UCC Nursing & Midwifery Scholarly Impact Report 2022

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CATHERINE MCAULEY SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY, UCC

PART A: TEACHING, CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY AND PRACTICE, AWARDS

School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Research Conference 2022 On March 31 st , 2022, the School of Nursing and Midwifery held its 21 st annual research conference. The theme “Enhancing opportunities for Diversity and Inclusion in Nursing, Midwifery, and Healthcare” allowed important research findings on a wide range of equality, diversity and inclusion issues to be presented. Having been recent recipients of a Bronze Athena SWAN award, recognising our commitment to gender equity, the school was keen to continue to collaborate and work in this complex field. Nurses and Midwives play a critically important role in recognising and responding to the needs of marginalised, vulnerable and minority groups. Evidence of health inequities and the role of the social determinants of health tell us just how important these are for the health and wellbeing of our patients and clients. The principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion are therefore increasingly being seen as core concepts and underpinning values for nursing and midwifery education, as well as the subject of much of our research. Building on this growing body of knowledge, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC invited submissions of research abstracts relating to the fields of equity, diversity and inclusion, as they relate to healthcare, or to the professional practices or workforces of nursing or midwifery. The conference opened with a keynote address from Professor Ruth Northway, Professor of Learning Disability Nursing in the University of South Wales. The second plenary session began with a keynote paper delivered by Dr John Gilmore, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Midwifery andHealthSystems inUCD. His paper entitled “Social JusticePraxis inNursingMidwifery and Healthcare” challenged attendees to consider the significant role of nurses in ensuring a more socially just health system. The conference heard from a wide variety of speakers addressing a wide range of equality, diversity and inclusion topics including trans healthcare, PPI, refugees and asylum seekers’ access to higher education, and Travellers’ perceptions of health care.

L-R: Dr Peter Kelly, Ms Caroline Egan, Ms Eibhlin Collins, Prof Josephine Hegarty and Dr Aoife Lane

Keynote Speaker, Dr John Gilmore, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, UCD

Dr Angela Flynn and Mr Oisin Breathnach