As part of our aim of protecting the public, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland is legally responsible for considering complaints against nurses and midwives who practise in Ireland. Our Fitness to Practise department aims to deal with all complaints fully, fairly and in accordance with the legislation which gives us our regulatory powers.

New legislation, the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) Amendment Act, 2020, which came into effect on 01 August 2021 means a number of changes to the manner in which NMBI deals with these complaints.

Many of the changes introduce efficiencies and remove some of the cumbersome administrative steps which delayed the process, including the following:

• The NMBI CEO can now decide not to progress a complaint if it is deemed that it is not made in good faith or is frivolous or vexatious. For example, this could be where the complaint may not relate to a registrant’s practice as a nurse/midwife or where there are repeated complaints from the same complainant. It also arises where a complainant is already in a conflicted position with a registrant.
• The Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC), which is the first stage of the process, can now request the registrant to offer undertakings and where these are offered, the investigation into the complaint is completed.
• The inquiry panel for new inquiries will be reduced from five persons to three. Smaller inquiry panels are less daunting for registrants.

Further, more detailed information will be available on our website in the coming weeks.

The upcoming 2022 annual registration renewal window is being extended to allow nurses and midwives more time to register. It will be open for registration from 25 October 2021 until 31 January 2022. We hope the additional time will make the process as user-friendly as possible for our registrants.

All nurses or midwives practising in Ireland are required to have your name on the Register of Nurses and Midwives which is maintained by NMBI. Each year it is necessary to pay the annual renewal to maintain your registration. 

For the second year, the annual renew process will be done exclusively through MyNMBI. NMBI remains committed to improving our registration process and making it more streamlined and less paper driven. We recognise that some registrants experienced difficulties in engaging with the online system and over the past few months we have listened to the feedback from registrants and worked to streamline the process. An upgrade of our MyNMBI system has been introduced in the past few weeks, which aims to improve the experience for users. This year, the application will be mobile enabled, making it more convenient to access MyNMBI services. A number of guides will also be made available ahead of this year’s annual renewal.  

Notices will be issued to inform all registrants in advance of the annual renewal window and full information will be published on our website. 

NMBI is inviting calls for expressions of interest from registered nurses to fill vacancies on the Preliminary Proceedings Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee.

We will create a panel of shortlisted applicants from which to fill vacancies on both committees between September 2021 and January 2022.

Details of these vacancies and how to apply are on our website.

Please share this link with anyone who you think may be interested. The closing date for applications is Monday, 30 August 2021 at 12 noon.

The Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC) gives initial consideration to complaints made about a registered nurse or registered midwife. When a complaint is received, the PPC will consider all of the information relating to the complaint and will form an opinion as to whether there is sufficient cause to warrant further action being taken. If the PPC is of the view that there is a sufficient cause to warrant further action, it will refer the matter to the Fitness to Practise Committee for a sworn oral inquiry.

The Fitness to Practise Committee (FTPC) considers complaints which are referred to it by the Preliminary Proceedings Committee. Members of the committee sit in ‘panels’ for the purpose of considering complaints at inquiry. An inquiry is similar to a hearing that usually takes place in a court or before a tribunal. Members of the committee of inquiry hear and consider evidence and information presented to them.

More information on the work of the committees is available on our website.

Registered Midwives who are on the NMBI Registered Nurse Tutor (RNT) division can apply to be transferred to the Registered Midwife Tutor division (RMT), providing certain criteria are met.

Since 2018 there has been a RMT division, established in recognition that pursuant to the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, nursing and midwifery are distinct and separate professions. With the formal recognition of midwifery as a profession distinct from nursing and under the Nurses and Midwives Rules 2018 the additional RMT division was created.

Previously, the RNT division included individuals who taught nursing and individuals who taught midwifery. Registered midwives who are currently RNTs and who completed their tutor’s education programme and teaching practice in midwifery settings have the opportunity to transfer from the RNT division to the RMT division of the Register.

If you are a midwife and wish to be considered, you are required to have one of the following:

• Evidence from a previous employer that your role held was one of a Midwifery Tutor/Lecturer or similar roles where it was a requirement to have a RNT qualification

or

• Confirmation from a current employer that you are employed as a Midwifery Lecturer or similar where, as above, registration is required.

If you wish to apply for transfer from the RNT division, you must complete an application form and send it to midwifery@nmbi.ie by Wednesday, 29 September 2021.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) took place in early August to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding and to improve the health of babies and mothers.

Celebrated from 1-7 August each year, WBW is organised by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network that promotes and supports breastfeeding around the world. Midwives play a very important role in supporting women in breastfeeding.

This year, the WABA selected the theme Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility to highlight the links between breastfeeding and survival, health and wellbeing of women, children and nations.

You can find out more about World Breastfeeding week 2021 and previous years on the WABA website.

This latest edition of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) Drug Safety Newsletter includes recommendations and advice issued by the European Medicines Agency's (EMA's) safety committee (the PRAC) to healthcare professionals on a small number of very rare but important adverse reactions associated with Covid-19 vaccines.

The 104th edition includes:

• Covid-19 Vaccines Pharmacovigilance Update
• Myocarditis and pericarditis – Comirnaty® and Spikevax®
• Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) – Vaxzevria® and Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen®
• Capillary Leak Syndrome – Vaxzevria® and Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen®
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) – Vaxzevria® and Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen®
• Direct Healthcare Professional Communications published on the HPRA website since the last update

For further details please click here.

HSE publishes Capital Plan 2021

The Health Service Executive’s Capital Plan for 2021 has been published and will see an investment of almost €1 billion for the construction and equipping of health facilities.

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly announced the plan to support the delivery of strategic reform and a move towards universal healthcare.

Speaking about the new plan, Minister Donnelly said the investment “is evidence of the importance that the government places on improving healthcare in Ireland and supporting the move towards universal healthcare’.

A number of health capital projects and programmes are underway and at various stages of development including:

• the New Children’s Hospital
• projects to provide additional capacity in our hospitals
• the Radiation Oncology Programme in Cork, Dublin and Galway
• the Primary Care Centre construction programme
• the replacement and refurbishment of community nursing units for older people and long-term residential care units and housing in the community for people with disabilities
• mental health projects to upgrade and expand facilities
• capital funding for the national equipment replacement programme, ambulance fleet replacement and minor capital provision to deal with infrastructural risk priorities

You can read the Health Service Executive’s Capital Plan for 2021 in full here.

Covid-19 booster vaccines will be available from autumn

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly has said that Covid-19 booster vaccines could begin from September.

Government plans have commenced for the rollout of a booster programme with nursing home residents, the over-80s and frontline healthcare workers expected to start receiving their booster vaccines from autumn.

Taoiseach, Micheál Martin has said he expects vaccine-booster shots to be available to wider sections of society in the winter.

The booster vaccine is expected to be administered in line with the flu vaccine.

DCU nursing student Sarah Torrans represents Ireland at 2020 Olympics

Sarah Torrans, a third year General Nursing student at DCU has been competing on the Irish hockey team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Sarah is part of the first Irish women’s hockey team to qualify for the Olympic Games, after beating Canada on home ground in November 2019.

Team Ireland, the 2018 World Cup silver medallists, had one win from five in Pool A, missing out on a quarter-final place after their 2-0 defeat against Great Britain at the Oi Hockey Stadium.

DCU unveils portrait of the late Ms Justice Mella Carroll

DCU has unveiled a portrait of the late Ms Justice Mella Carroll who served as Chancellor of the University from 2001 and chair of the Governing Authority. Ms Justice Carroll was the first woman to serve as an Irish High Court judge.

Ms Justice Carroll’s report on the Commission on Nursing (1997-98) marked a significant milestone for the nursing and midwifery practice in Ireland, by highlighting the independence of the nursing profession and recommending that nursing education be undertaken within the university sector. This led to a new framework for further professional development of nurses and midwives.

More on this story is available here.

Over the last 18 months, we have highlighted the committed work of nurses and midwives in Ireland, especially throughout the Covid-19 pandemic by sharing their stories. We would like to thank everyone who has taken part and in the final part of our professional focus series we speak to Aishling Roffe, Clinical Nurse Manager at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

Why did you choose a career in nursing/midwifery?

I was always drawn to a career in nursing and for as long as I can remember I wanted to be a nurse. I loved how nursing could open endless opportunities but also allow me to help people. Initially I was focused on a career in general nursing but I narrowly missing out on a place through the CAO, and instead opted for mental health nursing, I planned to complete my degree and then study a post graduate course in general nursing in England. At the time my knowledge of what the role of a mental health nurse entailed was limited but after my first student placement this plan changed and I realised I couldn’t be more suited to a career in mental health nursing. Since then, I have completed a Master’s in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nursing and I am currently studying to become a nurse prescriber.

My career has also allowed me to travel and work in different countries like Australia. Nursing has opened up so many opportunities for me to learn, grow and develop into the person I am today. I love how every day is different and because every person is different, I am constantly adapting and changing my skills to work with young people and their families.

Was this your first career choice and what would you do if you weren’t a nurse/midwife?

I have always wanted to be a nurse and couldn’t really imagine another career. Although, I would love to own my own shop, a shop selling coffee and plants (my favourite things!).

How do you believe you have made a difference as a nurse/midwife?

As I work in an acute inpatient setting, I see young people and their families at their worst and at times of crisis. As a nurse I am in a prime position to listen, advocate and make a change for these young people and families. Seeing the change and growth in the young person and their family is very rewarding. One of the reasons why I love working in CAMHS is that you can really make a difference to a young person’s life and their families by empowering them with skills to help them become more resilient and understand their thoughts, feelings and concerns.

Do you have a memory in your job that really stands out?

I have lots of fond memories from my workplace and have many great friendships from nursing. The year 2020 was dedicated to the nurse, it was with great honour I was nominated by my nursing colleagues and won the nurse of the year award 2020 for the child and adolescent mental health services and a further award for nurse of the year overall service award for HSE Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow Community Healthcare (CHO7) mental health services.

How has COVID -19 changed nursing? Are there any positives that you will take with you?

Covid-19 was a very difficult time for all involved but it united my workplace, Linn Dara. It brought all the team together. Every member on the team’s workload increased, evolved and adapted but we all helped each other and learnt a lot from each other’s disciplines. Like most workplaces a lot of our work changed to virtual work, such as team meetings, therapies and family support. Although there is a lot of value in face-to-face meetings, there was also positives to take from using online resources.

If you could, what advice would you give to 19 year old you, starting out?

Trust and believe in yourself, it will all work out in the end!!

If you were given one million euro to spend on health, how would you spend it?

I’m not sure if one million would make a huge difference but I would love to use the money to fund a few smaller projects for example youth programmes, therapeutic garden projects and community school supports for mental health.

It’s post-pandemic and you’ve just won a holiday to anywhere in the world! Where would you go and why?

I would love to go to New York, it was on my agenda pre Covid-19. I am especially excited to spend my Covid savings in all the shopping outlets.

Back to reality…. You’ve a week to spend on holidays in Ireland. Where would you go and why?

It would have to be Spanish Point in Co Clare which I have booked for September. It is one of my favourite places in Ireland, I love being beside the sea and being able to go for a sea swim. You can join the locals in Spanish Point for a sea swim and some traditional music most mornings and evenings.