UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

Introduction: The early years in acute, psychiatric and intellectual disability services

The story of nursing andmidwifery is linked to social, political, medical and economic history and to the evolution of the Irish health services. In particular, changes over time in patterns of disease, medical advancements have led to developments in nursing and midwifery education, professional regulation and clinical practice. In Chapter 1 of this Book the emerging health services and clinical practices with the simultaneous development of training and education in each of the services locally from their initial establishment up to 1994 are described. The contribution of the religious sisters of Mercy, Bon Secours and Daughters of Charity are detailed. The influence of a religious vocational philosophy which permeated the profession for many years is evidenced in relation to general nursing. The development of nursing and midwifery education is described in the hospitals from the inception of services within these institutions up to 1994: St Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital, South Infirmary/Victoria University Hospital, Bon Secours Hospital. The North Infirmary Hospital (now closed and refurbished as a hotel) will also be mentioned as will the contributions of the Daughters of Charity Religious Order who operated this hospital. The development of Mental Handicap Nursing in COPE Foundation, Cork and Psychiatric Nursing at Our Lady’s Hospital Cork are profiled as they developed during this period. The evolution of Midwifery is dealt with separately even though many of the hospitals already profiled also operated these services and associated training. Public Health Nursing as the first programme to be offered in UCC is detailed as well as its evolution over time. In Chapter 2 the reform of nurse education and practice is explained. The influence of the Report of the Commission on Nursing (1998) and subsequent support for the wide-ranging recommendations of the Report by the Irish Government (supported by Department of Health, Department of Education and Department of Finance) is detailed. Changing patterns of diseases and the need for competent well- educated practitioners to work in increasingly more complex services in hospital and the community is discussed. Reforms of the Health Services are explained and the implications therein outlined. Chapter 3 details the challenges of establishing a new academic discipline within University College Cork (UCC). The building and opening of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Brookfield Health Sciences Complex is described. Each of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes presently being offered in collaboration with diverse health care providers are briefly addressed. The changing role of the nurse and midwife and the supporting programmes developed in UCC are explained. Staffing of the School is detailed. Student experiences are profiled. Building Research capacity is explained as well as progress in this area of academic endeavour. The text ends with an exploration of possible future endeavours. Reflections from the successive Deans/Heads of the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery are included.

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