UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

THE HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVE AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - EVOLVING STRUCTURES AND PARTNERSHIPS

The health board system of Ireland was created by the 1970 Health Act. This system was initially created with eight health boards, each of which were prescribed a functional area in which they operated. The system was reformed in 1999 from eight to eleven regional bodies and in 2013 to Hospital Groups. Thus the School of Nursing and Midwifery initially operated in partnership with the Southern Health Board. Latterly UCC was the Academic Partner for South/Southwest Hospital Group (S/SWHG). The HSE structures are changing again to bring the community and hospital groups into alignment which means that the School of Nursing and Midwifery will be within Area D Cork/Kerry Regional Health Area going forward. Future structures will see more cross disciplinary and cross boundary working. Ms. Bridie O’Sullivan, Chief Nursing Officer, S/ SWHG supports close working relationships between academic and clinical partners. The Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery and a Professorial level Joint Appointment are members of the S/SWHG Directors of Nursing and Midwifery Committee. Such partnership approaches are important if the School of Nursing and Midwifery is to be fully integrated into the health and social care systems in the region and to help plan its future and emergent roles in education, research and community outreach. The School of Nursing and Midwifery works closely with many key stakeholders including the Department of Health, Office of the Chief Nurse, The Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD), Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Units, S/SWHG, partner health and social care service providers. The bidirectional flow of information is important as Schools of Nursing and Midwifery need to inform policy developments as an example and equally the teaching and learning within schools needs to reflect emergent policy directions. The appointment of Dr. Siobhan O’ Halloran, Chief Nursing Officer at the level of Assistant Secretary is an important step in ensuring nursing and midwifery are key drivers in policy development and in maximising the role of the nurse in the future provision of health and social care services.

78