UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

The role of the Nursing & Midwifery Planning & Development Unit broadly reflects the functions recommended by the Commission on Nursing (1998) and has transitioned under the Health Services Executive into the Nursing and Midwifery Planning & Development Unit (Cork and Kerry). The governance for the unit is within the remit of the Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, which is the national Nursing and Midwifery Office within the Health Service Executive. This national office has a remit to develop the capabilities and performance of nursing and midwifery at the organisational and individual level. Furthermore, the office is committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement where the needs of the person come first and where the value of person centredness is communicated, understood and supported within clinical services. The Nursing and Midwifery Planning & Development Unit (Cork and Kerry) has many responsibilities one of which relates to overseeing the detailed provision of continuing Nurse and Midwife education in the region. The importance of on-going education to the quality of services offered to patients/clients and the development and growth of the professions of nursing and midwifery is recognised. The Centres for Nurse and Midwifery Education commit to delivering Continuing Professional Development, education and training programmes in partnership with the Nursing and Nurse Planning and Development Unit and associated stakeholders in the region. The three Centres of Nurse and Midwifery Education for nursing and midwifery staff in Cork include: Centre for Nurse Education, Cork University Hospital; Centre for Nurse Education, Mercy University Hospital and Centre for Midwifery Education, Cork University Maternity Hospital. The governance for the operations of the CNME rests with the Board of Management which is chaired by the Director of the NMPDU Cork/Kerry. The Board of Management oversees the strategic development of the CNME and ensures that it provides a service sensitive to the needs of its stakeholders. From 2001 onwards the rapid development of Nursing and Midwifery and the increasing opportunity to focus and specialise led to the development of a number of specialist and advanced nursing and midwifery roles. These developments required effective planning of the Nursing and Midwifery resource, particularly in identifying the educational and skills required within services. The launch of the Department of Health policy on the Development of Graduate to Advanced Nursing and Midwifery Practice (July, 2019) highlighted the importance of changing the way we educate and train nurses and midwives to achieve appropriate development of skilled and educated staff in order to progress from graduate to advanced level. The model of partnership between the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC ensures a joined-up approach in the development and funding of post graduate programmes including the education and provision of advanced nursing practice programmes designed to meet service needs in the region. A collaborative approach is seen as central to the success of service initiatives and the Nursing & Midwifery Planning & Development Unit continues to work closely with Directors of Nursing, Directors of Services, Nursing and Midwifery Staff and other key stakeholders in the region. Working in partnership with the Third Level Institutions including the School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC is critical to identifying and addressing service education and training needs of the nurses and midwives in the region.

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