicant with researchers from University of South Wales and Swansea University.
Lynch M (2023) submitted application for E-Tender submitted to Skillnet: Exploring a Career Pathway for Support Workers in Home Care.
Lynch M (2023) successful research grant Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). W22/34HE: Strategic Investment Fund- Green Prescribing for mental health and wellbeing for students.CI Leading on SROI evaluation with partners. University of South Wales and Wrexham Glyndwr University. Leading the SROI evaluation work package. May 2023 to February 2024.
Lynch M (2023) successful research grant Welsh Government (WG)- National Evaluation of the Regional Integration Fund (RIF). C126/2022/2023CI Leading on SROI evaluation with partners from University of South Wales and Swansea University. Lead SROI evaluation work package. May 2023 to May 2026.
NIHR: Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation Call 5. Warning system for Extreme weather events, Awareness Technology for Healthcare, Equitable delivery, and Resilience (WEATHER) project. Collaborative project with KwaZulu-Natal University. Joint PI’s: Professor Mary Lynch and Professor Saloshni Naidoo. CI (UWS team): SHLS: Professor Fiona Harris, Professor Fiona Henriquez, Dr Caroline Miller, Dr Natalie Dickinson. CEPS: Dr Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir, Professor Naeem Ramzan and Professor Andrew Hursthouse. £2,308,318.00. https://www.nihr.ac.uk/ news/nihr-awards-over-20-million-for-global-healthresearch-projects-focused-on-extreme-weatherchallenges/35425
Nursing Home Ireland: Exploring the impact of Human Rights in the Nursing Home sector in Ireland. Professor Mary Lynch, Professor Marie Carney, Dr Llinos haf Spencer, Dr Shuhua Yang. €36,900.00
Skillnet: Exploring a Career Pathway for Support Workers in Home Care. (2023). Lynch, M., Sweeney, M.R., White, M., Mahon, P. €31,934.49.
Skillnet: Feasibility of a National Induction Programme for Home Support Workers (HSWs) working in the home care/community care sector in Ireland. (2023). Sweeney, M.R., Lynch, M., White, M., Mahon, P. €31,934.49.
The British Academy call for discussion papers on: What are the possibilities of a good digital society. Funding of £2,500 awarded to Dr Elizabeth Morrow, visiting research fellow to lead and develop the discussion paper.
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/programmes/ digital-society/call-for-discussion-papers-what-arethe-possibilities-of-a-good-digital-society/ University of the West of Scotland (UWS) Vice Chancellor PhD Studentships 2023.(VC23040). Blue Space; Environmental Risks and Health Benefits of Costal Recreation in a Changing Climate. Dickenson, N., Rodgers, K., Hursthouse, A., Lynch, M. £55,866.00 Welsh Government (WG)- National Evaluation of the Regional Integration Fund (RIF). C126/2022/2023CI Leading on SROI evaluation with partners from University of South Wales and Swansea University. ML co-applicant £148,500.00 to lead SROI evaluation work package.
RESEARCH GRANTS AWAITING OUTCOME
AIIHPC PCRN application to the HRB Collaborative Research Network Call. Value €1,000,000.00. ML coapplicant for FNM.
Application submitted to 2024 SETU PHD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME & 2024 TU RISE PHD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME. ML is proposed as co-supervisor on PhD studentship: Project Title: Assessing the Feasibility, Usability, Acceptability, and Sustainability of a Personalized Virtual Reality Nature Therapy Intervention in an Irish Tertiary Palliative Care Setting.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- PI- Dr Elizabeth Morrow, ML co-applicant, FNM, RCSI leading institution and co-applications- Professor A Longo, Professor J Barry and Professor G EllisQueen’s University Belfast. Application submitted 30th May 2024. Grant application value: €660,00.00
Hub and spoke tackling challenge five (decarbonising health and social care pathways) using holistic toolkit to develop and implement carbon reduction plans across a range of health and social care pathways (HSCP). ML co-applicant. Application submitted on 17th April 2024. Grant application value: £6 million. Team interview on 23rd July 2024. Still awaiting outcome.
Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW). Reducing diet-related inequalities: a mixed method evaluation of Nutrition Skills for Life (NSL) programme in Wales. Submission 18th August 2024. Grant application value: £230,000.
UKRI Realising the health co-benefits of the transition to net zero. https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ realising-the-health-co-benefits-of-the-transition-tonet-zero/
RESEARCH GRANTS REJECTED
British Council Funding call- applications from UK institutions for research proposals, offering grants of up to £80,000 (£100,000.00 full economic costs), to collaborate with international partners through the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF). ML was a co-applicant providing health economics expertise. UK Institution: University of South Wales (USW). Project title: SUKHA Thai: Social Urban Settings and Knowledge-based Health Assets for the Ageing Population in Thailand. Application submitted on 12th March 2024.
Health Research Board (HRB)- Challenge 8: Strategies to improve value for money in Irish health care delivery in primary, community, and acute settings, focusing on productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Title: Exploring the impact of Social Prescribing as a non-clinical pathway on the productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of healthcare services in community, primary, and acute healthcare settings. ML PI, and co-applicant Professor David Robinson, St James’s hospital. Submitted 14th March 2024. Grant application value: €299,923.00. Invited to respond to 4 reviewers and rebuttal submitted on 15th May 2024 Health Research Board (HRB)- Enhancing Perinatal Wellbeing: Development, Delivery and Evaluation of a Digital Health Coaching and Educational Programme. Co-applicant to lead SROI.
Health Research Board- Co-applicant on TaRgetted And Novel Strategies FOR Models of InTegrated care in Inflammatory Bowel Disease TRANSFORM IT IBD. Collaborative research application with Dr Orlaith Kelly, Consultant Gastroenterologist and senior clinical lecturer, Department of Surgery, RCSI. Co-applicant leading the health economic evaluation work package. Application submitted 22/11/2023. ML co-applicant leading the health economic evaluation. Horizon Health 2024. COISTE-5: coaching interventions to support health. A novel coach-led digital health platform to prevent the development of noncommunicable diseases (ncds) in european communities, incorporating artificial intelligence (ai) and epigenetic analysis to identify at-risk citizens. PI Dr Padraic Dunne, Centre for Positive Health Sciences. ML co-applicant providing health economics expertise.
HSE: Expression of Interest. A Realist Evaluation of Social Prescribing in HSE-Funded Services in Ireland. Co-applicant providing expertise in Social Prescribing. Dr Roisin O Donovan, Centre for Positive Health Sciences. ML co-applicant providing health economics expertise.
Interreg project: CulFac project for development of industrial cultural heritage tourism. ML is the RCSI partner in the provision of research and health economic project evaluation. Stage 1 application submitted on 21st March 2024. Unsuccessful outcome, awaiting feedback to resubmit to Call 5.
Interreg project: Attainable project to attract potential candidates into the caregiving field and development of training opportunities across the partner NWE region. ML will be the RCSI partner in the provision of research and health economic project evaluation. Stage 1 application submitted on 21st March 2024. Unsuccessful outcome, awaiting feedback to resubmit to Call 5.
Interreg project: RESILAB 1000 project to reframe employer awareness of employees’ challenges in the 1st 1000 Days: creating 8 parental peer support networks within employers & 8 employer networks to support positive personnel practices. ML is part of the RCSI lead partner evaluation team. Stage 1 application to be submitted on 21st March 2024. Unsuccessful outcome, awaiting feedback to resubmit to Call 5.
Irish Prison Service tender. Collaborative research with DCU for €293,135.
SFI-IRC Pathway Programme- https://www.sfi.ie/ funding/funding-calls/pathway/ Co-applicant with Dr Roisin O Donovan, Centre for Positive Health. The aim of this project is to co-design and test an innovative digital health coaching and education programme to improve maternal health and wellbeing during the first 1,000 days of life. ML was a co-applicant to advise on the Social Return on Investment component of the proposal. To assist and advise the PhD scholar during WP2 to establish SROI outputs and outcomes during the co-design workshops. To act in an advisory role and work alongside the applicant and PhD scholar to conduct SROI analysis during WP3. Application submitted on 2nd April 2024.
UKRI- APP7380: CONNECTing Health Visiting to Community Assets: Improving family resilience, wellbeing and health inequalities in young families. Collaborative research application with University of South Wales, FNM RCSI, Swansea University and Cardiff University. ML co-applicant leading the health economic evaluation on this £1,000,000 research grant and stage 2 application submitted as well as feedback to funders.
Wellcome Trust: https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/ schemes/climate-impacts-awards Project Title: LENS Prescribing: Low Emission, Net Zero, Social Prescribing as a Sustainable Healthcare Pathway. ML
PI, and co- applicants from: Queens University Belfast, University of South Wales, University of Melbourne, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Cipta Nalar Semesta, Indonesia, and Universitas Indonesia. Submitted 3rd April 2024. Grant application value: €2,027,556.00.
SUBMISSIONS IN DEVELOPMENT OR UNDER REVIEW
British Academy discussion paper: Exploring HumanAI Intelligent Caring in Home-based Support for Super-aged Societies. Co -authors-Morrow, E., Ross, F., Naessens, E., Kelly, C., Lynch, M. This draft paper has been submitted and the paper will be published August 2024Manuscript title: Making Well: A pilot SROI evaluation and forecast of a green social prescribing therapeutic craft and horticulture programme for mental health. Collaboration with colleagues from Bangor University. ML co-author. At final drafting stage for submission in July 2024.
Manuscript title: A Social Return on Investment Evaluation of a university nature-based social prescribing pathway to support mental health, and wellbeing. At 2nd draft phase.
Manuscript title Systematic Review: Title: Extreme weather events in the UK and resulting public health outcomes. Collaboration with colleagues from University South Wales and University West of Scotland. Environment International.
Manuscript title: “The Body Hotel, Movement for Employee Well-being: Protocol for a Social Return on Investment Evaluation” was submitted in December and under review for publication in BMJ Open.
Manuscript entitled “A scoping review investigating the economic evidence to support the development of career pathways for home support workers”. Frontiers: Public Health Reviews-special issuetransformative public health evidence journal.
White paper: Advancing a Home Support Worker Career Pathway. Commissioners LHP Skillnet Ireland. Dr Elizabeth Morrow and Prof Mary Lynch. Launch event October 2024.
ANP/AMP FORUM NEWSLETTERS
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 24 Management of specific conditions.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 25 Innovative management studies.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletters No 27 Title: New Irish and international research undertaken by advanced practitioners.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 28 Title:
Sustainable innovations.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No. 29 Title: Contexts, implement and outcomes.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 30 Title: Cardiac care, Jan 2024.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 31 Title: Surgery recovery, adults and children, Feb 2024.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 32 Title Competencies for advanced practice, March 2024.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter No 33 Title: Leadership dimensions of advanced practitioners, April 2024.
Carney, M (2024) ANMP Newsletter International Nurses Day Title: Innovations and International Council of Nurses History-the 1st Decade, May 2024.
CNS RESEARCH REVIEW
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter: Title: Post Covid Recovery Issues 14 August 2023
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter: Title: Dementia 11 October 2023
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter Title: ANP roles, 27 September 2023
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter Title: Recovery from surgery, 25 October 2023.
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter Title: ICN 1st decade, 15 November 2023
Carney M. (2023) ANP/ CNS/ Grand Rounds Newsletter: Title: Clinical Reasoning and Competencies, 28 February 2024.
Carney M. (2023) ANP CNS Grand Rounds Newsletter Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference Abstracts, 13 March 2024.
Carney M. (2023) CNS /ANP /GR Newsletter All Nurses International Nurses Day Title: International Council of Nurses History-the 1st Decade, May 2024.
Carney M. (2023) ANP/CNS Grand Rounds Newsletter Title: Recovery from Stroke, Falls and Frailty in older persons 12 June 2024.
NURSING HOMES IRELAND (NHI) BULLETINS
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin No 9 Safeguarding in elder care 10 July 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin No 10 Recovery from Covid; 8 August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin No 11 Recovery from Sensory Manifestations of Covid-19, 19 August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin Nursing Council Update, 23 August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin Title: Activities of Living 24 August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin Title Interactive session Fundamentals of Daily activities in older person care 11 October 2023
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin Title Safeguarding in older person care, 25 October 2023.
Carney M. (2023) NHI Bulletin Title Ethics in older care, 3 November 2023.
Carney M. (2024) NHI Newsletter: Title: Competencies for older person care, 28 February 2024.
Carney M. (2024) NHI Newsletter Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference Abstracts, 13 March 2024.
Carney M. (2024) NHI Newsletter All Nurses International Nurses Day Title: International Council of Nurses History-the 1st Decade, May 2024.
Carney M. (2024) NHI Newsletter Title: Recovery from Stroke, Falls and Frailty in older persons 12 June 2024.
Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) interactive sessions
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Standards for care of older persons, August 2023
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Competencies for older person care, August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Safeguarding older person in nursing home care, August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Leadership for practice in older person care, August 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Activities of Daily Living, September 2023
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Older person care, September 2023
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Rights, September 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Stakeholder supports, December 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Prevention of elder abuse, December 2023.
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Facilitating daily activities, December 2023.
Carney M. (2024) Interactive session: Fundamental Activities of Living Nursing Care No 2, January 2024
Carney M. (2023) Interactive session: Science of Fluids in older person care, June 2024.
Appendix II: Board and Sub-Committee Attendance Records
Prof. Michael Shannon Present Apologies Present Present Present Present Present Apologies
Prof. Thomas O’Connell N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Present Present
Prof. Mark White Present Present Present Present Present Apologies Present Present
Month 28 July 30 November 8 February 12 June
Prof. Thomas Kearns Present Present Present Present
Prof. Michael Shannon Present Present Present Present
Dr Mary Boyd Present Present Apologies Apologies
Mary Godfrey Present Present Present Present
Prof. Mark White Present Present Present Present
Ken Jordan
Prof. Charlotte McArdle
Dr Cora Lunn
GILA Sub-Committee
Appendix 3
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEE AND FELLOW AND MEMBER CONTACT DETAILS
Faculty Standing Orders (April 2024) state the following:
Point 30. No fees, annual subscriptions or other conferral or registration fees shall be charged to Honorary Fellows, Fellows Ad Eundem or Fellows by Election, save as provided in Order 33.
Point 31. Fellows by Examination shall pay such examination fees as shall be determined by the Board and approved by the Surgery and Postgraduate Faculties Board of the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Point 32. One year post conferring, Fellows by Examination are required to pay an annual subscription to the Faculty, with the amount to be determined by the Board.
Fellows eligible to vote, nominate and be elected
Point 34. .Fellows in good standing based on the Faculty Code of Good Standing are eligible to vote, nominate and be elected. Fellows in good standing shall have the right to receive notice of meetings of the Faculty, to vote at meetings of the Faculty, to vote in elections of the Board and to support the nomination of a candidate to the Board. Any Fellow who wishes to be nominated to the Board must pay the annual subscription fee to the Faculty.
ANNUAL DECLARATION AND SUBSCRIPTION FEE
The Annual Declaration and Subscription Fee payment must be made by 31st January annually in order for Fellows to be deemed in good standing. Fellows are deemed to be in good standing for the first year following their conferring
FELLOWSHIP FEES
Employed Fellows: €50.
Retired and unemployed Fellows €30.
PAYMENT METHODS
Payment can be made via secure electronic payment on the Faculty’s website under the payment methods section at the bottom of the webpage.
FELLOWS CONTACT DETAILS
The Faculty wish to ensure that Fellows in good standing remain on our active Fellow’s Register and that they continue to receive information from the Faculty. To this end, the Faculty is currently up-dating the records of our Fellows to ensure that we have accurate contact information. If any of your details have changed, please contact the Faculty with the following details: Name, address, telephone number, mobile phone number and email address. If you wish to be removed from the active Fellow’s Register and no longer wish to receive correspondence from the Faculty, please write to: Administration Office, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, 121 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 or email: facnurse@rcsi.com to confirm.
Appendix 4
RCSI TRAVEL
RCSI Travel, established in 2001, is a member of the RCSI group. With offices in Dublin and Bahrain, our experienced team is available to assist you with all your national, international, corporate, college and person travel requirements. RCSI Travel is a fully bonded and licensed travel agency and member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR).
Our strong partner alliances combined with our significant buying power allows us to effectively negotiate the best overall value for our customers. RCSI Travel can offer discounted contract rates with a wide range of airlines, hotels and travel products and other partners allowing delivery of a personalised service at competitive rates. We will provide you with advice and insights from our experienced travel team.
