As we begin a new year and indeed a new decade, NMBI would like to give our readers an insight into the important work of our Board members, and begin with a profile of NMBI President, Essene Cassidy.

Background

Essene began her nursing career in Temple Street in 1991 completing a three year apprenticeship model children’s nursing course. When asked about her early nursing career, Essene said that while the training programme and work was challenging at times, she received an excellent training, made lifelong friendships which continue to this day and she appreciates the guidance and mentorship she received.

Through her commitment to continuing professional development, she holds qualifications across a broad range of areas, achieving a Masters level in Child Health at UCD, a Higher Diploma in Rehabilitation Management from UCD, a Higher Diploma in Public Health Nursing from UCC and a Bachelor of Nursing Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

More recently, Essene has completed courses in Corporate Governance and Medical Law and is currently studying Quasi-Judicial Decision Making.

Career

Essene has extensive experience working in a variety of roles and functions across a number of acute and community settings, from immunisations, disability, area public health nursing, schools nursing teams and early year’s inspectorate.

She worked on the first Meningoccol C immunisation programme which provided the framework for all programmes that followed (MMR, HPV, Swine Flu). In her position as Liaison Nurse for Physical and Sensory Disability, she was involved in the roll out of the national disability database and the development of Acquired Brain Injury services across the south east of the country.

In 2007, when An Bord Altrainis removed the mandatory midwifery requirement from the public health nursing course, Essene studied the programme and qualified as a public health nurse (PHN). Over the following years she worked as an Area PHN, Schools PHN and Immunisation team lead before moving to an inspectorate role in the Early Years Inspectorate in TUSLA.

In her current position as Director of Public Health Nursing, Essene leads a team of 160 nurses, midwives and care staff responsible for providing health services across the Dublin North West region of Community Health Organisation 9 (CHO), currently known as Dublin North City and County (DNCC), with active involvement in frontline clinical care within the community.

The Board

Essene has always been proud to call herself a nurse but would admit she had little understanding of the role of An Bord Altrainis in the early years of her career.

She was first elected to the Board of NMBI as a representative from Public Health Nursing in 2012. This was a key time for the organisation with the enactment of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, which reformed the regulation of nurses and midwives. For the newly restructured Board with a lay majority, this meant a large amount of work had to be done to oversee the reforms.

During her time on the Board she has served as chairperson of NMBI’s Ethics Committee supporting the development of the updated Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives, Guidance for Registered Nurses and Midwives on Medication Administration and the Scope of Nursing and Midwifery Practice Framework. She was also vice chair of the Fitness to Practise Committee.

Elected by the Board as President in January 2016, Essene has led the way in strengthening the Board’s relationship with registrants, the public and key stakeholders by making the work of NMBI more open and transparent. She has worked hard to promote the vital work of the NMBI in protecting the public and the nursing and midwifery professions.

She can proudly say she has enjoyed every part of her journey with the Board and feels that while involvement takes up a large amount on her personal time, the personal learning and development opportunities gained from being a member of the Board far outweighs any negative impact on her personal time and would recommend becoming a board or committee member to any nurse or midwife considering becoming involved.

The camaraderie between Board members and how they have developed as a group over the past seven years is a sense of great pride to Essene.

“I am particularly proud that we shifted our decision making away from motions and voting to decision by consensus. While there is always robust and healthy discussion, at the end of the day the Board is a collective and speaks with one voice.”

Interests

In her childhood and early adolescence, Essene was a competitive swimmer, representing Waterford Crystal SC at local and national level. She holds a bronze medallion in lifesaving, and still enjoys swimming, although nowadays it tends to be only sea swimming, weather permitting.

Originally from Waterford, Essene’s grandfather was a shoe maker which taught her to appreciate the craft and led to her love of shoes.

Outside of her work with the HSE and as Board President of NMBI, Essene spends her time with her husband and can be found on the side-lines supporting her children during football and soccer matches.

Looking to the future, Essene and the Board of the NMBI would like to thank you for your contribution to the profession and look forward to working with you in 2020.