“I am very focused on delivering meaningful patient-centred care. I want to ensure that patients who attend my service are empowered, educated and equipped to manage their conditions,” according to Siobháin Kiernan, who was recently appointed as Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Paediatric Integrated Care at Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH).

In 2022, the Saolta Hospital Group appointed three General Paediatric Integrated Care candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioners. These posts were the first in the area of General Paediatric Integrated Care nationally, and were identified to provide safe, timely and evidenced-based nurse-led care to children and young adults under the age of 16 for an agreed patient cohort. Siobháin is the first Saolta Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Paediatric Integrated Care to be appointed.

Siobháin explains that “the key focus of this particular role was to identify patients with common childhood conditions who are low acuity and who were on waiting lists for conditions that could be easily treated with timely intervention - significantly improving patients' and families' quality of life.

“Unlike other advanced practice posts in areas of specialties, defining a patient cohort for general paediatrics was the biggest challenge. After reviewing the most common referrals received to general paediatric outpatients, we defined the patient cohort to include constipation, recurrent abdominal pain in childhood, eczema, asthma, and coeliac disease. These conditions are often relapsing and it is therefore essential that patients have the right information and a plan to intervene when an issue arises. In turn, the children will have better outcomes.”

Siobhán Horkan, Saolta Director of Paediatric Nursing, describes the appointment as a “fantastic development for children and families attending Portiuncula University Hospital. Siobháin is a highly skilled specialist in children's clinical nursing practice, and her specific expertise and advanced decision-making will have a positive impact on care outcomes, paediatric outpatient waiting times, and service integration.”

The General Paediatric Clinic receives new patient referrals from general practitioners, and reviews referrals from paediatric consultants as well as nursing staff. In addition, an outreach clinic is held once a week in the Primary Care Centre in Monkland, Athlone, to integrate treatment into the community and provide patients and their families with care as close to home as possible.

Hospital Manager, James Keane, added that the nurse-led clinic will “provide our younger patients with safe, timely, evidence-based nurse-led care at an advanced nursing level, while simultaneously providing child and family-centred care, which will benefit the health and well-being of the child.”

Siobháin, originally from Longford, is a registered general and children's nurse. She worked at Children's Health Ireland Crumlin for 13 years, three of which were in paediatric cardiology and gastroenterology, before becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist, specialising in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, Higher Diploma in Children’s Nursing, and a Masters in Health Science as well as a Certificate in Nurse Prescribing from the University of Galway. She also has a micro credential in referring for radiological procedures from Trinity College Dublin. This allows her to practise at the top of her field in meeting service needs.

Siobháin's interest in general paediatrics led her to the position of candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Paediatric Integrated Care, after receiving a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice from the University of Galway. After a two-year candidature process, Siobháin was appointed to her current role.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are redefining patient care via an enlarged scope of practice, more clinical autonomy and decision-making. They are the highest level of clinical experts in the nursing profession in Ireland today.