UCC Nursing & Midwifery Scholarly Impact Report 2022

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CATHERINE MCAULEY SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY, UCC

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE/PRESENTATIONS

Contributing to the National Agenda and Strategy for Midwifery Going Forward On Thursday, 3 November 2022, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) hosted a ‘Midwifery Going Forward’ event in Munster Technological University (MTU), Tralee. Leading experts in midwifery from the Kerry, Cork and wider Munster region joined together to discuss key developments in the profession. The first speaker was Professor Patricia Leahy-Warren, Professor in Maternal and Infant Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork (UCC). Professor Leahy-Warren spoke about how breastfeeding is both a public health issue and a woman’s choice. This was followed by a presentation by Dr Ray Healy, NMBI’s Director of Registration, on the midwifery demographics as evident in the NMBI State of the Register 2022 report. The format for the afternoon’s discussion involved two panels. The first panel was on the Evolving Role of the Midwife, chaired by Dr Rhona O’Connell, Midwifery Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC. The second panel was on Breastfeeding: Getting it over the line and was chaired by Dawn Johnston, Director of Midwifery at NMBI. Lead and Team Members: Prof Patricia Leahy-Warren and Dr Rhona O’Connell References: Leahy-Warren, P. (2022) Midwifery, Sustainability and Breastfeeding at the NMBI ‘Focus on Midwifery Conference’ at MTU Tralee on 3 rd Nov 2022

Highlights: • Recruitment and retention of midwives needs a multipronged approach nationally involving all stakeholders and an all-island response. • Increasing the low breastfeeding rates needs an inclusive intersectoral response from all Governmental departments.

L-R: Sheila McCelland, CEO, NMBI, Prof Patricia Leahy-Warren, UCC and Essene Cassidy, President of NMBI