UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

system through universal health care and access to general practice, unfortunately universal health care has not been realised – the Irish Health system relies mainly on public sources of finance with minor contributions from private health insurances. Despite this austerity major specialists have developed within hospitals especially in cancer and cardiovascular services with very expensive drugs, technology and electronic implants becoming the norm for some patients. In summary the focus on health care from 1994-2019 has been on acute care despite attempts to modernise the system and focus more on primary care. Complex medical care takes most of the health budget and sequential governments have failed to reverse the system despite aspirations over the years. It is within this context that nursing, and midwifery developed. University Education for nurses and midwives Despite criticisms since the 1940s that the nurse was the only member of the health care team not receiving a university education, and international trends and proposals for reform there was no change. In 1984 An Bord Altranais, took a policy decision that nursing education should move into universities and institutes of higher education.

This was also supported by the then Secretary General of the Department of Health (O’Dwyer, 1984). The apprenticeship system of nurse education continued until 1994 in Ireland. In 1994 after four years of deliberation and consultation, a review body recommended changes at basic and post basic levels, with the introduction of Diplomas and Degrees and academic accreditation for all nursing courses (An Bord Altranais, 1994). The Government in a Health Strategy (2001) endorsed these recommendations, where it was stated, “it is necessary to align the regime for nurse education more closely with the demands of a modern-day health service”. It was also recognized by diverse personnel in the health service and at Department of Health (2001) level that patients entering hospital had in general complex needs and it was no longer appropriate to have student nurses staffing wards to the level they were doing within the apprenticeship model of education. In 1996 a Commission on Nursing was established and its recommendations on education accepted and implemented.

Commission on Nursing report

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