UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

The Commission on Nursing The impetus for the growth and developments that has taken place in nursing education over the past 25 years throughout Ireland in general and at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at UCC in particular arises out of multiple factors of professional, political, economic, and societal concern. Most notably, policy set at the Department of Health and Children (DoHC) level in association with the Departments of Education and Science and the Department of Finance. The “Report of the Commission on Nursing – a Blueprint for the future” (Commission on Nursing – Interim Report (1997); Government of Ireland, 1998) represents a historical landmark in bringing about changes in the educational preparation and professional development of nurses and midwives. The transfer of pre-registration nursing education from a hospital Diploma to University Degree and from Schools of Nursing at Health Service Providers into third level institutions in 2002 was a recommendation of the Commission and strategised for countrywide by the Nurse Education Forum (Government of Ireland, 2000).

Commission on Nursing Members 1998- Back row -Mr. Leslie Buckley, Dr. Ruth Barrington, Mr. Des Kavanagh, Ms. Sandra Guilfoyle, Mr. Leo O’ Donnell, Ms. Peta Taffe, Mr. Denis Doherty. Front row- Mr. PJ Madden, Dr. Geraldine Mc Carthy, Mr. Brian Cowen (Minister for Health), Ms. Justice Mella Carroll, Ms. Eilish Hardiman, Ms. Kay Collins

The key recommendations were: the establishment of a Pre-registration Educational Forum, establishment of National Council for Midwifery and Nursing to oversee and develop post graduate policy, and develop Regulation planning and Development units (NMPDUs), clinical career pathways in the form of Clinical Nurse Specialists, (CNS) and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP’s). A new Nurses Act was also recommended.

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