UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

site for a new nurse’s home and a new outpatient department. This never materialized but was a subject of much contention for many years. In 1961, the first full time training School commenced at the North Infirmary to comply with regulations and The Nurses Act (1950). The North Infirmary Hospital closed in 1987, and the General/Paediatrics nurse training was transferred to the School of Nursing, Mercy Hospital Cork. This Programme ceased to exist soon thereafter. Students trained in Sick Children’s Nursing in the North Infirmary in collaboration with the National Sick Children’s Hospital Harcourt Street, Dublin from the 1950s onwards. This was a three-year course. Many of those registered in the Sick Children’s Division of the Nurse’s Register could only find employment in Children’s Hospitals and so many sought places to train as general nurses also. Subsequently a four-year integrated course was introduced to resolve this situation in 1970 and led to a qualification as RSCN/ RGN (Registered Sick Children’s Nurse/ Registered General Nurse), thus allowing nurses to work in either discipline. A reciprocal arrangement to deliver this integrated course commenced between Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin and the North Infirmary in 1982. Some students commenced their training in Crumlin while others commenced in the North Infirmary and changed hospitals during the four-year period. This arrangement continued until the closure of the North Infirmary in 1987. Both of these hospitals ware managed by the Daughters of Charity. Special recognition needs to be given to Sr. Angela McGee, Eileen Healy, Ber Taylor who taught in the School in its final years.

Graduating Class North Infirmary Nov 1977 4 th row back Mary Gethings, Tess Browne, Ciaran Dillon, 3 rd row- Mary Grainger, Ann Hurley, Liz Farrrarley. 2 nd row- Eileen O’ Sullivan, Eileen O’ Leary, Patricia lynch, Elaine Burke, Barbara O’ Connell front row Anne Nealon, Gobnait Twomey, Sr. Angela Mc Gee (Nurse Tutor), Trudi Hourihane, Noreen Dennehy

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