UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Report 2020

Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC

and critical need to support the implementation of Sláintecare. Focus on people getting the care they need, when they need it, supporting them to live well in their own homes and communities where possible. Need to prevent what is preventable. 2. Urgent need to invest in nursing and midwifery education to increase the domestic supply of nurses and midwives. Reorientate nursing educational programmes to follow the patents’ and family’s journey through the healthcare system. 3. Importance of evidence, from the creation and sharing of evidence to listening and acting upon the evidence. Invest in supporting the involvement of nurses and midwives in healthcare research and the creation and use of big data through funded clinical academic career framework/pathway. 4. Strengthening nurses and midwives role in leadership within the healthcare system with nurses/midwives being at the table where decisions are being made. 5. Importance of over communicating and being aware of the information channels individuals use to receive information. Going forward the School has a particular focus on developing and embedding its programmatic approach to research in key target areas as outlined within this report. The School of Nursing and Midwifery continues to evolve with the changing face of health care, and from this, creates opportunities for student and faculty growth and achievement. We are also confident that those who review this report will have a clear picture of a School of Nursing and Midwifery whose staff are dedicated to continuous improvement and are constantly striving toward being recognised as the best provider of quality higher education for nurses and midwives in this region and beyond. We also wish to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals at the frontline during COVID-19. As a Head of a School of Nursing and Midwifery I can say that I am proud to be a Nurse and proud of the contribution of the staff and students to the national efforts to combat COVID-19.

WHO notes that there is a global shortage of nurses estimated to be in the region of 5.9 million. Today’s nurses care for patients across the lifespan; run their own clinics, diagnose patients, prescribe X-Rays and medications, lead complete episodes of care; work in partnership with patients and their families across teams and services; and can also be found leading cutting edge research programmes. In developing countries and geographically remote areas, they are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. We are sharing with you some of the UCC staff and student stories to help illustrate the breadth of activities, which are ongoing in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC. Staff of the School have helped students gain a career-relevant education, which unlocks new opportunities for students and ultimately helps to serve the healthcare needs of the wider community. Although new graduates are always the most important and exciting development for any university, there have been many other noteworthy changes. This report offers stories, statistics, photos, and details that illustrate a wide range of accomplishments. From teaching & learning, to research, to clinical partnerships, to staff recruitment, to wider societal contributions— the sense of momentum at the School is undeniable. The School has continued to explore opportunities to enhance and support the students experience, diversify the range of research projects, international collaborations and partnerships. Staff of the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing & Midwifery, UCC were part of the national response to gather highly skilled staff to support the healthcare system to respond to COVID-19. Indeed, many staff members worked as contact tracers and supported the training of vaccinators. The School itself became a clinical oncology centre during the summer of 2020 facilitating patients to receive their chemotherapy in a safe environment. Nursing and Midwifery students continued with accessing clinical placements during the past year, with support from clinical and academic colleagues.

Professor Josephine Hegarty, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Ireland

Foreword The last year has seen many developments at the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork. The School has been ranked as the “Top 50” nursing schools in the world, according to the 2021 QS global subject rankings with the School helping to advance the profession and healthcare through translating research into practice & policy and developing its portfolio of educational programmes. This Annual Report provides an overview of the achievements of the School’s faculty and students in 2020. UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is leading the way in education, research and practice - locally and globally. Over the past 27 years, the School has grown from a class of 36 public health nursing students in 1994 to over 1300 undergraduate and postgraduate students today studying across programmes. These educational programmes are designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the population and span areas such as intellectual disability, mental health, public health, children’s, general nursing and midwifery. Many nurses are also choosing to undertake programmes, which provide them with specialist and advanced knowledge and skills with some working as advanced nurse/ midwife practitioners. The World Health Organisation designated 2020/2021 as the “International Years of the Nurse and Midwife”. Nurses and midwives are frontline and backbone of health care delivery comprising over 50% of the global healthcare workforce. The

Lessons must be learnt from the pandemic, these include:

1. Need to rethink how healthcare and in particular long-term care is provided in an Irish context

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