L-R: Mary O' Kelly, Chief Officer, Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow CHO; Michael Buckley, Acting Area Director of Nursing, Midlands Mental Health Service; Kate Killeen White, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and Midlands; Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group; and Trevor O'Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.
Follow the conversation online @DMHospitalGroup #HSEDubMidlandsNursingMidwifery2024
The HSE Dublin and Midlands held its inaugural Nursing and Midwifery Conference in The Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare on Wednesday 5th June showcasing nursing and midwifery clinical expertise across the region.
The theme of this year’s conference was Connect, Collaborate, Change. This theme is aligned to the strategic priorities of the Chief Nurse, Department of Health and of the health service. The line-up of speakers focused on the integrated care agenda, and the current environment of change and innovation.
This conference represents the first collaboration of nursing and midwifery colleagues from hospitals and communities in the new HSE Health Regions and included engagements with nurses and midwives from all specialties within the HSE Dublin and Midlands region. HSE Dublin and Midlands provides health and social care services to Dublin west and south-west, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Kildare, West Wicklow and Westmeath.
Key topics included: Community General Nursing & Public Health Nursing; Mental Health Nursing; Safe Nurse Staffing; Integrated Care; Education and Research; Digital Healthcare; Leadership and Governance; and Workforce Stability and Wellbeing.
Key highlights throughout the day included:
- Key note speakers included Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health and Professor Ian Robertson, Clinical Psychologist and Neuroscientist.
- Michael Hevey, RANP in Inclusion Mental Health for Dublin South City was the Oral Presenter Winner for his presentation on “Inclusion Mental Health - Advanced Nurse Practitioner”
- Siobhan Flynn Clinical Midwife Manager 2 was awarded Runner Up Oral Presenter for her presentation on “Growing Together – The establishment of Parent Education in Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.”
- Barbara Cawley RANP ADHD for Mental Health, Dublin South Kildare and West Wicklow Community Healthcare won Best Poster for her poster presentation on “User Satisfaction with the new CAMHS practice of emailing prescriptions for patients via Healthmail”
- Rachel McCluskey and Sarah Glennon from Dublin South West PHN Service DSK&WW Community Healthcare Community Intervention Team South Dublin & Tallaght University Hospital were presented with a Highly Commended award for their presentation on “Let’s Breastfeed DSW”
- Catriona Brennan, Gail Flynn and Claire Walsh from Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise won a Highly Commended award for their poster presentation on “Networking to Promote Change: Implementing a Standardised Screening Tool to support The Frailty Agenda.”
View the full programme of events
At the conference, Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group launched the DMHG Nursing and Midwifery Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2024 – 2026. The Implementation Strategy and Action Plan builds on the previously published Nursing and Midwifery Strategy 2023 — 2026 and is aligned to the move by healthcare organisations worldwide to redesign and to improve the quality of care delivered to patients and service users in line with changing population needs.
L-R: Katherine Kenny, Director of Nursing, Regional Hospital Mullingar; Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group; Olivia Lafferty, Director of Nursing, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise; Trevor O'Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group; Kate Killeen White, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and Midlands; Áine Lynch, Director of Nursing & Integrated Care, Tallaght University Hospital; Sharon Slattery, Director of Nursing, St James's Hospital; Louisea Burke, Director of Nursing, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore; and Ann MacIntyre, Director of Midwifery & Nursing, The Coombe Hospital.
Welcoming delegates, Kate Killeen White Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and Midlands said, “I would like to acknowledge all of your work and your commitment to caring for our patients and developing services within the region. We are very fortunate within our region that there is such strong collaboration and connection. Today’s conference demonstrates quite clearly that commitment and dedication that there is to your profession and your willingness to embrace this change and consider how we really can integrate to enhance the care and services that are available to our population.”
Speaking at the conference, Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health said, “We all know that healthcare is complex and changing rapidly. Many of the challenges we face here in Ireland today as Nurses and Midwives are also experienced throughout the world. The development of digital skill and literacy is an ever more important issue in our work as Nurses and Midwives. To know how to collect and use data is to our distinct advantage and in turn for that of our patients. It is invaluable to us moving forward and it is critical for policy development. Nursing and Midwifery policies that we will develop over the coming years will continue to be evidence based and enabled through collaboration. Events like today reassure me that together we are well positioned to drive the changes in healthcare that are required to meet the needs of our patients.”
Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group closing the conference said, “This conference has been an opportunity to support further enhancement and progression for integrated-led care for patients and service users and will provide the environment for collaboration and innovation and a platform for future success for all healthcare professionals within the newly formed HSE Dublin and Midlands region. The implementation of health regions, as part of the Sláintecare Programme, will facilitate a comprehensive integrated, person-led, community-first health and social care agenda for people living within the region. This conference is the first collaboration of Nurses and Midwives in the new regions and it has been an excellent showcase of the clinical expertise that we have across Dublin and Midlands.”
Carolyn Donohoe, Interim CEO, Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland presenting Catriona Brennan, cANP Frailty and Gail Flynn, rANP from Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise the Highly Commended award for their poster presentation on “Networking to Promote Change: Implementing a Standardised Screening Tool to support The Frailty Agenda.”
Carolyn Donohoe, Interim CEO, Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland presenting Michael Hevey, RANP in Inclusion Mental Health for Dublin South City with the Oral Presenter Winner for his presentation on “Inclusion Mental Health - Advanced Nurse Practitioner”
Carolyn Donohoe, Interim CEO, Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland presenting Barbara Cawley RANP ADHD for Mental Health, Dublin South Kildare and West Wicklow Commnuity Healthcare with the Best Poster award for her poster presentation on “User Satisfaction with the new CAMHS practice of emailing prescriptions for patients via Healthmail”
Carolyn Donohoe, Interim CEO, Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland presenting Sarah Glennon from Dublin South West PHN Service DSK&WW Community Healthcare Community Intervention Team South Dublin & Tallaght University Hospital with a Highly Commended award for her poster presentation on “Let’s Breastfeed DSW”
