National Council for the Professional Development of Nursingand Midwifery: a decade of progess: a legacy of nursing and
midwifery: annual report and accounts 2010
Item type Other
Authors National Council for the Professional Development ofNursing and Midwifery
Publisher National Council for the Professional Development ofNursing and Midwifery
Downloaded 7-Jun-2018 11:46:01
Link to item http://hdl.handle.net/10147/263625
Find this and similar works at - http://www.lenus.ie/hse
An Chomhairle Náisiúnta d’Fhorbairt Ghairmiúil an Altranais agus an Chnáimhseachais
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
A Decade of Progress: A Legacy for Nursing and Midwifery
Tuarascáil Bhliantúil agus Cuntais Bhliantúla
AnnuAl RepoRt & Accounts 2010
Published by:
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery 6–7 Manor Street Business Park, Manor Street, Dublin 7.
T: 353 1 882 5300 F: 353 1 868 0366 E: [email protected] W: www.ncnm.ie
Mission Statement of the National CouncilThe purpose of the Council is to promote and develop the professional role of nurses and midwives in partnership with stake-holders in order to support the delivery of quality nursing and midwifery care to patients/clients in a changing healthcare environment.
© National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery, 2011
3
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Contents
National Council Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Staff of the National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Chairperson’s Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Chief Executive Officer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
the nAtionAl CounCil, 1999-2010 A DeCADe of pRogRess: A legACy foR nuRsing AnD MiDwifeRy . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ACtivities & AChieveMents of the nAtionAl CounCil, 1999-2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The Role and Functions of the National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Health Service Reform Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Governance and Regulation Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Board of the National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Committees of the National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
ACtivities RepoRt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Activities Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Clinical Career Pathway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialist Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners. . . . . . . . . . . .36
Practice Environment and Facilitating services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
New Publications in 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Working with the Professions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Continuing Professional Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Continuing Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Working with Education Providers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
seminars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
supporting Evidence for Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Research Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Communication and Dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Tenth National Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
NCNM Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Presentations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
other Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
ACCounts foR the yeAR enDeD 31 DeCeMbeR 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
AppenDiCes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Appendix 1: Publications of the National Council, 2001–2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Appendix 2: Continuing Education Programmes Approved for Funding in 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Appendix 3: Grants for Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Post Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Appendix 4: Innovative Research Development Initiative Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
4
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
national Council Members
Members of the National Council from 30th November 2009 Appointed by Ms Mary Harney, TD, Minister for Health and Children
Dr Laraine Joyce
Ms Valerie small
Ms Maura Nash
Mr Brendan Byrne
Ms Antoinette Doocey
Ms Aveen Murray
Mr Patrick Hume
Ms Jacqueline Burke
Ms Mary Brosnan
Mrs Anne Carrigy
Ms Marie Keane
Ms sheila o’Malley
Mr Tony Morris
Prof Pearl Treacy
Ms Bernie Quillinan
Dr siobhan o’Halloran
Ms Maureen Kington
Dr Gary Brown
Dr Aílís Ni Riain1
Ms Marie Tighe
1. Resigned 20th october 2010.
5
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
staff of the national Council
Chief Executive Officer Yvonne o’shea, RGN, RM, RNT, BA, Msc (Econ), PhD,
FFNM ad eundem (RCsI)
Head of Professional Development
and Continuing Education
Kathleen Mac Lellan, RGN, Dip Couns, Msc, MBA, PhD
Professional Development Officers Mary Farrelly, RPN, RGN, BNs, M Med sc (Nursing)
Georgina Farren, RGN, RM, BNs (Hons), Msc (Midwifery),
LLB (Hons), BL
Jenny Hogan, RGN, Pg Dip in Executive Coaching,
BA (Hons), M sc
Christine Hughes, RNID, RGN, RNT, Dip in Project
Management, BA (Mod), H Dip, M Ed, M sc
Research Development Officer sarah Condell, RGN, RM, RNT, BNs, MA
Head of Management Services Helen Bohan, BBs (Hons), MBA
Administrative Officers Lorna Byrne
Jackie Lillis
Paula o’Meara
Clerical Officers Mary Kennedy
Carol Kilroy
6
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Chairperson’s statement
The activities of the National Council during 2010, which are outlined in this
Annual Report, highlight another year of progress and achievement. over
the past decade, as we also report, the National Council has been engaged
in taking forward its mission of promoting and developing the professional
roles of nurses and midwives, in partnership with our stakeholders, in order
to support the delivery of quality nursing and midwifery care to patients and
clients in a changing healthcare environment.
The National Council has provided leadership in delivering the clinical career pathway for the
professions. I note with pleasure that, at the end of 2010, there were 2,249 clinical nurse/midwife
specialist and 154 advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts within the Irish health services.
A further ninety-five advanced nurse/midwife practitioners were accredited or were deemed to
have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation.
In addition, over 650 education programmes, involving more than 30,000 nurses and midwives,
have been funded by the National Council which supported new nursing developments such as
the Nursing Leadership Centre, the development of the Cancer Nursing strategy and the setting
up of minor injury clinics in accident and emergency departments and many other nurse-led
developments across a wide range of care settings.
The end purpose of all our strategies and activities has been directed towards those who use
the health services in Ireland. our efforts have been consistently directed towards ensuring their
safety and the quality of the care and service they receive from nurses and midwives. Patient
safety, high-quality service and person-centred care have always been at the heart of nursing
and midwifery care and these concepts have become central to the international and national
healthcare policy debate over the last ten years.
The culture and ethos of the National Council have been characterised by accountability, probity,
transparency, empowerment and partnership. These qualities are reflected in our two documents
Review of Achievements, 1999–2009 and Review of Achievements, 1999–2010: Publications
– Leadership, Guidance and Evidence for Best Practice, which we published in 2009 and 2010
respectively. The former provided an overview of how the National Council led and collaborated
with nurses, midwives, numerous health services and other key agencies. The latter contained
a summary of over fifty National Council publications that, taken together, encompass the main
strands of ten years of service to nursing, midwifery and healthcare.
The National Council’s work has evolved into five broad categories: the clinical career pathway;
providing guidance for and facilitating the practice environment and healthcare services;
supporting continuing professional development; supporting the use of evidence in practice; and
communicating with and disseminating information among the nursing and midwifery professions.
The documents produced by the National Council clearly demonstrate these core components.
The numerous research reports, position papers, discussion papers, resource packs, framework
documents and handbooks have been distributed, acted upon and cited in Ireland and abroad.
They reflect the changes that have taken place in Ireland and their impact on the health system as
a whole and on nurses and midwives in particular.
7
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
From the outset, strong communication with the professions and with stake-holders has
underpinned our activities and the publications of the National Council represent but one facet of
this. Face-to-face contact, the annual national conference, the regional meetings and seminars have
brought together nurses and midwives of all grades and from different settings as contributors and
participants, to share ideas and practice development. The National Council has used electronic
information systems and information technology, through its website and through electronic
networking, to ensure the widest possible communication of its resources and activities.
The National Council would like to record its thanks to Mary Harney, TD, Minister for Health and
Children, to the Nursing Policy Division of the Department of Health and Children and to the Health
service Executive for their longstanding support and partnership. With the expected enactment
in the coming year of the Nurses and Midwives Bill, 2010, it is appropriate for me, on behalf of the
National Council, to express our deep appreciation to all who have supported our work in 2010 and
over the past decade.
I would also like to thank our colleagues in An Bord Altranais, the third-level schools of nursing
and midwifery and the centres of nursing and midwifery education, the nursing and midwifery
planning and development units, service providers, and the multidisciplinary teams located within
organisations and services, as well as nurses and midwives working at local, regional and national
levels, both in the healthcare and education sectors. A special word of thanks and acknowledgement
is due to my predecessor Mr Liam Dunbar, who served as Executive Chairperson and then as
Chairperson during the early years of the National Council, and to all the members who have given
of their time over the past ten years. The Chief Executive officer Yvonne o’shea and the executive
staff of the National Council have continued to demonstrate the highest level of commitment and
enthusiasm and I would like to pay tribute to their exceptional dedication and hard work.
Co-operation and collaboration have been crucial to the National Council’s achievements, whether
these have taken place with individual nurses and midwives, with other organisations and agencies,
or at local, regional, national and international levels. This approach has resulted in much more
than the creation and development of the clinical career pathway.
There is an inherent capacity in individual nurses and midwives and within groups of nurses and
midwives to think and act creatively in the best interests of patients and healthcare service users. The
National Council has drawn on this capacity and on its own resources and has facilitated its various
stakeholders to do so too, as evidenced by the vast array of local, regional, national and international
projects funded and/or participated in. The healthcare system as a whole has benefited from the
capacity for implementing policy, integrating evidence into practice and providing transformational
leadership that has been built within the nursing and midwifery workforce with the support of the
National Council. ultimately and most importantly, patients and health service users have been the
main beneficiaries. The National Council has constructed a rich professional legacy, one that I hope
will continue to provide inspiration and motivation for nurses and midwives.
Dr Laraine Joyce
Chairperson
8
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Chief executive officer’s Report
The National Council was established as a result of a recommendation in the
groundbreaking Final Report of the Commission on Nursing: A Blueprint for
the Future, published in 1998, which articulated a vision of enabling nurses
and midwives, through the development of the professions, to achieve their
fullest potential at the centre of an Irish health services that had embarked
on a dynamic process of change and transformation to the benefit of the
whole community.
To this end, the purpose of the National Council, according to our mission statement, is “to promote
and develop the professional role of nurses and midwives in partnership with stake-holders in
order to support the delivery of quality nursing and midwifery care to patients/clients in a changing
healthcare environment.”
The National Council has worked in accordance with the blueprint provided by the Commission, but
has adapted it in response to and in recognition of new opportunities and resources. our strategic
approach has evolved under five main headings: the clinical career pathway; providing guidance
for and facilitating the practice environment and healthcare services; supporting continuing
professional development; supporting the use of evidence in practice; and communication with
and dissemination of information among the nursing and midwifery professions. This annual report
details the substantial further progress made in 2010 and also summarises our achievements over
the past decade.
CLiNiCAL CAREER PATHWAy
The National Council has responsibility for the development of a comprehensive clinical career
pathway for nurses and midwives and continued to take a strategic leadership approach in the
development of clinical nurse/midwife specialist posts and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner
posts. From 2000 to the end of 2010, 2,249 clinical nurse/midwife specialist posts were either
approved or were deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for approval.
This included 180 posts that were approved or met the National Council’s standards and criteria
for approval in 2010, an annual increase of 8.7%. From 2001 to the end of 2010, 154 advanced
nurse/midwife practitioner posts were either approved or met the National Council’s standards
and criteria for approval and ninety-five advanced nurse/midwife practitioners were accredited
or were deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for accreditation and
re-accreditation. seventeen posts were deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and
criteria for approval of these posts in 2010; and sixteen applicants were deemed to have met the
standards and criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation. From January 2010, the accreditation
of advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts and the registration of advanced nurse/midwife
practitioners were assigned to An Bord Altranais, and all new advanced nurse/midwife practitioner
post and post-holder applications were accepted and processed by An Bord Altranais. The
National Council continued to provide support and expert advice to services and individuals on the
development of advanced practice roles.
9
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
The National Council executive organised open days in 2010 to give service managers, potential
advanced nurse/midwife practitioners and project officers an in-depth understanding of the
application process and to meet and network with others involved in similar pursuits. More
than 440 nurses and midwives from over 100 areas have attended the open days since they
were first introduced in 2004.
The final report of a major research exercise commissioned by the National Council (An Evaluation
of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland; the
“sCAPE Project”) was completed in 2010. This important and unprecedented study maps out
authoritatively the contribution that clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife
practitioners are making to the health services in Ireland. The report shows that care provided
by clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners had improved
outcomes for patients, as well as being safe and cost-neutral. The sCAPE Project also highlights the
further potential for clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners
to support the implementation of health policy, meet the changing health needs of the population,
address patients’ needs and contribute to service reconfiguration.
PRACTiCE ENviRONMENT AND FACiLiTATiNG SERviCES
The National Council produced eight new documents in 2010, some of which built on previously
published documents. These were:
Profiles of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists in •
Ireland. This second set of profiles documents the work and services of seventeen nurses and
midwives working in specialist and advanced practice roles, highlighting the contribution they
make to the enhanced quality of patient care and of service delivery.
Clinical Outcomes. Discussion Paper 2.• This is an update on topics and issues relating to nursing and
midwifery interventions following the publication of the resource pack and to prompt discussion
about and reflection on the complex environment in which nurses and midwives work today.
Review of Achievements, 1999–2010: Publications – Leadership, Guidance and Evidence for Best •
Practice. This review of over fifty publications by the National Council on leadership, guidance
and evidence for best practice by the National Council draws together the main strands of ten
years of service to nursing, midwifery and healthcare.
Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising Clinical •
Outcomes for Pre-Conceptual Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience. The new
update is the fourth in a series which are posted on the National Council’s website; a fifth update
will be published in January 2011.
Development and Evaluation of a Toolkit to Support Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency and •
Competency Development Planning. Final Report. A team from the school of Nursing, Trinity
College, Dublin, in partnership with a multi-agency clinical team and the National Council’s
steering committee, tested a prototype toolkit to be used by service managers, as well as
nurses and midwives, when identifying and determining the clinical competencies required to
meet service need and match patient activity.
10
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning •
Toolkit. The toolkit supports and assists services and individual nurses and midwives by outlining
the steps to be taken when identifying the competencies necessary for the successful delivery of
particular clinical services.
Key Performance Indicators. Discussion Paper 3.• The discussion paper is a resource for clinical
nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners wishing to articulate and
clarify their contribution to patient care. It highlights factors to be considered in the development
of key performance indicators and provides a framework that nurses and midwives might use for
this development work.
An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners •
in Ireland. The final report of a team of researchers from Trinity College, Dublin and the National
university of Ireland, Galway which was commissioned by the National Council to conduct further
research into the development of clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife
practitioner roles and the outcomes associated with these roles.
CONTiNuiNG PROFESSiONAL DEvELOPMENT
As part of its continuing professional development programme in 2010, the National Council provided
funding to support innovation and development in practice by providing and funding additional
continuing education opportunities. Three types of programmes are supported: short continuing
education programmes, continuing education programmes, and grants for advanced nurse/midwife
practitioner post development. The National Council supported 126 short continuing education
programmes and allocated twenty-two advanced nurse/midwife practitioner post grants. Funding
was also provided for programmes that were successful under the continuing education programme
grants application process in 2008.
An electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) was developed, piloted and tested by the Royal College of surgeons
in Ireland (RCsI) to be used by students undertaking its nursing and midwifery education programmes.
The content and structure of the e-portfolio was based on the second edition of the National Council’s
Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives. The final report of an RCsI/National
Council project steering group study on the introduction of the e-portfolio was submitted to the
National Council in December 2010 and reported positive feedback from participants.
SuPPORTiNG EviDENCE FOR PRACTiCE
The Research Development officer (RDo), a joint Health Research Board/National Council appointment,
continued to profile research using the National Council’s communication channels and participated in
meetings with key stake-holders. The RDo contributed to the ongoing implementation of some of the
recommendations of the Department of Health and Children’s 2003 Research Strategy for Nursing and
Midwifery in Ireland and prepared a review of the attainments emanating from the research strategy,
which was published by the Department in 2010. Continued implementation include the successful
mid-term review of the five-year nursing and midwifery research priorities programme that emerged
from the National Council’s study of nursing and midwifery research priorities and further development
of a nursing and midwifery research database.
11
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
The National Council continued to support clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioners to meet the research requirements of their respective roles. The National
Council’s Junior Clinician Scientist for Nursing and Midwifery award, through the HRB, allows
successful candidates to undertake a master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree on a part-
time basis; one award was completed in 2010 and another three were in progress. Five awards were
made in 2010 under an Innovative Research Development initiative to support research development
within clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles.
COMMuNiCATiON AND DiSSEMiNATiON
The tenth national conference of the National Council was opened in November by Mary Harney,
TD, Minister for Health and Children. The conference was streamed live on the web, and key
content was subsequently placed on the National Council’s website. High standards were reflected
in the 135 individual and group posters on research, practice development projects and service
improvements that were on display.
The National Council’s website (www.ncnm.ie) has become a vital channel for information and
communication between nurses and midwives at all levels and was further enhanced and expanded
in 2010. It continued to provide the foremost resource in Ireland on the clinical career pathway, with
the relevant frameworks, latest statistics and developments in relation to clinical nurse/midwife
specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners posts. The National Council provides web
development and hosting services to associations of specialist nurses and midwives free of charge,
thereby communicating their aims to a wider audience than their own resources might have allowed.
The website hosted twenty-two specialist interest groups’ websites during the year. The National
Council, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council (NIPEC), continued
to develop and manage the web-based All-Ireland Practice and Quality Development Database; by
the end of 2010, the database had 148 projects on practice and quality development initiatives by
nurses and midwives from Northern Ireland and the Republic.
The National Council’s publication, NCNM Review, reports on and assesses major developments
within the Irish health service of relevance to nurses and midwives and highlights the activities
of the National Council, as well as those of nurses and midwives. In 2010, NCNM Review was
redesigned as primarily an electronic rather than a print publication. More than 10,000 nurses,
midwives and other interested parties subscribed to the electronic edition.
The theme of our National Conference this year was Quality and Innovation – Achieving Excellence
in Patient Care and centred on the core issue of placing the public interest and the safety of patients
at the centre of the regulation and development of the professions of nursing and midwifery. We are
living in times of extreme pressure on resources – this presents us with the challenge of constantly
searching for new and innovative ways of delivering quality services that are patient centred.
It is just over two years since the publication of the Report of the Commission on Patient Safety
and Quality Assurance – Building a Culture of Patient Safety provided a call to action for all clinical
professionals in Ireland to take to heart the importance of safety and quality in the way in which
we deliver care.
12
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
The Department of Health and Children responded to this report by creating an implementation
group, responsible for ensuring that the recommendations of the Commission were enacted
and made to work. Much has already happened in this area as evidenced by the Patient safety
First initiative launched in september 2010 and was followed up by the commitment of many key
stake-holders within the health services, including the National Council, to the principles and practices
it stands for.
In addition, reform of legislation for the regulation of all clinical professions has focused on the
importance of patient safety and giving a voice to the public and patients on the regulatory decision-
making bodies. In the case of nursing and midwifery, this will be reflected in the make-up of the lay
majority board of the new regulatory body that will be created following the expected enactment
of the Nurses and Midwives Bill in 2011.
Building on the groundbreaking Report of the Commission on Nursing published in 1998, the
National Council has given leadership in setting the agenda and implementing a comprehensive
strategy for the development of the professions of nursing and midwifery in Ireland in the context
of a transformation of the Irish health services to meet the needs of a twenty-first century society. It
is and has been an honour for me to head a dedicated and enthusiastic executive staff. our success
and achievements owe much to the support and contribution of past and present chairpersons
and members of the National Council. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the dedication
and selfless commitment to service of the current chairperson Dr Laraine Joyce, her predecessor
Mr Liam Dunbar and all the members of the current and previous National Councils. I wish to
express my thanks to the Department of Health and Children and the Health service Executive
at a national level; the third-level education providers and nursing and midwifery planning and
development units at a regional level; and the managers and staff working at a local level. I believe
that the professions of nursing and midwifery are well positioned to take a leading and expanding
role within healthcare teams in meeting the opportunities and challenges of providing quality and
safe healthcare for the people of Ireland in the years ahead.
yvonne O’Shea
Chief Executive officer
14
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
since its establishment in 1999, the National Council has been highly productive in terms of meeting
the brief set out for it by the Commission on Nursing and completing its mission. The National
Council has worked in accordance with the blueprint provided by the Commission, but has adapted
it in response to and in recognition of new opportunities and resources. The publication of the
national health strategy Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You by the Department of
Health and Children in 2001 and the launch of the health service reform programme two years later
have seen the National Council adapting promptly and efficiently to the demands of an evolving
health service and system.
The National Council has sought through its work to empower nurses and midwives to achieve
their full potential as key contributors to the health services in Ireland. The focus has been on
supporting nurses and midwives to be responsive to service need in order to build systems and care
pathways that promote integrated quality care. This is rooted in a positive culture of transparency,
accountability, probity and partnership. It is also based on an understanding of the essence of
nursing and midwifery as caring professions that are person-centred, relationship-based, holistic,
involve the education of patients, clients and service users patients and their families to promote
positive health, co-ordinates the inputs of others and is knowledge-based.
A large component of the work of the National Council has involved bringing about a coherent
approach to the progression of specialisation, and the development of the clinical career pathway at
generalist, specialist and advanced practice levels. The National Council has developed and refined
definitions and core concepts for clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife
practitioner roles. These have been developed with reference to best international evidence both
from the literature and networking with international agencies that have also been engaged in
specialist and advanced practice role development. Patient safety and patient-centredness have
been key drivers for the National Council in creating processes for retaining experts in clinical
practice. The philosophy and approach of the National Council has been to empower individual
nurses and midwives through masterclasses/seminars, conferences and professional guidance, to
participate in developing new ways of providing patient care in their own areas of clinical practice
of expertise.
The National Council’s mission statement clearly influenced the way in which the organisation
has carried out its statutory roles and functions, decided upon its strategic goals and developed
the policies necessary to achieve these goals. Many changes have taken place in Ireland and in
Irish society since that mission statement was devised, not only in relation of nursing, midwifery
and healthcare, but also in relation to the ways in which public and private sector agencies and
organisations perform their roles and functions.
over time, the work of the National Council was distilled into five interconnected core activities:
the clinical career pathway; providing guidance for and facilitating the practice environment
and healthcare services; supporting continuing professional development; supporting the use
of evidence in practice; and communication with and dissemination of information among the
nursing and midwifery professions. Each of these core activities was supplemented by numerous
interdependent ancillary activities.
15
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
The level and nature of the National Council’s channels of communication with the professions
have set new standards for nurses and midwives in Ireland. In terms of face-to-face contact, the
annual national conference, the regional meetings and seminars have brought together nurses and
midwives of all grades and from different settings as contributors and participants, allowing for
sharing and cross-fertilisation of ideas and practice development. At the same time, the National
Council has become adept at using electronic information systems and information technology to
ensure as wide a dissemination of its document and resources as possible, through its website and
through electronic networking.
The National Council has served as a unique link between policy makers, health service providers
and academic institutions. It has worked to address the professional development needs of nurses
and midwives in their work to meet the needs of patients and clients of the health services. This
position has proven to be an essential element of the added value the National Council has brought
as an organisation to the task of improving health.
CLiNiCAL CAREER PATHWAy
It is the mission of the National Council to ensure that nurses and midwives can avail of
comprehensive professional development support appropriate to their own individual clinical
career pathways. The clinical career pathway is designed to ensure that nurses and midwives
working within different types of care settings and with different levels of clinical autonomy
can fulfil their professional roles. This ultimately ensures that patients are cared for by nurses
and midwives with the skills and competencies to deliver a modern integrated health service.
The clinical pathway includes staff nurses/staff midwives, clinical nurse/midwife specialists and
advanced nurse/midwife practitioners.
In the twelve years since the establishment of the National Council, major advances in the
professional development activities of nurses and midwives have been made. A clinical career
pathway is now well embedded in the system and large numbers of nurses and midwives have
benefited from focused continuing education funding. These advances have been demonstrated by
the speed at which the professions have embraced the challenges of the Health service Executive’s
(HsE’s) transformation programme and gained clinical credibility. Through the robust processes
and frameworks developed by the National Council, Ireland is now well placed to contribute to and
influence the international debate on specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery practice. This
will ensure that patients receive care from appropriately skilled nurses and midwives, whether
working at generalist, specialist or advanced practice level.
CONTRibuTiNG TO THE HEALTH SERviCE ExECuTivE’S TRANSFORMATiON PROGRAMME
In recent years, many developments have occurred in Ireland’s health services and within the wider
societal context, most notably the establishment of the HsE and the changing function of the Department
of Health and Children. The HsE’s transformation programme and changing population epidemiology
and demography have played a major role in directing how services will change to better meet the
needs of the population into the future. These are ongoing challenges for all health service providers
16
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
in planning and delivering services. The leadership, support and guidance provided by the National
Council through continuing education funding has been targeted to facilitate nurses and midwives to
meet these challenges in a structured and planned manner to maximise impact on patient pathways.
This approach has been in the interests of safe, effective and high-quality patient care.
The development of enhanced nursing and midwifery posts at generalist, specialist and advanced
practice levels has contribution to the implementation of the HsE’s transformation programme.
The processes that services have engaged in to develop these posts, which have been determined
by the National Council, have ensured that posts have been developed in line with patient and
service need and are appropriately integrated into the service to ensure positive patient outcomes
and maximum efficiency.
FuLFiLLiNG THE viSiON
In 2003, the National Council published its vision in the document Agenda for the Future Professional
Development of Nursing and Midwifery. This report benchmarked the status of the professions of
nursing and midwifery at that time and set the agenda for direction and action for the strategic
development of career pathways for the future. The Agenda provided a vision and guided the
National Council as it led the way on many important projects facilitating the development of the
clinical career pathway. The National Council’s commitment to continuing education, and working
closely with the professions, the multidisciplinary team and the services have made much, if not of
all the vision, come to become a reality.
Enhanced nursing and midwifery roles, nurse-/midwife-led services and caseload management
now seem a natural progression for the professions of nursing and midwifery. The National Council
has supported nursing and midwifery developments in important issues relevant to population
health, value for money, continuing professional development, advances in nursing and midwifery
practice and contributions to policy and legislative developments. All of these developments have
occurred in the context of an environment of patient safety and clinical governance.
The challenges outlined in the Agenda report related to the need for nurses and midwives to
embrace new methods of care delivery, engage in continuing professional development, access
education for practice and participate in nursing/midwifery research. Major progress has been
made in these areas. In particular, significant achievements have been made in the development of
advanced nurse practitioner posts in mental health, primary care, care of older persons, intellectual
disability, and public health nursing (community nursing). Development of new posts and criteria
for clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners across the
disciplines has been facilitated by the focused application of resources and dedicated professional
development expertise offered by the National Council executive.
The National Council published its Report on the Continuing Professional Development of Staff
Nurses and Staff Midwives in 2004. It outlined the possibilities for nurses and midwives to expand
their role and scope of practice within their chosen area of work and within their own discipline.
Maintaining a live record of professional development, achievement of competence and skills
17
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
acquisition is supported by the development of a paper and web-based publication, The National
Council’s Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives, first published in 2003
(and in new editions in 2006 and 2009), has been widely used by the professions and has formed the
basis for supporting the career pathway of many nurses and midwives and those wishing to pursue
clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles.
buiLDiNG CAPACiTy AND SuSTAiNiNG DEvELOPMENT
Continuing professional development emerged as the predominant issue in the National
Council’s Report on the Continuing Professional Development of Staff Nurses and Staff Midwives,
published in 2004. Continuing professional development assists the nursing and midwifery
professions to close the theory/practice gap and apply knowledge, as well as gain and maintain
competence and evidence to meet the challenges of future health services requirements.
Continuing professional development is a lifelong process, which includes both structured and
informal activities that may include formal education programmes, participation in journal clubs,
case-conferencing, clinical supervision, learning sets, preceptorship, mentorship, workshops,
distance learning programmes and reflection on practice. It encompasses processes, activities
and experiences that contribute towards the development of a nurse or midwife, both personally
and professionally. Continuing professional development is essential for nurses and midwives in
order to support them to deliver high quality care which promotes patient safety and maintains
engagement in clinical audit. It is essential to support competency development and competency
maintenance.
since the publication of the Report of the Commission on Nursing in 1998, there has been
considerable progress in providing continuing professional development for nurses and midwives
in Ireland. The National Council has generated a culture of continuing professional development
where skills acquisition and knowledge transfer are common features of the professions of nursing
and midwifery. The conduit for this knowledge generation is the relationship that has developed
between a strategic, dedicated agency and engaged, willing and motivated professions. Through
its publications, guidance and targeted funding, the National Council has been contributing to
knowledge development, translation, exchange, mobilisation and expertise.
RESEARCH AND EviDENCE iNTO PRACTiCE
The National Council’s commitment to research facilitation and its contribution towards the
nursing and midwifery research agenda have had two major components. The first relates to
research funding and the policy agenda. The second involves being an information conduit – getting
research into practice, and facilitating the development of a culture of evidence-based nursing
and midwifery practice. The joint appointment in 2002 of a research development officer/nursing
research advisor at the National Council and Health Research Board has provided a cohesive
approach to developing each strand of the National Council’s research agenda.
The National Council has played a major role in progressing the aims and objectives of the research
agenda and, through its various activities, has significantly built research capacity for nursing and
18
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
midwifery. The approach has been to maximise research activities through partnership working
and stakeholder involvement. The recommendations of the Department of Health and Children’s
Research Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland have been achieved. This has been essential
to ensuring that nurses and midwives engage meaningfully with research in order to deliver
evidence-based practice.
NATiONAL COuNCiL PubLiCATiONS
The National Council’s publications represent a decade of innovation, development and achievement.
In 2010, the National Council published its Review of Achievements, 1999–2010. Publications –
Leadership, Guidance and Evidence for Best Practice. over the past decade, the National Council
has produced well over fifty different publications (excluding the NCNM Review and annual reports)
and availed of different formats and forums to ensure that they were disseminated among those
who would find them most useful. The annual national conference has facilitated the distribution
of National Council publications among front-line nurses and midwives, while the dynamic and
expansive website (www.ncnm.ie) has become a powerful means of sharing resources.
The numerous research reports by the National Council, its position papers, discussion papers,
resource packs, framework documents and handbooks have been distributed, acted upon and cited
in Ireland and abroad. They are the sum of many parts: the interests and needs of nurses and
midwives working in all grades and sectors, evidence for practice and healthcare policy, to name
but a few. They reflect the changes that have taken place in Ireland and their impact on the health
system as a whole and on nurses and midwives in particular.
A SOLiD FOuNDATiON FOR THE FuTuRE
This review identifies the work of the National Council over the period 1999–2010. It chronicles
the successes and achievements that have built a solid foundation for sustainable nursing and
midwifery developments into the future. This has occurred in a time of major change within the
Irish health system and the increasing need to maximise resources in order to demonstrate value
for money. The rate at which the National Council has driven, led and facilitated developments in
nursing and midwifery has had major influences on the healthcare agenda in Ireland and abroad. It
has consistently carried out its statutory functions and ancillary tasks in keeping with the principles
of good governance and value for money.
The philosophy and approach of the National Council has been to empower individual nurses
and midwives and services through masterclasses, conferences and professional guidance to
participate in developing new ways of providing patient care in their own area of expertise. Crucial
to the National Council’s success has been working in partnership with service organisations.
Much of that work has been developmental, involving the building of capacity with services so
that change is continuous and sustained. National Council activities have been undertaken in close
19
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
co-operation and collaboration with nurses and midwives working at local, regional and national
levels, both in the healthcare and education sectors, and with key health-related agencies. The
National Council has added value by providing and facilitating leadership in the development of
the professions of nursing and midwifery in a manner that responds to service need and is patient/
client-centred. Its work has been evidence-based and driven by a quality agenda.
The healthcare system as a whole has benefited from the capacity for implementing policy,
integrating evidence into practice and providing transformational leadership that has been built
within the nursing and midwifery workforce with the support of the National Council. ultimately
and most importantly, patients and health service users have been the main beneficiaries.
A full account of the National Council’s achievements is provided in Review of Achievements,
1999–2009 and Review of Achievements, 1999–2010: Publications – Leadership, Guidance
and Evidence for Best Practice, both of which are available on the National Council’s website
(www.ncnm.ie).
Activities & Achievements of the National Council, 1999-2010
Much has been already written elsewhere in this document about the activities and achievements of the National Council in the period 1999–2010. A substantial body of work has been completed in that time and the National Council is proud of its record and the legacy it has bequeathed to nurses and midwives in Ireland. The following timeline shows the chronology of the activities undertaken by the National Council under the headings of its five core areas of work.
Publication of the ` Report of the Commission on Nursing
National Council members `develop original mission statement and commence recruitment of executive staff
National Council members `develop definition and core concepts for CNss/CMss and ANPs/AMPs; outline immediate, intermediate and future pathways for CNss/CMss
Immediate pathway `commences
Agreement between `National Council and An Bord Altranais to commence review of prescribing and administration of medicinal products by nurses and midwives
sI No 376 of 1999 establishes `the National Council and assigns five statutory functions
First cohort of National `Council Members appointed for 5-year term
First cohort of executive staff take up `posts
First editions of frameworks for CNs/ `CMs and ANP/AMP posts published
Immediate clinical career pathway `closes and intermediate pathway commences
Databases of CNs/CMs and ANP/AMP `posts developed
1,111 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Aid to developing CNs/CMs job `descriptions and profiles published
First ANP post approved `
Terms of reference, project plan `and budget agreed; project team appointed
Frameworks for clinical specialists and `advanced practitioners require post-holders to demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development
Criteria and processes for allocating `funding developed and published
Funding of programmes commences `
Work begins on a web-based directory `of courses relevant to nurses and midwives
Frameworks for clinical specialists `and advanced practitioners require post-holders to have research and audit skills
National Council invites specialist `groups to set up their own sites to be hosted on www.ncnm.ie
The Development of Nursing and `Midwifery in Ireland – Building on the Blueprint (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations)
CoRe ACtivitiesClinical Career pathway:
Clinical nurse/midwife specialists
Advanced nurse/midwife practitioners
practice environment and facilitating services: Nurse and midwife prescribing
Continuing professional Development: Continuing education funding
supporting evidence for practice:
Communication and Dissemination: National Council’s newsletter | Collaboration with national, regional and other agencies |
National Council’s website | National conference
1998 1999 2000 2001
A DeCADe of pRogRessC
ON
TE
XT
Clin
iCa
l Ca
reer
Pat
hw
ayPr
aCt
iCe
envi
ron
men
t a
nd
Fa
Cili
tati
ng
Ser
viCe
SCo
nti
nu
ing
Pro
FeSS
ion
al
dev
elo
Pmen
tSu
PPo
rtin
g e
vid
enCe
Fo
r Pr
aCt
iCe
Com
mu
niC
atio
n a
nd
d
iSSe
min
atio
n
An Chomhairle Náisiúnta d’Fhorbairt Ghairmiúil an Altranais agus an Chnáimhseachais
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
Development of guidelines for courses `aimed at preparing nurses and midwives for clinical specialist and advanced practitioner roles
1,418 CNs/CMs posts approved `
3 ANP posts approved; 4 ANPs accredited `
Criteria for selection of pilot sites, `collaborative prescribing and education programme agreed by steering committee; sub-committee established to revise guidance on administration of medical preparations and to develop a nurse/midwife prescribing education programme; medication management seminars delivered
Web-based courses database is launched; `guidance leaflet published
First masterclass held `
National Council appoints research `development officer with key role in implementation of national nursing/midwifery research strategy
Consultation begins for a discussion `document on future developments in nursing and midwifery
Building on the Health Strategy: Challenges `for Nurses and Midwives (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations)
second cohort of National Council members `appointed for 5-year term; sI 800 of 2004 published
National Council commences `implementation of 3-year strategic plan (2004-2006)
second edition of CNs/CMs framework `published, incorporating job description aid, application forms and more detail on core concepts and associated competencies
1,609 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Report on evaluation of effectiveness of `clinical specialists published
second edition of ANP/AMP framework `published, incorporating more explicit guidance and templates for applications
11 ANP posts approved; 6 ANPs accredited `
Project extended by 6 months; needs `assessment of nurse and midwife prescribing conducted; preparation of final report commenced
Report on the Continuing Professional `Development of Staff Nurses and Staff Midwives published
RDo continues implementation of research `strategy
Consultation begins for a discussion `document on future developments in public health nursing
Nurses and Midwives: Proactive in `Professional Development to Support Change (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations; separate research poster competition held)
Protocol developed for obtaining `information about CNs/CMs and ANP/AMP posts for research purposes
1,510 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Evaluation of CNs/CMs posts commences `
2 ANP posts approved; 2 ANPs accredited `
Pilot sites selected; criteria for collaborative `prescribing and selection of education programme agreed; 6-month education programme delivered
Agenda for the Future Professional `Development of Nursing and Midwifery published
Guidelines for Portfolio Development for `Nurses and Midwives published in paper and electronic formats
Continuing education funding application `forms are revised; applicants requested to outline sustainability of programmes
RDo begins implementation of nursing/ `midwifery research strategy
Achieving Strategic Outcomes: The `Interdisciplinary Challenge (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations)
2002–2009 Continued processing of applications under the intermediate pathway
2002 2003 2004
2002–2010 CNs/CMs and ANP/AMP statistics published monthly on website
2001–2010 Executive staff make presentations to services, specialist groups and course participants
2001-2010 Funding allocated to continuing education programmes
2003–2005 Research in progress into nursing and midwifery research activity in Ireland
2001–2010 National Council newsletter distributed to all registered nurses and midwives and to other stake-holders
2001–2010 Website develops2002–2010 Networking with nurses working in intellectual disability services develops
2000-2005 Review of Nurses and Midwives in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicinal Products
strategic plan (2004-2006) `
1,846 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Guidelines for ANP/AMP portfolios `developed
55 ANP posts approved; 37 ANPs accredited `
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced `Nurse Practitioner Roles in Intellectual Disability Nursing published
Work begins on the development of `an e-learning package on medication management
Improving the Patient Journey: `Understanding Integrated Care Pathways published
Guidelines for Portfolio Development for `Nurses and Midwives (2nd edn) published in paper and electronic formats
National Council commences Junior `Clinician scientist Award for Nursing and Midwifery through the Health Research Board
An Evaluation of the Extent of Measurement `of Nursing and Midwifery Interventions in Ireland published
Report on Baseline Survey of Research `Activity in Irish Nursing and Midwifery published
All-Ireland Practice and Quality Development `on-line database goes live
All-Ireland Practice and Quality Development `Database Guide published
Developing Services for Patients and Clients: `Nurses and Midwives Promoting Innovation and Change (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations)
National Council commences `implementation of 3-year strategic plan (2007-2009); functions organised under 5 new headings
Third edition of CNs/CMs framework `published, introducing change requirements for applicants and employers
1,947 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Third edition of ANP/AMP framework `published, incorporating more explicit guidance and templates for applications
92 ANP posts approved; 54 ANPs accredited `
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced `Nurse Practitioner Roles in Older Person Nursing published
Guide to Medication Management ` e-learning programme launched jointly with ABA and HsE; National Council prepares The Introduction of Nurse and Midwife Prescribing in Ireland: An Overview for DoHC, ABA and HsE; 50 nurses and midwives complete first Certificate in Nursing (Nurse/Midwife Prescribing)
Criteria and processes for the allocation of `additional funding for continuing education revised; 3 new types of grants introduced
National Council commences research into `the role of nurses and midwives in clinical research
Team-Working to Support Excellence in `Patient Care (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations and new Q&A session with expert panel)
strategic plan (2004-2006) `
1,726 CNs/CMs posts approved `
A Preliminary Evaluation of the Role of the `Advanced Nurse Practitioner published
31 ANP posts approved; 25 ANPs accredited `
“open days” commence providing advice, `guidance and networking for groups and individuals developing ANP/AMP posts
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced `Nurse Practitioner Roles in Emergency Departments published
Final report published on review of nurse `and midwife prescribing and administration of medicinal products; National Council and ABA agree to collaborate on implementing recommendations and develop a 3-year project plan
Service Needs Analysis for Clinical Nurse/ `Midwife Specialist and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Posts published
Further revision of continuing education `funding application forms takes place
Research conducted into joint appointments `
Nursing and Midwifery Research Priorities `for Ireland published
An Evaluation of the Extent and Nature of `Nurse-Led/Midwife-Led Services in Ireland published
Agenda for the Future Professional `Development of Public Health Nursing published
Research into nursing and midwifery `interventions in Ireland commences
The Development of Joint Appointments: A `Framework for Irish Nursing and Midwifery published
Innovation for the Health Services: Nurses `and Midwives Promoting Change (2-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations)
2001–2010 Executive staff and special facilitator provide assistance to nursing and midwifery development units in processing of CNs/CMs applications
2005 2006 2007
2002–2010 Continued development of CNs/CMs and ANP/AMP databases
2005-2010 ANP/AMP “open days” held
2001–2010 Assistance provided to nursing and midwifery development units in processing of continuing education funding applications
2002-2009 Continued development of web-based courses database
2002–2010 specialist group websites hosted by National Council
2004–2007 National Council negotiates 4 train-the-trainer programmes in finding and appraising evidence; delivery facilitated by NMPDus
2001–2010 Regional meetings held in health board/HsE areas in collaboration with nursing and midwifery planning and development units
2003–2010 National Council develops links with newly established centres of nurse/midwife education
2007–2010 New continuing education funding grant supports facilitators to prepare ANP/AMP posts
24
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
CO
NT
EX
TClin
iCal Ca
reer Pathw
ayPra
CtiCe enviro
nm
ent a
nd
Fa
Cilitating
ServiCeSCo
ntin
uin
g Pro
FeSSion
al
develo
Pmen
tSu
PPortin
g evid
enCe
For Pra
CtiCeCo
mm
un
iCation
an
d
diSSem
inatio
n
Third cohort of National Council members `appointed
strategic plan (2007-2009) `
2,069 CNs/CMs posts approved by 28th Feb, `67 posts met standards and criteria
137 ANP/AMP posts approved/met standards `and criteria; 87 ANPs/AMPs accredited/met standards and criteria
Service Needs Analysis: Informing Business `and Service Plans published
Guidelines for Portfolio Development for `Nurses and Midwives (3rd edn) published in paper and electronic formats
Final update of courses database `
Irish Nursing and Midwifery Research `Database launched on National Council website
sCAPE Project continues; interim report `completed
Guidance on the Adaptation of Clinical `Practice Guidelines: Getting Evidence into Practice published
Report on the attainments of the Research `Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland (2003-2008) prepared for DoHC
Research commences into identifying and `determining clinical competencies required to meet service need and match patient activity
Guide to the NCNM Online Research `Database published
New section ` (Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution) developed for nurses and midwives interested in interventions and outcomes measurement
Clinical Excellence: Safety, Quality and `Evidence (I-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations and Q&A session with expert panel; conference streamed live)
strategic plan (2007-2009) `
Fourth edition of CNs/CMs framework `published, signalling commencement of “future” clinical career pathway in 2010
2,032 CNs/CMs posts approved `
Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Role `Resource Pack published in paper and CD-RoM with HsE
Fourth edition of ANP/AMP framework `published; details relating to accreditation and re-accreditation of ANPs/AMPs published separately
120 ANP posts approved; 69 ANPs/AMPs `accredited
Enhanced Nursing Practice in Emergency `Departments and Profiles of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland published
National Council facilitates information `sessions on project; Final Report of the Implementation of the Review of Nurses and Midwives in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicinal Products published
Discussion paper on clinical supervision `published
Position paper on enhanced midwifery `practice published
Development of on-line research database `commenced
National Council commissions major 2-year `evaluation of CNs/CMs and ANP/AMP roles (sCAPE Project); terms of reference agreed
Report on the Role of the Nurse or Midwife in `Medical-Led Clinical Research published
Integrated Health Services/Systems `Supporting Patient Care Pathways (I-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations and Q&A session with expert panel; live streaming of conference initiated)
sI 3 of 2010 published `
“Future” clinical career pathway `commences
2,249 CNs/CMs posts approved or `met standards and criteria
154 ANP/AMP posts approved/met `standards and criteria; 95 ANPs/AMPs accredited/met standards and criteria
More profiles of CNss/CMss and `ANPs/AMPs published
Call made for Innovative Research `Development Initiative
Entry of submissions continues `
sCAPE Project completed; final `report approved
Discussion paper on clinical `outcomes published
Discussion paper on developing key `performance indicators for CNss/CMss and ANPs/AMPs approved for publication
Nurse and Midwife Clinical `Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning Toolkit approved for publication
Quality and Innovation: Achieving `Excellence in Clinical Care (I-day conference featuring oral and poster presentations; conference streamed live; lunchtime masterclasses included)
2008 2009 2010 2011
2003–2010 National Council hosts masterclasses/ seminars for specially targeted groups
2006-2010 Entry of submissions on All-Ireland Quality and Practice Development Database
2007–2010 Junior Clinician scientist Award for Nursing and Midwifery continues
2003–2010 Regular meetings held with heads of third-level schools of nursing and midwifery
2003–2010 National Council develops links with newly established centres of nurse/midwife education
2005-2008 Implementation of the Review of Nurses and Midwives in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicinal Products
2007–2010 New continuing education funding grant supports facilitators to prepare ANP/AMP posts
the Role and functions of the national Council
The National Council was established in November 1999 on foot of a statutory Instrument (No 376,
30 November 1999) from the Minister for Health and Children and entitled The National Council
for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (Establishment) Order, 1999. A further
statutory Instrument (sI) entitled The National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing
and Midwifery (Establishment) Order, 1999 (Amendment) Order, 2004 (sI No 800) was published in
November 2004.
As stated in the sI No 376 (section 4), the functions of the National Council are:
To monitor the on-going development of nursing and midwifery specialities, taking into account a .
changes in practice and service need;
To formulate guidelines for the assistance of health boards and other relevant bodies in the b .
creation of specialist nursing and midwifery posts;
To support additional developments in continuing nurse education by health boards and c .
voluntary organisations;
To assist health service providers by setting guidelines for the selection of nurses and midwives d .
who might apply for financial support in seeking opportunities to pursue further education;
To publish an annual report on its activities, including the disbursement of monies by the e .
Council.
These functions reflect five of those recommended by the Commission on Nursing (par 6.14).2
In January 2010, sI No 3 of 2010 (Health (An Bord Altranais) (Additional Functions) Order 2010)
effectively assigned additional functions to An Bord Altranais, namely the accreditation of advanced
nurse/midwife practitioner posts and the registration of advanced nurse/midwife practitioners.
Accordingly, all paper and electronic files held by the National Council in relation to advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner posts and post-holders were transferred to An Bord Altranais to facilitate the
implementation of the Nurses Rules signed by the Minister for Health and Children in June 2010.
The current core activities of the National Council can be categorised under the following
headings:
Clinical Career Pathway•
Practice Environment and Facilitating services•
Continuing Professional Development•
supporting Evidence for Practice•
Communication and Dissemination.•
2. Government of Ireland (1998). Report of the Commission on Nursing: A Blueprint for the Future. Dublin, stationery office.
27
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
health service Reform programme
While pursuing its own mission in 2010, the National Council simultaneously took direction from
the mission statement of the Department of Health and Children (DoHC) and from the goals of the
Health service Executive (HsE). The former’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of
people in Ireland in a manner that promotes better health for everyone, fair access, responsive and
appropriate care delivery, and high performance (Statement of Strategy, 2008–2010, May 2008).
The high-level objectives of the DoHC for 2008 to 2010 concerned policy and corporate support,
children and families, primary care, cancer control, acute hospitals, disability and mental health,
and care of older people.
The HsE’s National Service Plan for 2010 was concerned with translating the vision, mission and
objectives of its Corporate Plan, 2008–2011 into actions and deliverables, particularly in relation to
integration of services. The main drivers of the National Service Plan were population changes,
economic constraint, changing health technology, and consumer experience and expectations. The
planning principles of the Plan were delivering quality and safe sustainable services, reconfiguration
of core services, further development of clinicians’ roles, value of money, development of a flexible
workforce, and reduced expenditure.
Although impending change and economic constraint were the order of the day in 2010, the National
Council continued to encourage nurses and midwives to strive for excellence in service delivery
to patients and clients and to measure and demonstrate their contribution to this service delivery.
These themes and topics featured prominently in the work and publications of the National Council
throughout the year.
28
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
governance and Regulation Compliance
The National Council endeavours to achieve best practice in administrative and human resource
procedures. As a statutory body with independent and legal status the National Council is governed
in its work by legislative enactments and other requirements. These include:
The Ethics in Public Office Acts, 1995• and 2001
The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, 2001 • and 2009
The Standards in Public Office Act, 2001•
Framework for Corporate and Financial Governance for Regulatory Bodies under the Aegis of •
the Department of Health and Children (Department of Health and Children, 2006)
The Data Protection Acts, 1988• and 2003
The Prompt Payment of Accounts Act, 1997•
European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations, 2002• (sI No
388/2002)
European Communities (Energy End-Use Efficiency And Energy Services) Regulations, 2009 • (sI
No 542/2009).
The National Council has taken all actions necessary to ensure that it complies fully with its legal
and governance requirements.
board of the national Council
The Board of the National Council is required to hold no fewer than four meetings annually. The
Board met on six occasions in 2010. Attendance at those meetings is recorded in the table below.
Attendance at Meetings of the board of the National Council, 2010
Member Scheduled Attendance Attendance
Dr Laraine Joyce 6 3
Ms Valerie small 6 6
Ms Maura Nash 6 1
Mr Brendan Byrne 6 3
Ms Antoinette Doocey 6 2
Ms Aveen Murray 6 5
Mr Patrick Hume 6 3
Ms Jacqueline Burke 6 6
Ms Mary Brosnan 6 5
Mrs Anne Carrigy 6 1
Ms Marie Keane 6 5
Ms sheila o’Malley 6 4
Mr Tony Morris 6 2
Prof Pearl Treacy 6 2
Ms Bernie Quillinan 6 2
Dr siobhan o’Halloran 6 0
Ms Marie Tighe 6 5
Dr Gary Brown 6 4
Ms Maureen Kington 6 3
Dr Ailis Ní Riain 6 1
29
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Committees of the national Council
Throughout its life-span, the National Council has set up committees comprising Council members
with the expertise necessary to advise on various aspects of its operations. These committees and
their respective roles are listed below.
The Committees of the National Council
Title Role
Audit and Risk Management Committee Provides an independent assessment of the integrity of the financial controls in place to identify and manage any risks
Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Portfolio – standards and Criteria Committee3
Makes recommendations regarding the suitability or otherwise of candidates for advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts
Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Posts – standards and Criteria Committee3
Makes recommendations regarding the suitability or otherwise of advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts
Continuing Education Committee Makes recommendations regarding the suitability or otherwise of applications for continuing education grants
Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialist and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Committee
Deliberates on matters pertaining to the clinical career pathway
3. The two committees dealing with advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts and portfolios were disbanded following the signing of An Bord Altranais’s Nurses Rules, 2010 by the Minister for Health and Children in June 2010.
31
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Activities Report
This activities report is arranged with reference to the National Council’s core activities, namely:
Clinical Career Pathway•
Practice Environment and Facilitating services•
Continuing Professional Development•
supporting Evidence for Practice•
Communication and Dissemination•
32
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Clinical Career pathway
Clinical nurse/Midwife specialist posts
In accordance with its statutory function, the National Council continued to monitor clinical nurse/
midwife specialist posts at a national level in partnership with the eight nursing and midwifery
planning and development units. Figure 1 illustrates the growth of post numbers between 2001 and
2010. By 31st December 2010, 2,249 clinical nurse/midwife specialist posts had either been approved
or been deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for approval (see Tables
1 and 2).
Figure 1 . Growth of Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialist Posts (Approved and Deemed to Have Met the National Council’s standards and Criteria), June 2001 to 31st December 2010 (Immediate and Intermediate Pathways Combined)
PO
ST
S
2200
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
yEAR
1111
1400
1494
1606
1723
18301891
2032
2136
2249
33
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Table 1 . Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialist Posts Approved up to 28th February 2009
Health Service Executive Area
Practising Division of the Register
Children’s General intellectual Disability
Midwifery Psychiatry TOTAL
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (Dublin City, south of the Liffey, south Co Dublin, Kildare and Baltinglass)
66 228 27 16 63 400
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (Counties Laois, Longford, offaly and Westmeath)
- 60 3 2 29 94
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (south of Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, and Co Wicklow except Baltinglass)
- 46 1 - 37 84
Dublin & North-East (Counties Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan)
1 108 10 5 56 180
Dublin & North-East (Dublin City, North of the Liffey and Fingal)
32 139 22 16 78 287
south (Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary (south Riding), Waterford and Wexford)
- 113 2 2 45 162
south (Counties Cork and Kerry)
1 217 30 13 60 321
West (Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary (North Riding, including Thurles)
1 104 17 4 45 171
West (Counties Donegal, Leitrim and sligo)
5 92 10 3 48 158
West (Galway, Mayo and Roscommon)
1 111 10 4 68 194
TOTAL 107 1218 132 65 529 2051
34
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Table 2 . Clinical Nurse/Midwife specialist Posts Deemed to Have Met the National Council’s standards and Criteria (28 February 2009 to 31 December 2010)
Health Service Executive Area
Practising Division of the Register
Children’s General intellectual Disability
Midwifery Psychiatry TOTAL
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (Dublin City, south of the Liffey, south Co Dublin, Kildare and Baltinglass)
8 33 - 2 9 52
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (Counties Laois, Longford, offaly and Westmeath)
- 6 - - 12 18
Dublin & Mid-Leinster (south of Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, and Co Wicklow except Baltinglass)
1 3 - - - 4
Dublin & North-East (Counties Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan)
- 15 6 2 2 25
Dublin & North-East (Dublin City, North of the Liffey and Fingal)
3 24 1 4 11 43
south (Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary (south Riding), Waterford and Wexford)
- 3 - - 1 4
south (Counties Cork and Kerry) 1 17 1 - 3 22
West (Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary (North Riding, including Thurles)
- 9 - - - 9
West (Counties Donegal, Leitrim and sligo)
- 4 - - - 4
West (Galway, Mayo and Roscommon)
- 14 - 2 1 17
TOTAL 13 128 8 10 39 198
since 2001 the criteria for clinical nurse/midwife post-holders have included the requirement for
the person to be educated to higher diploma level or above (i.e., level 8 or above on the National
Qualifications Authority of Ireland’s (NQAI) National Framework of Qualifications) or to undertake
a contractual agreement to obtain a relevant higher diploma within three years of taking up the
post. Published in November 2008, the fourth edition of the Framework for the Establishment of
Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts signalled the requirement for applicants for clinical nurse/
midwife specialist posts to have obtained a post-registration NQAI level-8 (or higher) (major award)
qualification. Implementation of this requirement commenced on 1st september 2010, from which
date post applicants were required to have attained the stated level of qualification.
35
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Advanced nurse/Midwife practitioner posts
ADvANCED NuRSE/MiDWiFE PRACTiTiONER POSTS AND POST-HOLDERS
At the end of 2010, 154 advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts either had been approved or had
been deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for approval since 2000; in the
same period ninety-five advanced nurse/midwife practitioners either were accredited or were deemed
to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation.
seventeen advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts were deemed to have met the National Council’s
standards and criteria for approval of these posts in 2010; and sixteen applicants were deemed to have
met the standards and criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation (see Table 3).
Table 3 . Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Post Job Descriptions and site Preparation Deemed to Have Met the National Council’s standards and Criteria for Post Approval in 2010
Title of Post(s) Location of Post(s)Number of Posts
Dementia Care Clare Mental Health services, Gort Rd, Ennis, Co Clare 1
Emergency Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis, Co Clare 1
Emergency Wexford General Hospital 3
Emergency Waterford Regional Hospital 2
Emergency Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis, Co Clare 2
Emergency Mid Western Regional General Hospital, Limerick 2
Forensic Mental Health Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14 1
Heart Failure Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 1
ophthalmology Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Adelaide Rd, Dublin 2 1
Recovery and Rehabilitation in Mental Health Care
Limerick Mental Health services, st Joseph’s Hospital, Limerick
1
Recovery and Rehabilitation in Psychosis East Galway Mental Health services, Ballinasloe, Co Galway 1
Rehabilitation of the older Person st Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork 1
TOTAL 17
TRANSFER OF ADvANCED NuRSE/MiDWiFE PRACTiTiONER FiLES
In January 2010, the statutory Instrument (sI) No 3 of 2010 (Health (An Bord Altranais) (Additional
Functions) Order 2010) effectively assigned additional functions to An Bord Altranais, namely the
accreditation of advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts and the registration of advanced nurse/
midwife practitioners. Accordingly, all paper and electronic files held by the National Council in
relation to advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts and post-holders were transferred to An
Bord Altranais in line with section 2A (1)(c)(ii) and section 2B (1)(b)(vi)(11) of the Data Protection
Acts of 1988 and 2003. As of 31st August An Bord Altranais became the data controller in relation
to these files. All advanced nurse/midwife practitioners, advanced nurse/midwife practitioner
candidates and directors of nursing and midwifery were informed of the file transfer. All advanced
36
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
nurse/midwife practitioner post and post-holder applications are now accepted and processed by
An Bord Altranais. The National Council has continued to provide support and expert advice to
services and individuals on the development of advanced practice roles.
DEvELOPMENT OF ADvANCED NuRSE/MiDWiFE PRACTiTiONER POSTS
Continuing education grants for the development of advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles
continued to be awarded in 2009 (see Practice Environment and Facilitating Services, Continuing
Professional Development and Appendix 3).
In the first half of 2010 the National Council executive continued to run open days, which afforded
service managers, potential advanced nurse/midwife practitioners and project officers with
opportunities to obtain an in-depth understanding of the advanced nurse/midwife practitioner
post application process and to meet and network with others involved in similar pursuits. Those
attending met the National Council executive staff and received feedback and advice on developing
advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles in their respective services throughout the year.
Three open days were offered in 2010, bringing the total number to sixty-one since their
introduction in 2004, with a cumulative attendance of over 440 nurses and midwives from over 100
areas. Feedback from participants continued to be very positive, with most stating that they had
acquired a clearer understanding of the process and had benefited from meeting others involved
in developing advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles. These open days were augmented by
master-classes and seminars (see Continuing Professional Development and Communication and
Contact) which provided an opportunity for nurses and midwives at all levels to hear and interact
with advanced nurse/midwife practitioners, advanced nurse/midwife practitioner candidates and
project officers who have developed advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts.
37
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
evaluation of Clinical nurse/Midwife specialists and Advanced nurse/Midwife practitioners
The establishment of the clinical career pathway is a function vested in the National Council
(see The Role and Functions of the National Council). since its introduction in 2001, the National
Council has developed definitions, core concepts and competencies for the roles of clinical nurse/
midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner. It has approved clinical nurse/midwife
specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts, accredited advanced nurse/midwife
practitioners and maintained a national database of posts and post-holders. At the end of 2010,
2,249 clinical nurse/midwife specialist and 154 advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts had
been either approved or deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for
approval since 2000; in the same period ninety-five advanced nurse/midwife practitioners were
accredited or deemed to have met the National Council’s standards and criteria for accreditation
and re-accreditation.
The effectiveness of clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner
roles were evaluated on a preliminary basis in 2004 and 2005 respectively, but in light of subsequent
developments that have taken place within the health service it was considered timely to conduct
further research into the development of clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner roles and the outcomes associated with these roles. In December 2008 the
National Council awarded a tender to a team comprising researchers from the schools of Nursing
and Midwifery at Trinity College, Dublin and the National university of Ireland, Galway. Their task
was to conduct a focused evaluation of clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner roles in Ireland with reference to the following terms:
To review the literature on the evaluation of healthcare interventions with specific reference to •
the study aim;
To undertake original data collection which will evaluate the clinical outcomes, service delivery •
(i.e., the service process) and economic implications of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist
and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner;
To compare a number of sites which have clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/•
midwife practitioner services with those that do not have such services;
To develop, as part of the deliverables, a validated tool which can be used in future studies to •
determine outcomes for clinical services of clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced
nurse/midwife practitioners; and
To provide interim and final reports. •
An interim report presented to a meeting of the National Council in November 2009 provided
information on the progress of the evaluation of effectiveness of clinical nurse/midwife and
advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles (the sCAPE Project). The literature review and concept
analysis had been completed and the identification of clinical outcomes was progressing by means
of focus groups, individual interviews with stake-holders and a Delphi survey with clinical nurse/
midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners. The case study commenced on 23rd
38
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
November at the agreed clinical sites and comprised the collection of original data from which
the clinical outcomes and economic implications of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist and the
advanced nurse/midwife practitioner would be evaluated. A number of sites with clinical nurse/
midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner services were compared with those
that did not have such services. The research methods included observation at clinical sites,
documentary analysis, interviews with service users and/or family members and carers, interviews
with key stake-holders, a survey of service users and an economic evaluation.
The final report on the sCAPE Project (An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and
Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland, Begley et al, 2010) was approved by the National
Council on 6th December 2010. The study demonstrated that care provided by clinical nurse/midwife
specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners had improved outcomes for patients, as well
as being safe and cost-neutral. The sCAPE Project has also demonstrated the potential that exists
within clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners to support
the implementation of health policy, meet the changing health needs of the population, address
patients’ needs and contribute to service reconfiguration. In their own professional spheres, they
have displayed the nursing and midwifery leadership capacity required for the introduction of
care models and care programmes within the Health service Executive and, potentially, within
other health services. This leadership has translated to more everyday and commonplace
steps, such as using and disseminating evidence-based clinical guidelines that support a safe
environment for patients. Tables 4 and 5 show the main findings of the evaluation in relation to
clinical nurse/midwife specialists’ and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners’ roles respectively.
39
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Table 4 . The Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Roles: Main Findings from the SCAPE Project4
The clinical nurse/midwife specialist’s caseload involves working with the multidisciplinary team
to provide specialised assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care utilising protocol-
driven guidelines. The clinical nurse/midwife specialist’s role maximises the team’s impact on
patient outcomes. Care and caseload management are delivered in line with the core concepts
of their role: clinical focus, patient/client advocacy, education and training, audit and research,
and consultancy.
Clinical care is a significant component of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist’s role here in
Ireland. This differs in other countries, particularly in the usA, where it has been shown that
such specialists have limited contact with patients/clients.
Evidence from the sCAPE project demonstrated that clinical nurse/midwife specialists:
Reduced morbidity•
Decreased waiting times•
Facilitated earlier access to care•
Decreased re-admission rates•
Increased evidence-based practice•
Increased the use of clinical guidelines by the multidisciplinary team•
Increased continuity of care•
Increased patient/client satisfaction•
Increased communication with patients/clients and families•
Promoted self-management among patients/clients•
Worked to expand and develop practice (many clinical nurse/midwife specialists were •
working towards advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles)
Had significant multidisciplinary team support for their roles•
Provided clinical leadership •
Conducted clinical audit (53% conducted research).•
overall, there were no additional costs for clinical nurse/midwife specialist services (staff costs
and activity levels for clinical nurse/midwife specialist and non-clinical nurse/midwife specialist
services were matched. Clinical nurse/midwife specialist services had decreased costs for
colposcopy and challenging behaviour).
4. Further details can be found in the final report on the sCAPE Project (An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland, Begley et al, December 2010).
40
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Table 5 . The Evaluation of Advanced Nurse Practitioners’ Roles5: Main Findings from the SCAPE Project (Strong and very Strong Evidence)6
The advanced nurse practitioner’s caseload involves holistic assessment, diagnosis, autonomous
decision-making regarding treatment, provision of interventions and discharge from a full
episode of care. Care delivery and caseload management are provided by advanced nurse
practitioners in line with the core concepts of their role: autonomy in clinical practice, expert
practice, professional and clinical leadership, and research.
The required educational level of advanced nurse practitioners in Ireland is consistent with
international standards.
Evidence from the sCAPE project demonstrated that advanced nurse practitioners:
Reduced morbidity•
Decreased waiting times•
Provided earlier access to care•
Decreased re-admission rates•
Increased patient/client throughput•
Increased evidence-based practice•
Increased the use of clinical guidelines by the multidisciplinary team•
Developed guidelines for local, regional and national distribution •
Increased continuity of care•
Increased patient satisfaction•
Increased communication with patients/clients and families•
Promoted self-management among patients/clients•
Worked to expand and develop scope of practice to include more complex care provision•
Had high levels of job satisfaction•
Had significant support for their roles from the multidisciplinary team•
Provided clinical and professional leadership•
Conducted audit and research.•
overall, there were no additional costs for advanced nurse practitioners’ services (staff costs
and activity levels were matched for advanced nurse practitioner and non-advanced nurse
practitioner services. Advanced nurse practitioners’ services had decreased costs for emergency
department minor injuries and sexual health).
5. No advanced midwife practitioners were available for inclusion in the research.6. Further details can be found in the final report on the sCAPE Project (Begley et al, 2010).
41
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
The final report contains the following tools in an appendix that may be useful to clinical nurse/
midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners when evaluating their own
services:
Clinical nurse/midwife specialist evaluation toola .
Advanced nurse/midwife practitioner evaluation toolb .
Data required for economic evaluation of role(s)c .
Key tasks and behaviour score sheetd .
service users’ questionnaire for advanced midwife practitionerse .
service users’ questionnaire for advanced nurse practitionersf .
service users’ questionnaire for clinical midwife specialistsg .
service users’ questionnaire for clinical nurse specialists.h .
Additional questions for service users’ questionnaire to be used by advanced nurse practitioners
in endoscopy and colposcopy.
42
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
practice environment and facilitating services
new publications in 2010
The National Council produced eight new documents in 2010, some of which built on previously
published documents (see Appendix 1). The new documents are:
Profiles of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists in •
Ireland (February 2010)
Clinical Outcomes. Discussion Paper 2• (June 2010)
Review of Achievements, 1999–2010: Publications – Leadership, Guidance and Evidence for •
Best Practice (November 2010)
Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising •
Clinical Outcomes for Pre-Conceptual Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience
(November 2010)
Development and Evaluation of a Toolkit to Support Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency •
Determination and Competency Development Planning. Final Report (Higgins et al, November
2010a)
Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning •
Toolkit (Higgins et al, November 2010b)
Key Performance Indicators. Discussion Paper 3• (December 2010)
An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners •
in Ireland (Begley et al, December 2010).
These have either been distributed among all stake-holders and made available on the National
Council’s website or are being prepared for distribution in 2011. The publications are summarised
below.
In a separate development, a series of updates sheets Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery
Contribution were published on the National Council’s website relating to the nursing and
midwifery interventions project conducted between 2005 and 2006. A fourth update (Measuring
the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising Clinical Outcomes for
Pre-Conceptual Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience) was published in electronic
and paper formats in November 2010 and a fifth update will be published in January 2011.
PROFiLES OF ADvANCED NuRSE/MiDWiFE PRACTiTiONERS AND CLiNiCAL NuRSE/MiDWiFE
SPECiALiSTS iN iRELAND
The first Profiles of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists
was published in order to provide a showcase for and celebrate the work of advanced nurse/midwife
practitioners and clinical nurse/midwife specialists. This second document profiles the work and
services of another seventeen nurses and midwives working in specialist and advanced practice
roles, again highlighting the contribution they make to the enhanced quality of patient care and of
service delivery in Ireland. The introduction contextualises the need for the development of these
posts, with references to national policy on cancer services in particular.
43
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
CLiNiCAL OuTCOMES . DiSCuSSiON PAPER 2
In the four years since the publication of the research report and resource pack Measurement of
Nursing and Midwifery Interventions the National Council has built on the findings of that study and
has added to the resources and support available to nurses and midwives working in Ireland. The
term clinical outcomes has come to the fore in the literature and work pertaining to health service
reform and quality improvement during that time. The achievement of desirable clinical outcomes
has become an integral aim of healthcare provision and service delivery both in Ireland and abroad,
and this has implications for how different disciplines and grades of staff work together as members
of uni- or multi-disciplinary teams within and across healthcare settings. The purpose of this
discussion paper Clinical Outcomes is to provide an update on topics and issues relating to nursing
and midwifery interventions following the publication of the resource pack and to prompt discussion
about and reflection upon the complex environment in which nurses and midwives work today.
REviEW OF ACHiEvEMENTS, 1999–2010: PubLiCATiONS – LEADERSHiP, GuiDANCE AND
EviDENCE FOR bEST PRACTiCE
This review of over fifty publications by the National Council draws together the main strands of
ten years of service to nursing, midwifery and healthcare. Publications – Leadership, Guidance and
Evidence for Best Practice draws upon Review of Achievements, 1999–2009, which was produced
to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the National Council. A timeline provides an
overview of the activities of the National Council since it was set up and of the events that have
influenced these activities. It also sets the context in which the publications were written and produced.
The opening chapter covers the achievements of the National Council in the years 1999 to 2010.
Chapters 2 to 7 are themed in accordance with the National Council’s core activities (i.e., the clinical
career pathway, practice environment and facilitating services, supporting evidence for practice, and
continuing professional development) in order to provide an overview of the publications. A summary
and a chronological list of the National Council’s publications are also provided in the appendices.
MEASuRiNG THE NuRSiNG AND MiDWiFERy CONTRibuTiON (uPDATE 4): DEvELOPiNG AND
REviSiNG CLiNiCAL OuTCOMES FOR PRE-CONCEPTuAL CARE OF WOMEN WiTH DiAbETES:
A MiDWiFE’S ExPERiENCE
Following the publication of its guidance and resource pack Measurement of Nursing and Midwifery
Interventions in 2006, the National Council proceeded to develop a section on its website concerned
with promoting information and sharing resources about measuring and demonstrating the nursing
and midwifery contribution to patient care. Three updates on the original project were published
on the website in 2009 and a fourth was prepared in 2010 which incorporated elements from the
discussion paper Clinical Outcomes.
Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising Clinical
Outcomes for Pre-Conceptual Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience provides
an account of how a clinical midwife specialist at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital
developed interventions and associated outcomes for women with diabetes attending the midwife-
led pre-conceptual care clinic at the hospital. The midwife conducted a retrospective audit of the
44
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
pregnancies of 100 women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and established a baseline that could be
used for comparison purposes in the future. The update also illustrates how her interventions and
outcomes reflect the needs of her patients and the goals of the service provider.
DEvELOPMENT AND EvALuATiON OF A TOOLkiT TO SuPPORT NuRSE AND MiDWiFE CLiNiCAL
COMPETENCy DETERMiNATiON AND COMPETENCy DEvELOPMENT PLANNiNG . FiNAL REPORT
In 2009, the National Council commenced a study of nurses’ and midwives’ requirements for a toolkit
to be used by service managers, as well as nurses and midwives, when identifying and determining the
clinical competencies required to meet service need and match patient activity. The National Council
used an open tender process to select and recruit a research team to develop and test a prototype
toolkit. Working in partnership with a multi-agency clinical team and the National Council’s steering
committee, the team from the school of Nursing, Trinity College, Dublin was commissioned to test
the prototype toolkit for relevance, user-friendliness and currency with front-line clinical staff.
Development and Evaluation of a Toolkit to Support Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency
Determination and Competency Development Planning. Final Report (Higgins et al, 2010a) gives
an account of the literature review undertaken in preparation for the development and evaluation
of the toolkit and of the data collection and analysis. The report also outlines how the toolkit was
tested with participants at sixteen pilot sites using mixed methods (i.e., a questionnaire survey and
focus group interviews) and amended in accordance with many of their views.
NuRSE AND MiDWiFE CLiNiCAL COMPETENCy DETERMiNATiON AND COMPETENCy
DEvELOPMENT PLANNiNG TOOLkiT
Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning
Toolkit (Higgins et al, 2010b) was developed on the basis of research undertaken by a team
commissioned by the National Council (see above). The work undertaken in relation to the toolkit
and its subsequent publication was driven by the service quality agenda rather than the continuing
competency agenda. As such, the toolkit supports and assists services and individual nurses and
midwives by outlining the steps to be taken when identifying the competencies necessary for the
successful delivery of particular clinical services.
The final version of the toolkit contains guidance on how to:
Analyse and identify nursing and midwifery competencies based on service needs •
Profile the competencies of staff working within the service •
Write competencies and behavioural indicators for practice•
Link competencies to competence frameworks•
Develop and implement competence development plans at service, team and individual levels•
undertake assessments of competencies developed. •
The toolkit is also available in PDF format on a CD-RoM; the templates used in the document can
be found on the CD-RoM in Microsoft Word format.
45
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
kEy PERFORMANCE iNDiCATORS . DiSCuSSiON PAPER 3
Building on guidance provided in the National Council’s second discussion paper (Clinical Outcomes)
and on resources available from the Health Information and Quality Authority, the discussion paper
Key Performance Indicators was developed as a resource for clinical nurse/midwife specialists and
advanced nurse/midwife practitioners wishing to articulate and clarify their contribution to patient
care. The need for this specialised guidance emerged from the evaluation of clinical nurse/midwife
specialists’ and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners’ clinical outcomes (see the report on the
evaluation in Clinical Career Pathway and the synopsis of the report below). The discussion paper
highlights factors to be considered in the development of key performance indicators and provides
a framework that nurses and midwives might use for this development work.
AN EvALuATiON OF CLiNiCAL NuRSE/MiDWiFE SPECiALiSTS AND ADvANCED NuRSE/
MiDWiFE PRACTiTiONERS iN iRELAND
Following evaluations of the effectiveness of clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner roles in 2004 and 2005 respectively, the National Council commissioned a
team comprising researchers from the schools of Nursing and Midwifery at Trinity College, Dublin
and the National university of Ireland, Galway to conduct further research into the development of
clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles and the outcomes
associated with these roles. The study commenced in December 2008 and the final report, An
Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in
Ireland, was approved by the National Council on 6th December 2010.
The study demonstrated that care provided by clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced
nurse/midwife practitioners had improved outcomes for patients, as well as being safe and cost-
neutral. The sCAPE Project has also demonstrated the potential that exists within clinical nurse/
midwife specialists and advanced nurse/midwife practitioners to support the implementation
of health policy, meet the changing health needs of the population, address patients’ needs and
contribute to service reconfiguration. In their own professional spheres, they have displayed the
nursing and midwifery leadership capacity required for the introduction of care models and care
programmes within the Health service Executive and, potentially, within other health services.
This leadership has translated to more everyday and commonplace steps, such as using and
disseminating evidence-based clinical guidelines that support a safe environment for patients.
A more detailed report on this publication is provided in Clinical Career Pathway.
46
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
nursing and Midwifery planning and Development units
The National Council and the nursing and midwifery planning and development units (NMPDus)
work in partnership to support the strategic development of nursing and midwifery.
A series of professional development seminars/masterclasses were held in five regions in May
2010, at which updates were given on the work of the National Council and the NMPDus (see Box
1 below). The seminars were attended by directors of nursing, nursing practice development
co-ordinators, representatives of the third-level education institutions and centres of nurse and
midwife education, and by other senior nursing and midwifery personnel. Presentations given at
the seminars were made available on the National Council’s website.
box 1 . Regional Professional Development Seminars, May 2010
Date Location Seminar Theme and Speakers’ Details Number of Participants
20th May Kilkenny Lean Management in Healthcare Ms sharon Morrow Directorate Business Manager, st James’s Hospital, Dublin
55
21st May Cork Clinical Guideline Development Dr Georgina Gethin, Research Co-ordinator, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of surgeons in Ireland, Dublin
53
24th May Dublin The Productive Ward Ms Jan Ross, Productive Ward Lead, Royal Liverpool university Hospital Trust
45
25th May Ballinasloe The Productive Ward Ms Jan Ross, Productive Ward Lead, Royal Liverpool university Hospital Trust
65
26th May sligo Lean Management in Healthcare Ms sharon Morrow Directorate Business Manager, st James’s Hospital, Dublin
34
In 2010, the National Council held four meetings with the directors of the NMPDus. The agenda
involved development of generalist, specialist and advanced practice, research, continuing
education funding and project work.
The National Council’s NCNM Review continued to facilitate the NMPDus in raising awareness of
and providing updates on projects, continuing education opportunities and events, and nursing
and midwifery role development at a regional level.
47
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
working with the professions
Members of the National Council and its executive staff have initiated or have been involved in
several projects. As well as having made submissions to a number of organisations in relation to
specific initiatives, they have consulted or been consulted by various professional bodies. In 2010,
these included:
All-Ireland Co-operative oncology Research Group•
All-Ireland Gerontological Nurses’ Association•
An Bord Altranais•
An Garda síochána•
Centres of Nurse Education•
Community Mental Health Nurses’ Association•
Directors of the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development units•
Forum in Ireland for Nurses in Child and Adolescent Mental Health•
Haematology Association of Ireland (Nurses’ Group)•
Head and Neck Nurses’ Association (HANNA)•
Heads of schools of Nursing and/or Midwifery within the Third-Level Education sector•
Health Information and Quality Authority•
Health Research Board•
Health service Executive•
Institute of Community Health Nurses•
Intellectual Disability Network of Ireland•
Intellectual Disability services Nurse Managers’ Group•
Irish Apheresis Nurses’ Association•
Irish Association for oncology Nurses•
Irish Association of Activity Nurses and Carers•
Irish Association of Advanced Nurse and Midwife Practitioners•
Irish Association of Critical Care Nurses•
Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery•
Irish Association of Paediatric Nurses•
Irish Association of Palliative Care•
Irish Association of urology Nurses•
Irish Blood Transfusion service•
Irish Breast Care Nurses’ Association•
Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network•
Irish Hepatology Nurses’ Association•
Irish Hospice Foundation•
48
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Irish Lung Cancer Nurses’ Group•
Irish Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Association•
Irish Practice Nurses’ Association•
Irish Research Nurses’ Network•
Irish stoma Care and Colorectal Nurses’ Association•
Learning Disability and Health Network (uK and Ireland)•
Martha McMenamin scholarship Committee•
Mental Health Commission•
Mental Health Nurse Managers, Ireland•
National Cancer Control Programme•
National Federation of Voluntary Bodies Providing services to People with Intellectual •
Disability
National Network of Learning Disability Nurses (uK)•
National Network of Public Health Nurses/Nurses Working With Travellers•
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland•
Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery•
Nursing Policy Division, Department of Health and Children•
Nursing Practice Development Co-ordinators (Psychiatric group)•
Practice Development Co-ordinators for older People services•
Practice Nurse Facilitators•
Psychiatric Nurses’ Association•
Psychiatry of old Age Nurse Education/Development Group•
Resource and Implementation Group for Nurse Prescribing•
Respiratory Nurses Association of Ireland (ANAIL)•
Rheumatology Nurses’ Association•
service Industry, Professional and Technical union (sIPTu)•
strategy for Practice Development Group, Nursing Policy Division, Department of Health and •
Children.
The executive staff continued to advise individual nurses and midwives working in both the public
and private sectors, directors of nursing and/or midwifery, directors of the nursing and midwifery
planning and development units and other interested parties on issues such as National Council
processes and procedures, professional development, continuing education options, personal
career advice and development of professional roles.
49
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Continuing professional Development
Continuing education
The National Council continued to support innovation and development in practice by providing
and funding additional continuing education opportunities. In accordance with its policy the
National Council provided funding to three types of programmes: short continuing education
programmes (i.e., programmes that can be completed within twelve months); continuing education
programmes (i.e., programmes that may be of up to three years’ duration and pertain to specific
strategic developments); and grants for advanced nurse/midwife practitioner post development
(i.e., funding of a part-time facilitator to prepare a site and job description for an advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner post).
In 2010 the National Council allocated funding grants to 126 short continuing education
programmes and to the development of thirty-four advanced nurse/midwife practitioner posts.
All these programmes have provided nurses and midwives with the opportunity to maximise their
capabilities and skills in the health system, thereby facilitating new ways of working and enabling
nurses and midwives to deliver the range and quality of services required in the most efficient and
effective way to meet the needs of patient and service demands.
In a new initiative concerning innovative research development, awards were made to projects
supporting research development within clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner roles (see Supporting Evidence for Practice).
A brief description of all continuing education programmes for which funding was approved in 2010
is included in Appendices 2 and 3 to this annual report. The initiatives in receipt of the awards under
the Innovative Research Development Initiative are listed in Appendix 4.
working with education providers
The National Council consulted with the providers of nurse and midwife education located within
the healthcare services and the third-level education sector on topics of relevance and interest.
These included developments in the clinical career pathway (clinical nurse/midwife and advanced
nurse/midwife practitioner post developments) and projects such as the evaluation of clinical
nurse/midwife and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner roles (see Clinical Career Pathway) and
the development of an electronic portfolio (see below).
ELECTRONiC PORTFOLiO PROJECT
In 2009 the school of Nursing at the Royal College of surgeons in Ireland (RCsI) developed, piloted
and tested an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) relevant to its nursing and midwifery education
programmes and to be used by nurses and midwives undertaking those programmes. In the course
of this study a project steering group was established, comprising representation from the RCsI
and the National Council. The final report on the study (The Introduction of an E-Portfolio in Nursing
and Midwifery Education, RCsI, 2010) was submitted to the National Council in December 2010.
The first stage of the study involved establishing the appropriate content for an e-portfolio and
a configuration and structure suitable for nursing and midwifery education programmes. The
50
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
content and structure of the e-portfolio was based on the second edition of the National Council’s
Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives (2006), the relevant postgraduate
nurse/midwife education programme and that it already developed by the RCsI for use in the school
of Medicine. The second stage involved further technical development of the structure and design of
the e-portfolio to ensure that it would accommodate on-going data entry by students and electronic
correspondence between students and lecturers. A focus group discussion was held in February
2010, to explore participants’ perceptions of the e-portfolio. Following on from this discussion,
further data was collected by means of a questionnaire aimed at exploring participants’ previous
experience with portfolios and their views on what they learned from using the e-portfolio.
In general, participants expressed favourable opinions on the structure and use of the e-portfolio
and acknowledged the benefits that use of portfolios could bring to them in terms of their own
learning. Recommendations were made concerning the use of information and communications
technology by nursing and midwifery students and lecturers.
seminars
The National Council again hosted a programme of seminars on topics of interest to specific groups
of nurses and midwives in keeping with the current health service agenda. Where appropriate, live
streaming of some of the autumn seminars took place and these were then made available to view
on the National Council’s website.
speakers and topics in 2010 are enumerated below:
Mr Michael shannon, Area Director• of Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development, HsE
(Dublin and Mid-Leinster): Governance in Health Care: Challenges for Nurses and Midwives,
17th May, Dublin
Professor Philip Larkin, university College, Dublin and our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross:• End
of Life Care, 27th May, Dublin
Ms Allyson Kent, Deputy Head of Nursing and Clinical Lead (Payment by Results), Humber NHs •
Foundation Trust, Willerby: Introduction of Caseload Management: Dependency Scores and
Acute Needs Assessment in Learning Disability, 15th october, Dublin
Ms Anna Plunkett, Director of Programme Development, st John of God Community services •
Ltd, Dublin: Resource Allocation and the Supports Intensity Scale, 15th october, Dublin.
51
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
supporting evidence for practice
Research Development
Responsibility for research development remains within the remit of the Research Development
officer (RDo), who is a joint appointment with the Health Research Board (HRB). Also falling
within this remit is promotion and implementation of nursing and midwifery research policy;
dissemination of research; and building research capacity within nursing and midwifery nationally
and internationally through award schemes, networking and information sharing.
The RDo has contributed to the ongoing implementation of some of the recommendations of
the Department of Health and Children’s Research Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland
(Department of Health and Children, 2003). she has also prepared a review of the attainments
emanating from the research strategy, which was published by the Department in 2010 (Research
Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland 2003–2008. Review of Attainments, Department of
Health and Children, 2010). Examples of this continued implementation include the successful mid-term
review of the five-year nursing and midwifery research priorities programme that emerged from the
National Council’s study of nursing and midwifery research priorities (Nursing and Midwifery Research
Priorities for Ireland, National Council, 2005) and further development of a nursing and midwifery
research database. Established in 2009 in line with recommendation 3 of the strategy, over 100 abstracts
had been submitted to the on-line database by the end of 2010, eighty of which were available for
search purposes; the remaining abstracts were awaiting amendment. The database has been marketed
through the National Council’s usual channels and by e-mail approaches to researchers.
The National Council continued to support clinical nurse/midwife specialists and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioners to meet the research requirements of their respective roles. The National
Council had established a Junior Clinician Scientist for Nursing and Midwifery award through the
HRB in 2007. This annual award scheme allowed successful candidates to undertake a master’s
degree by research or a doctoral degree on a part-time basis. one award was completed in 2010
and another three awards were in progress. Employment moratoria prevented a new call in 2010,
so instead a call was made for an Innovative Research Development Initiative to support research
development within clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife roles. Five awards
were made with initiatives ranging from research roundtables, research master-classes, e-learning
programmes and research mentorship (see Appendix 4).
strategic alliances continued to be developed through national and international networking. For
example, the RDo continued to collaborate on all-Ireland initiatives such as the All-Ireland Practice
and Quality Development database and the Cancer Consortium Nurses Working Group. Based on
an evaluation of the latter’s clinical trials training for nurses, a new programme (Cancer Clinical
Trials Leadership and Management) was successfully initiated. Aimed at nurse managers of cancer
clinical trials nurses, five nurses attended the programme in 2010.
The RDo continued to profile research using the National Council’s existing communication
channels, namely the NCNM Review, the website, regional meetings, master-classes and the annual
national conference. she participated in meetings with key stake-holders, including the directors of
the nursing and midwifery development units and the directors of schools of nursing and midwifery
within the third-level education sector.
52
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Communication and Dissemination
tenth national Conference
on Wednesday 10th November Mary Harney, TD, Minister for Health and Children, opened the tenth
national conference of the National Council, entitled Quality and Innovation: Achieving Excellence in
Patient Care. The key-note address was given by Dr Barry White, National Director of HsE Clinical Care
and Quality. The main themes, topics and issues of the day were quality of services, quality of service
delivery, and patient safety. In order to make the conference content as widely available as possible, it
was “streamed” live and subsequently made available to view on the National Council’s website.
A total of 135 posters were displayed by nurses and midwives, showcasing excellence in practice,
education and research. Nine poster prizes were awarded.
website
The National Council’s website (www.ncnm.ie) was further enhanced and expanded in 2010. It
continued to be an important resource for nurses, midwives and other interested parties. Information
was provided on the National Council’s activities, and all its documents were available to download.
Latest statistics on, and developments in, clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/
midwife practitioner posts were provided. The events section contained up-to-date information on
national and international seminars and conferences.
The website received 50,985 visitors and 71,680 hits in 2010. From the time it went live in 2001
up until 31 December 2010, there have been 416,595 visitors to the National Council’s website
and 1,155,685 hits (i.e., the total number of times individual webpages were opened or individual
documents downloaded). About 88% of all traffic is from Ireland, 2% from the united Kingdom, 1%
from other European countries, 8% from New Zealand, and 1% from Australia.
MEASuRiNG THE NuRSiNG AND MiDWiFERy CONTRibuTiON
A new section of the website was developed as a resource-efficient means of building on the nursing
and midwifery interventions project conducted between 2005 and 2006 (Measurement of Nursing
and Midwifery Interventions: Guidance and Resource Pack, National Council, september 2006).
These webpages contain information about the original project, consultation work undertaken in
2007 and links to relevant resources. A fourth update sheet, entitled Measuring the Nursing and
Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising Clinical Outcomes for Pre-Conceptual
Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience, was added to the series already available
to download; a fifth update was in progress at the end of 2010. Any updates to the Measuring
the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution webpages are notified to the members of the electronic
network (e-network) established in 2009.
ALL-iRELAND PRACTiCE AND QuALiTy DEvELOPMENT DATAbASE
The National Council, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council
(NIPEC), continued to develop and manage the web-based All-Ireland Practice and Quality
Development Database, the purpose of which is to facilitate sharing of information about practice
53
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
and quality development initiatives by nurses and midwives in the health services. It was further
populated with submissions from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, bringing the total number
of projects on the database to 148.
SPECiALiST iNTEREST GROuPS
The National Council continued to host twenty-two specialist interest groups’ websites on its
website. A small number of these groups opted to develop independent websites during the year.
Websites hosted throughout the year were:
Clinical Placement Co-ordinators’ Association•
Colorectal Cancer Nurses’ Association•
Haematology Association of Ireland (Nurses’ Group)•
Head and Neck Nurses’ Association•
Irish Apheresis Nurses’ Association•
Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery•
Irish Association of Paediatric Nurses•
Irish Breast Care Nurses’ Association•
Irish Clinical Nurse Managers Association (ENTRusT)•
Irish Diabetes Nurse specialist Association•
Irish Hepatology Nurses’ Association•
Irish Nurses Cardiovascular Association•
Irish Lung Cancer Nurses’ Group•
Irish Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Association•
Irish Research Nurses’ Association•
Irish stoma Care and Colorectal Nurses•
Mental Health Nurse Managers Ireland•
National Network of Public Health Nurses/Nurses Working With Travellers•
Psychiatry of old Age Nurse Education and Development Group•
Respiratory Nurses Association of Ireland (ANAIL)•
The older Person services National Practice Development Programme•
The Transcultural Nurses Network•
The Wound Management Association of Ireland.•
54
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
NCNM Review
Two issues of the NCNM Review were distributed electronically and in paper format in 2010. Issues
33 and 34 flagged developments within the Irish health service of relevance and interest to nurses
and midwives as well as providing a showcase for the National Council’s own activities and those
of nurses and midwives all around the country.
Nurses, midwives and other interested parties were invited to subscribe to the electronic
subscription list, and over 10,000 individuals did so. E-mail alerts were sent out to subscribers as
each issue became available on line.
presentations
The presentations shown in Box 2 were made during the year by the executive staff.
box 2 . Executive Staff Presentations Made in 2010
Title Audience Location Date
Developing a Competency Framework for Multiple Sclerosis Nursing in Ireland (workshop)
Multiple sclerosis Nurses Group Dublin 29th January
Developing an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Post for your Service
Meeting of myeloma nurses Dublin 12th February
Clinical Directorates in the Irish Health Services: Managing Resources
Nurse and midwife managers Cork university Hospital
24th February
Developing your Practice: Pushing the Boundaries
sexual Health Conference Limerick 6th March
Contemporary Issues in Nursing Msc (Nursing) students school of Nursing, Dublin City university
7th April
How Does a Service Conduct a Service Needs Analysis? (workshop)
Midwife and nurse managers National Maternity Hospital, Dublin
15th April
Developing a New Service – The Road Less Travelled
Graduate Diploma/Msc (Psycho-oncology) students
school of Nursing, Dublin City university
23rd April
Service Needs Analysis: Informing Business and Service Plans (workshop)
Advanced practice education co-ordinators
Edinburgh, scotland 28th April
Review of Attainments of the Research Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland, 2003–2008 (poster presentation)
Royal College of Nursing International Nursing Research Conference
Gateshead, England 11th May
The History and Evidence Supporting Clinical Specialist and Advanced Practice Roles (Chair of seminar)
Nurses and midwives from all over Ireland
school of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin
3rd June
Service Needs Analysis in Advanced Practice
Advanced Practice Conference Ayr, scotland 3rd June
Mental Health Nurses: Leaders or Followers
Mental health nurses attending the Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing annual symposium
school of Nursing, Dublin City university
15th June
55
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
box 2 . Executive Staff Presentations Made in 2010
Title Audience Location Date
Quality and Evidence-Based Care in Specialist and Advanced Practice (Chair of session)
Nurses and midwives from all over Ireland
school of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin
16th June
Reasonable Adjustments for People with Learning Disabilities (panel member of facilitated discussion)
28th Annual Networking Event of the National Network of Learning Disability Nurses, learning/intellectual disability nurses from Ireland and the united Kingdom
university of York, England
19th July
How to Develop a Competency Framework (workshop)
Clinical nurse specialists Cork university Hospital, Cork
8th september
Career Pathway for Nurses Specialising in Pain
Irish Pain Nurses’ Discussion Group Dublin 17th september
Clinical Supervision Advanced nurse practitioner candidates
st James’s Hospital, Dublin
2nd october
Service Needs Analysis: Informing the Development of Advanced Nurse Practitioner Posts
Advanced nurse practitioner candidates
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
28th october
Nurse and Midwife Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning
service planners and lead clinical nurses in the Health service Executive’s National Clinical Programmes
Health service Executive, Dr steevens’ Hospital, Dublin
16th November
Celebrating Florence Nightingale’s Inspiration of Nursing and Midwifery (Chair of session)
Nurses and midwives from Health service Executive (West)
Milford Care Centre, Castletroy, Limerick
23rd November
Clinical Outcomes – Promoting Patient Safety and Quality Care: Implications for Nurses and Midwives
Irish Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Association
Health services National Partnership Forum, Dublin
25th November
Is Nursing an Art, a Science or a Profession? Reflections on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland
Projecting the Nightingale Legacy into the Twenty-First Century
Department of Nursing, Waterford Institute of Technology
9th December
Nurse and Midwife Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning
service planners, practice development co-ordinators for practice nurses and lead clinical nurses in the Health service Executive’s National Clinical Programmes
Health service Executive, Merchants Quay, Dublin
14th December
The Impact of Advanced Nursing Practice in Ireland
Celebrating Advanced Nursing Practice – Five Years on
Resource Centre, HsE south
16th December
other ActivitiesA number of other activities conducted by the National Council in 2010 also fall under the heading
Communication and Dissemination but have been recorded elsewhere in this report. They include
accounts of the advanced nurse/midwife practitioner open days (see Clinical Career Pathway); the
new documents approved and/or published in 2010; and liaison with the nursing and midwifery
planning and development units and various organisations (see Practice Environment and
Facilitating Services).
57
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Accounts
iNCOME AND ExPENDiTuRE ACCOuNT N
income
Department of Health & Children 3,439,000
superannuation 38,956
3,477,956
Expenditure
operational Expenditure 1,650,356 Note 1
Continuing Education Programmes 1,906,377
3,556,733
Deficit for the year (78,777)
Balance Brought Forward 374,222
Balance Carried Forward 295,445
bALANCE SHEET N
Tangible Fixed Assets 37,964
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments 87,726
Cash at bank and in hand 434,752
522,478
Creditors (Amount falling due within one year)
Creditors and accruals 227,033
Net Current Assets 295,445
Total Assets less Current Liabilities 333,409
Financed by
Capitalisation Account 37,964
Income and Expenditure Account 295,445
333,409
Note 1
Total Expenditure as per financial accounts 1,663,188
Add Capitalised Expenditure 8,547
Less Depreciation (21,379)
1,650,356
59
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Appendix 1: publications of the national Council, 2001–2010
All the following publications are available in paper format and in PDF format on the National
Council’s website:
2001
February Criteria and Processes for the Allocation of Additional Funding for Continuing Education by the National Council
April CNS/CMS – Intermediate Pathway
May Framework for the Establishment of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Posts
July Aid to Developing Job Descriptions/Profiles for Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts
Annual National Council Newsletter (Issues 1–4)
Annual Report, 2000–2001
2002
May Guidelines on the Development of Courses Preparing Nurses and Midwives as Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners
November Database of Third-Level Education Courses leaflet
Annual National Council Newsletter (Issues 5–8)
Annual Report, 2002
2003
May Agenda for the Future Development of Nursing and Midwifery
September Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives (also available in CD format)
November Guidelines for Health Service Providers for the Selection of Nurses and Midwives who Might Apply for Financial Support in Seeking Opportunities to Pursue Further Education
Annual National Council Newsletter (Issues 9–12)
Annual Report, 2003
2004
January Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist
May Report on the Continuing Professional Development of Staff Nurses and Staff Midwives
July Framework for the Establishment of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Posts (2nd ed)
November Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts – Intermediate Pathway (2nd ed)
Annual National Council Newsletter (Issues 13–15)
NCNM Quarterly Review (Issue 16)
Annual Report, 2004
60
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
2005
April An Evaluation of the Extent and Nature of Nurse-Led/Midwife-Led Services in Ireland
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner Roles in Emergency Departments (Position Paper)
June Nursing and Midwifery Research Priorities for Ireland (full and summary reports)
Agenda for the Future Professional Development of Public Health Nursing
Review of Nurses and Midwives in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicinal Products (with An Bord Altranais) (full and summary reports; also available in CD format)
September The Development of Joint Appointments: A Framework for Irish Nursing and Midwifery
Service Needs Analysis for Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Posts
A Preliminary Evaluation of the Role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Annual NCNM Quarterly Review (Issues 17–20)
Annual Report, 2005
2006
February Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives (2nd ed; also available in CD format)
Report on the Baseline Survey of Research Activity in Irish Nursing and Midwifery
June All-Ireland Practice and Quality Development Database Guide: A Guide to Sharing Practice and Quality Developments with Other Colleagues
September Measurement of Nursing and Midwifery Interventions: Guidance and Resource Pack (also available in CD format)
Improving the Patient Journey: Understanding Integrated Care Pathways
November Review of Achievements, 2001–2006
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner Roles in Intellectual Disability Nursing: Position Paper No 2
Annual NCNM Quarterly Review (Issues 21–24)
Annual Report, 2006
61
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
2007
February Framework for the Establishment of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Posts (3rd ed)
April
April
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner Roles in Older Persons Nursing: Position Paper No 3
Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts – Intermediate Pathway (3rd ed)
June Criteria and Processes for the Allocation of Additional Funding for Continuing Education (2nd ed)
September The Introduction of Nurse and Midwife Prescribing in Ireland: An Overview (with the Dept of Health and Children, the Health service Executive and An Bord Altranais)
Annual NCNM Quarterly Review (Issues 25–28)
Annual Report, 2007
2008
January Accreditation of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Midwife Practitioners
Framework for the Establishment of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Midwife Practitioner Posts (4th ed)
April Profiles of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists in Ireland
Enhanced Nursing Practice in Emergency Departments: Position Paper No 4
July Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Role Resource Pack (2nd ed; with NMPDu, HsE (south), Kilkenny. Also available in CD format)
September Clinical Supervision – A Structured Approach to Best Practice. Discussion Paper No 1
Publications and Communications Update
November Accreditation of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Midwife Practitioners (2nd ed)
Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts – Intermediate Pathway (4th ed)
Final Report of the Implementation of the Review of Nurses and Midwives in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicinal Products (with An Bord Altranais)
Report on the Role of the Nurse or Midwife in Medical-Led Clinical Research
Enhanced Midwifery Practice. Position Paper No 5
Annual NCNM Review (Issues 29–30)
Annual Report, 2008
62
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
2009
February Guidance on the Adaptation of Clinical Practice Guidelines: Getting Evidence into Practice
March Publications and Communications Update (2nd ed)
September Service Needs Analysis: Informing Business and Service Plans
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery: A Review of Achievements, 1999–2009
Guide to the NCNM On-Line Research Database
November Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives (3rd ed; also available in CD format)
Publications and Communications Update (3rd ed)
Annual NCNM Review (Issues 31–32)
Annual Report, 2009
2010
February Profiles of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists in Ireland
June Clinical Outcomes. Discussion Paper 2
November Review of Achievements, 1999–2010: Publications – Leadership, Guidance and Evidence for Best Practice
Measuring the Nursing and Midwifery Contribution (Update 4): Developing and Revising Clinical Outcomes for Pre-Conceptual Care of Women with Diabetes: A Midwife’s Experience
Key Performance Indicators. Discussion Paper 3
Development and Evaluation of a Toolkit to Support Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning. Final Report (Higgins et al, 2010a)
Nurse and Midwife Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning Toolkit (Higgins et al, 2010b) (also available in CD-RoM format)
December An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland (Begley et al, 2010)
Annual NCNM Review (Issues 33–34)
Annual Report, 2010
63
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Appendix 2: Continuing education programmes Approved for funding in 2010
HSE (Dublin and Mid-Leinster)(Dublin City, South of Liffey; South Co Dublin; all of kildare; and baltinglass area of Co Wicklow)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Foundation Course in Colorectal and General surgery Nursing
Facilitating nurses to explore the fundamental theories and concepts underpinning the management of colorectal and general surgery nursing and their application in clinical practice.
€8,500.00
Quality Assurance, Ward Management and service Development Programme for CNM2s
Developing the leadership and management skills of clinical nurse managers by focusing on the effective use of resources, nursing care outcomes and staff development.
€10,000.00
surgical skills Enhancement Programme
Enhancing and developing the knowledge and skills of nurses to ensure the provision of a high standard of surgical nursing care for patients with pancreatic malignancies.
€10,000.00
seminar: Leadership, Management and Quality in Healthcare
Providing a forum for nursing and midwifery staff to explore and debate issues relating to leadership, management and quality in the health services.
€2,000.00
Developing a Culture and Environment of Person-Centred Care and Excellence
Facilitating the implementation of a person-centred approach to nursing care in the residential care services by focusing on quality, health and safety, dignity and respect.
€9,000.00
Psychosocial Interventions in Acute Psychosis – Evidence-Based Practice for Complex Mental Health Needs: A skills-Based Programme
Equipping mental health nurses with the psychosocial skills required to provide effective interventions for service users who present with acute psychotic symptoms.
€8,588.00
Midwives: Managers or Leaders? Closing the Loop
Exploring the concepts of nurses and midwives leadership and management across the spectrum of community- and hospital-based maternity and neonatal services.
€1,500.00
Developing Clinical Audit skills Facilitating participants to develop the knowledge and skilled to conduct clinical audit.
€4,000.00
Pre-operative Assessment Facilitating nurses to develop their skills in pre-operative assessment including history taking and physical, social and psychological assessment
€700.00
obstetric Emergency skills and Drills (PRoMPT) (Practical obstetric Multidisciplinary Training): Train-the-Trainer
Enabling midwives to develop their knowledge, skills and competencies to effectively manage obstetric emergencies.
€3,954.60
Education Programmes on Best Practice in Person-Centred Dementia Care
Providing nurses with the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver person-centred dementia care.
€10,000.00
Anaesthetics and Recovery Care Facilitating participants to develop a greater understanding of anaesthetics, the action of anaesthetic drugs and post-operative care.
€1,050.00
series of Workshops on Tracheotomy Care for Nurses working with older People and Community Nurses
Providing nursing care with the knowledge, skills and competencies to care for patients with a tracheostomy in the residential care setting.
€4,000.00
understanding Blood Results Enabling participants to update their knowledge of haematology and interpreting blood test results.
€1,000.00
ECG Workshop Facilitating participants update their knowledge and understanding of electro-cardiogram interpretation.
€1,000.00
64
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (Dublin and Mid-Leinster)(Dublin City, South of Liffey; South Co Dublin; all of kildare; and baltinglass area of Co Wicklow)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Communication Consultation and Care Planning for End of Life
A seminar on optimal care of the patient and family in dying, death and bereavement.
€4,800.00
PRoMPT Course (Practical obstetric Multidisciplinary Training): Train-the-Trainer
Facilitating midwives to implement a fully evaluated obstetric emergency course within their maternity units.
€8,000.00
Introduction to Practice Nursing Course Providing a structured evidence-based programme of education for practice nurses.
€3,000.00
Managing Pain using a Palliative Care Approach
Facilitating participants develop the skills and knowledge to assess and manage pain in the older person.
€1,800.00
using the Resources Available to you Effectively: Building Leadership and Management for CNM1s and CNM2s
supporting nurse managers to identify the challenges of managing in the clinical area and the optimal use of staff and resources.
€3,000.00
Maternity Hospitals Responding to Women Experiencing Domestic Violence
Facilitating midwives to recognise and support women experiencing domestic violence in pregnancy.
€5,400.00
Best Practice in Person-Centred Dementia Care
updating participants on best practice and person-centred care for patients with dementia.
€900.00
Research, Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement seminar
Enhancing professional practice and improving patient outcomes by promoting research projects related to clinical practice, patient care, education and management.
€1,500.00
Train-the-Trainers Programme on Lean Healthcare
Facilitating participants apply to Lean Healthcare processes in order to identify and implement improved management systems to create more efficient, effective, safe and quality care.
€1,400.00
65
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (Dublin and North East)(Dublin City North of the Liffey and Fingal)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Ninth Annual Kaleidoscope International Palliative Care Conference: Connecting and Caring in Palliative Care
Providing delegates with an opportunity to discuss and debate best practice within palliative care from national and international perspectives.
€1,500.00
Twelfth National orthopaedic Nurses Conference
A programme aiming to highlight best practice and recent research initiatives within orthopaedic nursing.
€1,500.00
stand-Alone Module: Microbiology and Infection Control
A programme aiming to update participants on best practice in infection control and microbiology.
€4,750.00
supporting staff undertaking Clinical Audit in a Maternity setting
supporting midwives and nurses to develop the knowledge and skills to conduct clinical audit.
€8,500.00
skills-Based Course for RPNs Working With Patients who Present with suicide and self-Injurious Behaviours in Borderline Personality Disorder
Providing participants with the knowledge and skills to support and care for patients who present with suicide and self-injurious behaviours.
€10,000.00
Documentation and Record-Keeping Providing participants with an update on best practice in documentation and record-keeping from professional and legal perspectives.
€3,000.00
Peer Group Clinical supervision Developing peer group clinical supervision within mental health nursing.
€5,400.00
Nursing Workforce Planning Project in Haematology/oncology services: Mapping Patient Journeys
supporting the development of strategic and operational workforce planning within the haematological/oncology services.
€10,000.00
Annual Mater Misericordiae university Hospital Cardiovascular update
Providing a forum for dissemination of current best practice initiatives and research activities within the cardiology services.
€1,500.00
Best Practice in older Person Care for Nurses
Empowering participants to deliver person-centred care within the older person services.
€5,000.00
Recognition and Management of substance Misuse in Individuals with a Mental Illness
Enabling participants to engage more effectively with clients with substance abuse and mental health problems.
€10,000.00
A Beginner’s Guide to Conducting Research
Developing participants research skills, evidence utilisation and implementation.
€9,020.00
Psychosocial Intervention in Mental Health
Facilitating participants to critically analyse and evaluate the significance of recovery-orientated practice in contemporary mental health care.
€10,000.00
The Nursing Management of Persons with Diabetes
updating practice nurses on evidence-based diabetes care from clinical and theoretical perspectives.
€5,750.00
66
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (Dublin and Mid-Leinster)(Counties Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Development and Implementation of a Child and Family Health Needs Assessment Programme for PHNs
Developing a child and family health needs assessment framework and a family health record within public health nursing.
€5,000.00
special Purpose Award (Level 8): Module in End of Life Care
Facilitating participants to develop increased knowledge and understanding of end of life care issues.
€9,900.00
Train-the-Trainer Programme on Lean Healthcare
Educating participants on the processes involved in Lean Healthcare in the creation of more efficient, effective, safe and quality care.
€1,400.00
Palliative and End of Life Care study Day
Providing a forum for participants to share and explore best practice in palliative and end of life care.
€1,500.00
Facilitating a Friendship, Relationship and sexuality Educational Programme for Men and Women with an Intellectual Disability
supporting participants in the development of the core skills necessary to deliver effective educational programmes for clients with an intellectual disability.
€9,000.00
obstetric skills and Drills Programme for Midwives
Facilitating midwives to develop the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies to efficiently and effectively manage obstetric emergencies.
€3,000.00
Leadership Programme for Clinical Nurse Managers and shift Leaders
Developing the leadership and management skills of clinical nurse/midwife managers.
€4,000.00
Care of the older Person Examining the key legal issues that arise when providing nursing care in the older person setting.
€2,491.00
Educational Programme for the Assessment and Management of Leg ulcers in Nurse-Led Leg ulcer Clinics
Facilitating community nurses to establish and run nurse-led clinics for leg ulcer care.
€3,600.00
Best Practice in Care-Planning and Documentation: The Legal Requirements
Enhancing nurses’ knowledge of and skills in the care-planning and documentation process of patient care.
€1,600.00
Trauma Nursing Care Course Providing evidence-based education incorporating cognitive and psychomotor skills for nurses involved in the care of trauma patients.
€5,100.00
Family Interventions and Psychosis Course
supporting an evidence-based approach to family interventions in psychosis.
€10,000.00
sonas Therapeutic Communication Activity Programme for Residential Care
Promoting therapeutic communication activity for older people with dementia, Parkinson’s disease or stroke.
€5,100.00
67
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (Dublin and North-East)(Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Introduction of the Productive Ward Programme “Releasing Time to Care”: Module Implementation Training
Introducing a Productive Ward programme to support and empower nursing staff deliver effective and efficient clinical care.
€10,000.00
Education/Training programme for senior Nurse Managers on Leadership skills
Developing the leadership skills of nurse managers to ensure effective change management.
€2,500.00
stroke Management: From Early Detection to Rehabilitation
Determining the educational and learning requirements of healthcare staff to facilitate the establishment and roll-out of specialised stroke units.
€4,000.00
The PRoMPT (Practical obstetric Multidisciplinary Training) Implementation Day: Train-the- Trainer
Providing midwives with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills as trainers to facilitate the multidisciplinary team manage obstetric emergencies efficiently and effectively.
€2,000.00
Professional Development Programme for Registered Nurses and Midwives
Facilitating nurses and midwives to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver holistic evidence-based care to patients/clients in a variety of healthcare settings.
€9,600.00
Management and Leadership in Dementia Care
Developing the leadership and management skills of nurses within the dementia care services.
€1,562.00
Fundamentals of Dementia Facilitating participants to develop their knowledge and understanding of the key elements of dementia care.
€1,560.00
The THRIVE (Time, Healing, Resilience, Interdependence, Vivacity and Emancipation) Approach to Mental Illness: Building Resilience and Finding Your Future
Introducing mental health nurses to the THRIVE assessment and planning tool in the recovery approach to mental illness.
€950.00
study Day on Women’s Health updating participants on best practice initiatives within women’s health.
€3,000.00
sTABLE (stabilisation in transport of neonates) Programme.
Facilitating neonatal nurses develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to manage the sick neonate during transfer from outlying hospitals.
€1,500.00
Responding to the Needs of older Persons Experiencing Dementia
Introducing participants to evidence-based person centred dementia care.
€4,680.00
Continence Promotion and Management Programme
updating participants on current evidence-based practice within continence promotion and management.
€9,294.30
Falls Prevention Programme: Phase 4 Developing nurses’ knowledge of all aspects of falls prevention, assessment, monitoring and management.
€9,294.30
Professional Management of Aggression and Violence Phase 3
Facilitating participants effectively manage aggression and violence in the healthcare setting.
€9,294.03
68
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (South)(Counties Carlow, kilkenny, Tipperary (South), Waterford and Wexford)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
A stepwise approach to enhancing clinical practice using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Levels 1–3
A programme aiming to give participants an overview and understanding of the principles that underlie Beck’s model of cognitive behaviour therapy
€7,200.00
Fundamental Aspects of Palliative Care
Facilitating participants apply the fundamental aspects of palliative care in the hospice setting.
€900.00
Promoting Healthy Ageing through Health Promotion and Purposeful/Meaningful Activity Training for staff
Facilitating nursing staff to engage in purposeful and meaningful activities with residents focusing on independence and health.
€800.00
69
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (South)(Counties Cork and kerry)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Pre-operative Assessment supporting the development of nurse-led pre-operative assessment clinics.
€3,042.00
Development of Infection Control Guidelines: An Advisory Document for General Practice
Developing best practice guidelines on the prevention and control of infection in general practice.
€4,500.00
Nursing Metrics supporting and measuring nursing care contribution to healthcare using key performance indicators.
€10,000.00
second Annual Critical Care study Day
Providing delegates with an update on current evidence-based best practice within the critical care setting.
€1,500.00
on the Edge: Annual National Conference of Mental Health Nurse Managers, Ireland
Facilitating participants to come together to engage in discussion and debate regarding best practice within national and international mental health services.
€6,000.00
All-Ireland Gerontological Nursing Association Conference
updating delegates on current best practice and person-centred care within gerontological nursing.
€1,500.00
sToRM (skills-Based Training on Risk Management) suicide Prevention Package
Developing participants’ skills and knowledge in risk assessment and management in parasuicide and self-injury.
€5,500.00
Pulsating News – Cardiology Conference
updating delegates on current best practice within cardiology.
€1,500.00
Workshop Exploring a Person-Centred Model of Practice Development
Exploring practice development and overcoming particular challenges to change management in the clinical environment.
€1,300.00
Enhancing safety in Medication Management
Developing a practice standard and audit tool to improve safety in medication management.
€5,000.00
Evidence-Based Practice and Nurse sensitive outcomes: Educational Programme
Developing an educational initiative to expand nursing knowledge of clinical informatics, evidence-based practice and nursing-sensitive quality methodologies.
€4,500.00
Masterclasses for the senior Nurse Management Team
Providing senior nurse managers with updates on current developments within the health services.
€4,100.00
Train-the-Trainer (Acute Life Threatening Events Recognition and Treatment)
Enabling participants efficiently and effectively recognise, assess and treat the acutely ill patient.
€2,500.00
Home-Based Recovery and Promoting Wellness
updating delegates on current best practice within community based holistic mental health care.
€1,500.00
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: skills for Practice
Providing participants with an overview of cognitive behaviour therapy principles and their application in practice.
€10,000.00
Theatre study Day Providing participants with an update on best practice in specific surgical procedures, anaesthetics and the role of the nurse in theatre and recovery.
€1,500.00
70
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (West)(Counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary (North))
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Acute Life Threatening Events Recognition and Treatment
Enabling participants to efficiently and effectively recognise, assess and treat the acutely ill patient.
€3,200.00
Valuing our Contribution: The Role of Nursing in the Provision of Compassionate Care
Exploring the concept of person-centred care and how managers and leaders can promote this culture within older person residential services.
€1,700.00
Acute Life-Threatening Event Recognition and Training
Enabling participants to efficiently and effectively recognise, assess and treat the acutely ill patient.
€2,560.00
understanding Loss, Grief and Bereavement
Facilitating participants support parents and families experiencing, loss, grief and bereavement following the death of a child.
€4,980.00
Leadership and Management: seminar for Front-Line Managers
Facilitating nurse managers to understand the principles of leadership and management strategies and styles and their application in practice.
€1,840.00
Leadership and Management: seminar for senior Managers
supporting senior nurse managers develop their knowledge, skills and competencies in leadership and management.
€1,790.00
Enhanced skills for Normal Labour and Birth: Course for Midwives
Enhancing midwives’ knowledge and skills in evidence-based midwifery practice and the promotion of normal birth.
€4,360.00
Education sessions on Nutrition Providing participants with an update on nutrition and its importance in the management of conditions such as diabetes mellitus.
€800.00
Pain Management E-Learning Programme
Developing an e-learning pain management programme for healthcare professionals to increase evidence-based knowledge in pain science.
€10,000.00
Acute Life-Threatening Emergency Recognition Treatment
Enabling participants to efficiently and effectively recognise, assess and treat the acutely ill patient.
€3,700.00
Masterclass on Nursing Metrics Developing the knowledge and relevance of nursing metrics and measuring the nursing contribution to patient care and outcomes.
€1,400.00
Leading into the Future: A Relationship-Centred Leadership Programme (older Persons services)
Facilitating participants to develop their leadership skills to influence person-centred planning and delivery of healthcare.
€10,000.00
The Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Conference, 2010
Addressing the topic of nursing and midwifery leadership and examining the role of nurse managers in the changing healthcare environment.
€8,500.00
Evidenced-Based Nursing Initiatives in skills and Theory
Developing and enhancing the clinical skills and competencies of nurses caring for people with intellectual disability.
€8,000.00
71
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (West) (Counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
The Role of Risk Assessment in Transforming older Patient Care and Management: Implementing the DRAMs (Dynamic Risk Assessment Management system) Approach
supporting nurses to carry out risk assessment and management in the older person setting with an emphasis on person-centred care.
€6,000.00
supporting Transformation: Empowering senior Nurse Managers: A Pilot Programme
Facilitating participants to develop leadership skills to support them in the implementation of integrated patient services.
€7,000.00
Re-Insertion of Gastrostomy Tubes by Nurses
supporting participants to develop the requisite knowledge and skills to replace gastrostomy tubes in community hospital setting.
€4,500.00
Improving services and support for Adults with Autism
supporting participants to deliver person-centred innovative services to adults with autism.
€4,000.00
Train-the-Trainer Programme on Lean Healthcare
Exploring and examining the principles of Lean Thinking and the processes involved in implementing Lean Healthcare.
€2,800.00
EP-ACLs (Education Provider Advanced Cardiac Life support) Provider and Instructor Module
supporting participants to develop the knowledge, competencies and skills to effectively and efficiently manage the acutely ill patient who has suffered a cardiac arrest.
€4,000.00
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Interventions for Acute Psychosis
Providing participants with an overview of psychological interventions for psychosis and the assessment and treatment of acute psychosis.
€6,000.00
Nurse-Led Telephone Follow-up Clinic for Patients with Cancer
Developing an educational programme for specialist nurses in oncology to facilitate the development of a telephone follow-up service for patients.
€3,000.00
Psychiatric Assessment schedule for Adults with Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (PAs-ADD): A Train-the-Trainer Course
Facilitating the introduction of the PAs-ADD assessment schedule within intellectual disability and mental health services.
€8,000.00
Maintaining the Dignity and Independence of Patients/Residents with Dementia
Developing a person-centred philosophy of care focusing on maintaining the dignity and independence of residents with dementia.
€4,680.00
72
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (West) (Counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon)
Programme Title Programme Summary Funding Approved in 2010
Working smarter Not Harder: A Time for Reflection
Introducing participants to ‘smarter, not harder’ ways of working in order to improve the effectiveness of services provided to clients.
€1,500.00
The Way Forward: Domiciliary Intervention Treatment Team in Mental Health
A seminar for delegates from specialist areas of mental health to explore best practice and developments for quality improvement within the mental health services.
€1,500.00
Education Programme for the Implementation and Audit of Clinical Guidelines on Continence
Developing, implementing, and auditing clinical guidelines for continence promotion in the residential setting.
€2,000.00
Implementation of standardised Assessment Tool and Care Plan Documentation in older Persons services in Galway PCCC
Implementing a standardised assessment and care-planning system in older person residential services.
€5,000.00
Implementation of standardised Assessment Tool and Care Plan Documentation in older Persons services in Mayo PCCC
Implementing a standardised assessment and care planning system in older person services.
€5,000.00
Implementation of standardised Assessment Tool and Care Plan Documentation in older Persons services in Roscommon PCCC
Implementing a standardised assessment and care planning system in older person services.
€5,000.00
skills Training Programme for the self-Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Community
Facilitating community nurses to provide programmes for clients on the self-management of rheumatoid arthritis.
€5,200.00
Therapeutic Management of Violence: Train-the-Trainer Programme
Providing a train-the-trainer programme on the therapeutic management of aggression and violence in the workplace.
€10,000.00
Training Course in Clinical Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Introducing objective validated risk assessment tools for the management of aggression and violence in mental health services.
€5,000.00
Contribution of Nurses in Intellectual Disability services to Early Intervention/Primary Care Teams
Examining and exploring the role of the nurse in early intervention and primary care teams within intellectual disability services.
€1,500.00
Eden Alternative Training Programme: older Persons Residential Care Promoting Positive Change
Providing participants with an update on the principles that make up the Eden Alternative philosophy and the application of these principles in older person settings.
€8,500.00
Development of E-Learning Programmes to Educate Nurses in the use of older Person Assessment Record and screening Tools
Facilitating the development of e-learning programmes to support public health/community nurses to utilise assessment tools within older person care.
€6,500.00
Managing Leading and Defining Practices and New Ways of Working for Mental Health Nurse Managers
Facilitating nurse managers to develop ways of motivating teams, improve communication skills and influence and lead practice within changing mental health services.
€10,000.00
Facilitation and Training in the use and Applicability of Assessment Tools and Validated Instruments
Facilitating participants from public health nursing services in the Galway area to incorporate various validated assessment tools to assess measure and improve practice within community settings.
€3,750.00
73
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
HSE (West) (Counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon)
Celebration of Nursing Conference A national conference highlighting best practice initiatives in nursing from national and international perspectives.
€1,500.00
Advancement of Nursing/Midwifery Documentation Project
Facilitating the development and implementation of best practice standards in recording clinical care.
€1,500.00
Management of Patients with Acute Alcohol Withdrawal
supporting nurses to develop knowledge and skills in the management of patients experiencing acute alcohol withdrawal.
€1,500.00
Education and Training Programme to support the Roll-out of Regional Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Facilitating public health nurses to implement and evaluate regional clinical guidelines.
€4,000.00
Institute of Community Health Nursing Conference, 2010: Achieving Quality and safety in the Community
Providing community nursing staff with an update on recent quality and safety reports and the implementation of recommendations within the community health services.
€1,500.00
74
nC
nM
AN
Nu
AL
RE
Po
RT
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Appendix 3: grants for Advanced nurse/Midwife practitioner post Development
In 2010 a grant of €12,500 was awarded to each of the successful applications listed below.
Programme Title Organisation(s)
ANP (Colposcopy) Rotunda Hospital, Parnell square, Dublin 1
ANP (Cardiology) st Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin
ANP (Adult Congenital Heart Disease) Mater Misericordiae university Hospital, Eccles street, Dublin 7
ANP (Cardiology) Naas General Hospital, Naas, Co Kildare
ANP (Child Health) Coolock Health Centre, Dublin 5
ANP (Child Protection and Family support) Louth Community Care
ANP (Colorectal Cancer screening) Cork university Hospital
ANP (Colorectal) Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar
ANP (Colposcopy) Letterkenny General Hospital, Co Donegal
ANP (Community Liaison Nurse for older Persons) Mater Misericordiae university Hospital, Eccles street, Dublin 7
ANP (Community Mental Health) Clare Mental Health services
ANP (Dementia Care) st Vincent’s Hospital, Athy, Co. Kildare
ANP (Dementia/Psychiatry of Later Life) Longford-Westmeath Mental Health services
ANP (Diabetes Management) Cavan and Monaghan Hospital Group
ANP (Diabetes) Naas General Hospital, Naas, Co Kildare
ANP (Dual Diagnosis/Forensic Mental Health) Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
ANP (Emergency) Naas General Hospital, Naas, Co Kildare
ANP (Emergency) Roscommon General Hospital
ANP (Emergency) Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
ANP (Endoscopy) Naas General Hospital, Naas, Co Kildare
ANP (Endoscopy) Letterkenny General Hospital, Co Donegal
ANP (Gerontological Nursing) Birr Community Nursing unit, Birr, Co offaly
ANP (Gerontology: Care of older Persons in Residential and Community Care)
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9
ANP (Heart Failure) Mater Misericordiae university Hospital, Eccles street, Dublin 7
ANP (Mental Health) Primary Health Care, Ballymun and st Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, Dublin 3
ANP (Neonatal) Waterford Regional Hospital
ANP (Neonatal) university Hospital, Galway
ANP (older Persons Emergency) st James’s Hospital, James’s street, Dublin 8
ANP (older Persons in Emergency Department) Galway university Hospital
ANP (oncology) Mater Misericordiae university Hospital, Eccles street, Dublin 7
ANP (Paediatric Ambulatory Care) Waterford Regional Hospital
ANP (Paediatrics) Letterkenny General Hospital, Co Donegal
ANP (Pain Management) Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
ANP (Primary Care) st Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny and Letterkenny General Hospital
75
NC
NM
An
nu
Al
Re
po
Rt
& A
CC
ou
NT
s 2
010
Appendix 4: innovative Research Development initiative grants
Five awards were made under the Innovative Research Development Initiative in 2010.
Programme TitleFunding
Approved in 2010
Exploring the Research Opportunities for Clinical Nurse Specialist (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination) Working in Sexual Assault Units in Ireland
€1,600.00
Developing Advanced and Specialist Nursing Practice through a Targeted Research Development Programme in the Context of an Academic Health Centre
€15,200.00
Developing and Implementing the Research Capacity of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners at St James’s Hospital, Dublin
€28,074.00
Research Development Initiative for a Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Group, HSE (South) (Cork/Kerry)
€1,900.00
E-Learning Programme: Transforming Nurses’/Midwives’ Research into Publications €21,000.00