Archive News 2014
NEW research focused on CIVIC engagement
A team of researchers led by Dr Honor Nicholl have been successful in obtaining funding from the Irish Research Council ( Government of Ireland New Foundations 2014 Engaging Civic Society Strand ) for a project related to the parent to parent Internet support. The study builds on the previous Trinity College Dublin/Saoirse Foundation research that focussed on web information for families of children- informing the development of the first Irish website for parents of children with rare diseases. This descriptive qualitative study aims to further explicate parents requirements for parent to parent support in a specifically designed website. The research team comprises Dr Honor Nicholl, Dr Aileen Lynch, Dr Catherine Tracey, Carole King , Maryanne Murphy, Geraldine Prizeman and Jessica Eustace-Cooke. Data collection will involve focus groups. Enquires about the study should be directed to nichollh@tcd.ie
Announcement of Scholarships 2014
On Monday 7th of April 2014 the following students from the School of Nursing & Midwifery were awarded the Foundation Scholarship. The new Scholars are undergraduate students who have succeeded in the scholarship examination by exceptional answering of especially difficult questions set to test their ability as critical and innovative thinkers. The School would like to congratulate all recipients and wish them continued success.
The recipients are as follows:
|
Surname |
First name |
Course Name |
Discipline |
HSP |
Barry |
Niamh |
B.Sc (Cur) |
Psychiatric Nursing |
St. Patrick's |
Carmody |
Sara Jane |
B.Sc (Cur) |
General Nursing |
AMNCH |
Jones |
Emily |
B.Sc (Cur) |
Psychiatric Nursing |
HSE |
Weedle |
Suzanna Jane |
B.Sc (Cur) |
Intellectual Disability Nursing |
Stewarts |
Jeffery |
Karen Iris |
B.Sc Children's & General Nursing |
Children's & General Nursing |
AMNCH |
Alumni Spring Event 13 March 2014
The School of Nursing and Midwifery hosted an alumni event on 13 March 2014 with broadcaster and publishing entrepreneur Norah Casey as the keynote speaker; the response was provided by Dr David Prendergast, a social anthropologist and Principal Investigator with the Intel Collaborative Research Institute for Sustainable Connected Cities. The event was attended by alumni, School staff, representatives from partner health care services, industry, and research bodies. Professor Agnes Higgins, Head of School, welcomed everybody and highlighted the strategic importance of the event in building relationships with current and future alumni, as well as developing collaborations with industry and practice in relation to advancing the research agenda of the School.
Norah Casey's presentation entitled the 'Power of You' was an inspiring insight into how her personal life events have influenced her professional journey and career decisions. Norah challenged the audience to use their potential to grow and to fulfil ambition and individual aspirations. The response by Dr David Prendergast reflected his personal and professional involvement with The Laura Lynn Foundation. Dr Prendergast also noted the School's expansion in research activity and capacity, and highlighted the development of the Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation, the vast expertise available within the school and support for advances in healthcare research and innovation for the future. In closing the event, Professor Mary McCarron, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, thanked both speakers for their inspirational words and commitment to the School of Nursing & Midwifery and spoke of the inspiration that the alumni present also represented, thanking them for the critical leadership and clinical roles they play in health care, services and education. She particularly spoke of her appreciation of their interest in staying connected to the School and looked forward to seeing them at future events.
The Alumni Committee wish to thank the Trinity Foundation, World Travel Centre, Cardiac Services, ExOrdo, Kopikat and Codex Office Products who sponsored the event.
International Winter School award ceremony with US nursing students
Award ceremony celebrating the completion of the two-week intensive International School in the School of Nursing and Midwifery with nursing students from California State University, Channel Islands, USA.
The Trinity International School offers international nursing students a great opportunity to combine learning about nursing in Ireland with an active programme which provides experience of clinical practice, lifestyle and culture in Dublin. The two-week intensive programme provides opportunity to gain insight into the Irish healthcare and culture and a global view of nursing.
Key features of the programme include: exploring the world of Irish nursing; learning about health structures and contemporary health problems in Ireland; meeting nursing students in a round table exchange of student experiences; meeting leading researchers and discovering what innovative practices are being developed; experiencing how culture, lifestyle and quality of life affect health; visiting clinical areas to compare nursing practice in Ireland with their home country; as well as social visits to the world famous and historic Book of Kells, and contemporary exhibitions in the Science Gallery. Clinical site visits- two days are spent in clinical areas so that students have experience and gain insight into healthcare and nursing in Ireland.
Among the comments, one student wrote "I had never been out of the country and having now experienced the hospitality of the Irish people, I will have high expectations for the rest of the world. The professors at Trinity College were exceptional and impressive, and the organization of materials and scheduling allowed for some sightseeing of the country as well as a thorough curriculum comparing Irish and American healthcare. I am forever grateful and forever changed as a result of this outstanding experience."
Other students wrote:
"This programme was an invaluable experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life. The memories will have a lasting impact on my personal life and well as my professional life. I wish I could have studied here all semester."
"This program was absolutely wonderful. I am amazed by the content of this course and by the amount of knowledge we gained within two weeks... I will definitely recommend this trip to all other nursing students back home."
Memorandum of Understanding with Naas General Hospital
The School signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Naas General Hospital on the 16th of January. This MOU formalises a long standing relationship with Naas Hosptial and the staff working within the hospital. The MOU incorporates teaching, practice and research.
Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation (CPHI) Funding Success
The CPHI with Mr Paul Gallagher have been awarded 90,000 euro from the The Royal Hospital Baggot St Fund to continue work with St James nursing staff. The CPHI has also with Mr Kevin Cullen of the Work Research Centre been awarded 10,000 euro for work with the Carers Association Ireland to estimate and describe the extent and nature of the contribution of family carers to the process of caring for frail, ill and people with disabilities in Ireland.
CPHI Presentations at School's Recent 13th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Prof. Catherine Comiskey recently spoke at the opening address of the School's 13th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference highlighting the role of the newly established CPHI within the School and College. Prof. Comiskey's research into health promoting schools and child health was also presented at the Conference with Dr. John Dinsmore's recent INTEL behavioural change research (under Principal Investigator Dr. Catherine McCabe) into self-management practices of individuals with COPD.
Findings from the practice lead research by clinician Catherine O'Brien (CNS St James Hospital) with Dr Dempsey on risk assessment of febrile neutropenia in patients receiving chemotherapy were also presented. Sinead Teehan (CNS St James Hospital) presented further findings from her research with Dr Dempsey and Dr McKee on the Irish experience of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.
Brian Merriman Joins the CPHI Team
The School of Nursing and Midwifery would like to welcome Brian Merriman to the CPHI team. The post-doc contract was awarded to the CPHI from the Childrens Research Network of Ireland and Northern Ireland for 30,000 euro to support Brian's role. Brian is a research fellow on Growing Up in Ireland based at the Children's Research Centre. He works in the qualitative strand of the study, specialising in child-centred research methods and qualitative analysis. In 2010, Brian joined the GUI team from the Child and Family Research Centre (CFRC) at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he has just completed a PhD at the School of Psychology. Brian is a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland. His research interests are in child-centred methodology, service development, and personal construct psychology.
The Irish Healthcare Centre Awards
The Irish Healthcare Centre Awards 2014 were held on the March 6th in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. There were 20 awards sections across the whole range of health care from healthcare centre of the year to research team of the year judged by an esteemed selection of judges.
Well done to the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Service including our colleague Prof Mary McCarron in taking two awards for the Building Project of the year and the Specialist Care Centre of the year.
Congratulations also to St James's Hospital and the School on reaching the final within the Large / Teaching Hospital - Department Initiative of the Year section with the Centre of Practice and Healthcare Innovation (CPHI) and the project Reducing the Risk of Infection in Cancer patients following Chemotherapy, also undertaken between the CPHI and St James Hospital.
New Resource Pack to help practitioners develop practice.
All health care professionals are challenged to provide ongoing practice development. Developing and testing current practice or inventing a new way to provide health or social care is a complex activity that draws on a number of different fields of study. This resource provides information on the guidelines available and key issues to consider when developing and testing a complex intervention. It is likely to be of particular interest to both practitioners and researchers new to the process. You can hear directly from experts on various aspects of intervention development, in a collection of specially made videos. In addition, links to useful resources such as published papers and books, websites and particularly helpful courses abound, throughout the resource pack.
Midwifery Student Emma Carpenter Proposing that Ireland is a Breastfeeding Friendly Country
On Monday 28th April, 2014 six midwifery students from each University educating midwives debated the motion: This house believes that Ireland is a Breastfeeding-friendly Country in the presence of Mrs. Sabrina Higgins, wife of President Michael D. Higgins. The midwifery students taking part were: Emma Carpenter TCD, Leah Branighan Murphy DKIT, Norah Kenny UL, Roísín Bradley UCC, Roísín O’Mara UCD, Sadhlóg Ní Chualáin NUIG. It was wonderful to see articulate, confident and passionate young women stand up and speak for midwifery and breastfeeding. Congratulation to Emma Carpenter who represented the midwifery students and the School so ably and passionately.
This event marked the inauguration of Midwives Week, an initiative of An Bord Altrainais agus Cnaimhseachais (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland) to highlight and celebrate midwives and the profession of midwifery in Ireland with the theme of ‘Promoting Safe Care for Mother and Baby’. In 2011, midwifery was recognised again as a separate and distinct profession in the Nurses and Midwives Act, 2011, a recognition that was lost in 1950.
Congratulations to Ms Amanda Drury (PhD student)
The School of Nursing & Midwifery would like to congratulate Ms Amanda Drury (PhD student) who was selected to attend the European Academy of Nursing Science Summer School for Doctoral Studies 2014-2016, with the kind support of a scholarship from the European Science Foundation. Amanda will be funded to attend the summer school and associated conference for the next three years. Amanda's PhD work will focus on The Cost of Survival: Understanding Colorectal Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life. She is being supervised by Dr. Anne-Marie Brady and Prof. Sheila Payne.