2. What types of educational programmes obtain Category 1 approval?  

The NMBI approve CPD and in-service programmes that reflect the needs of the professions and the service; the very broad range of professional nursing and midwifery practice, management and leadership, practice development, teaching and learning, quality, patient safety, legal and ethical issues developed to address learning needs across a very wide range of practice settings. Programmes can be Nursing and Midwifery focussed or interdisciplinary in nature.

3. What are Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?

The NMBI award Continuing Education Units to the CPD and in-service education and training programmes that it approves. One CEU is awarded to approximately every 40 minutes to one hour of teaching and learning activity. These CEUs do not have an academic rating.

4. How many CEUs are awarded to a programme?

A minimum of 1 CEU and a maximum of 35 CEUs are awarded by the Board for any one CPD or in-service education programme event. CEUs are not awarded to clinical activity that may form part of the programme.

5. Why a maximum of 35 CEUs?

The NMBI believe that programmes that require more significant effort should be developed within an academic setting and accredited as minor, special purpose or supplemental awards to reflect the amount of workload involved.

6. Does the Board specify how many CEUs a registrant must achieve every year?

No, at this time the Board does not specify a minimum number of CEUs to be achieved by a registrant.

7. Is a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife required to submit evidence of CEU attainment to the Board?

No, at this time the Board does not require a Registered Nurse or Midwife to submit evidence of continuing education/CPD to the Board.

8. Who approves these programmes for approval?

The programmes are approved by the Chief Education Officer or the Acting Chief Education Officer.

9. Can an ELearning programme be granted CEUs?

Yes an ELearning programme can be granted CEUs once the programme satisfies additional quality checks within NMBI.

10. How long does NMBI Category 1 approval take?

Programmes should be submitted to the Board one month in advance, the approval process takes up to two weeks.

11. Where can I get the course approval application form?

The course approval application form is accessible through the Board website.  On the home page click on professional education and practice (tool bar top of page)   Then click on education (tool bar left of page)  Then click on Category 1 courses  The submission form and policy are available as a download If you have any problem accessing this form email education@nmbi.ie and request a form and you will be sent an electronic copy.

12. How can I submit a programme for approval to the NMBI?

You can email a copy of the submission to education@nmbi.ie or post it to, the Education Department, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 18/20 Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

13. How long are programmes approved for?

From April 2013 programmes will receive approval for 2 years; the exception to this will be conferences which are approved for the year in which the conference is taking place.

14. Under the Nurses and Midwives Act, 2011 will CPD become mandatory?

Part 11 of this legislation places responsibilities on Registrants, the Board and employers in relation to the Maintenance of Professional Competence. CPD will form part of the professional competence schemes that the Board will be required to develop. This work will require extensive consultation with all stakeholders.  When this work commences Registrants and other stakeholders will be invited to actively engage in this important regulatory activity.

15. If I have a query who can I contact?

You can contact the education department via email at education@nmbi.ie or via telephone at (01) 6398566. You can also contact Thomas Kearns at tkearns@nmbi.ie

 
Prior to the introduction of this framework PHN’s had no formal tool for assessment of ‘at risk’ children and families or recording of risk and protective factors. Use of the record has allowed for the objective measure of ‘at risk families’ that public health nurses have within each caseload. PHN managers now have a means of determining caseload acuity and of allocating resources according to caseload weighting.

Public health nurses in the Midlands have embraced this new initiative and consider the assessment framework and resource pack a key element of supporting ‘at risk’ families and contributing to the multidisciplinary care plan around the child and family. The CFHNA has been in use since mid 2011. A comprehensive evaluation of the project has been carried out.


Recommendations from the evaluation have led to changes to the initial two day training programme and some changes to the assessment record. Critically it led to a revision of the Child Health Record (level one) which now includes key questions that prompt the PHN to complete a level two assessment.

A full copy of the evaluation is available from:

http://www.nursingboard.ie/getAttachment.aspx?id=07974bc7-a2e5-4ab7-b4da-1a003ba64b30

The Forum, which comprises experienced specialist diabetes nurses, is dedicated to establishing and promoting best practice in injection technique for all involved in diabetes care, and aims to raise awareness of emerging and existing research relating to injection technique and the impact this may have on health outcomes.

The Forum’s overarching vision is to help all those with diabetes using injectable therapies achieve the best possible health outcomes by ensuring that the dose is delivered to the right injection site, using the right technique, every time.

One of FIT Ireland’s first actions has been the launch of the First Irish Injection Technique Recommendations for people with diabetes who use injectable therapies, which have been adapted from the First UK Injection Technique Recommendations 2^nd Edition, published by FIT UK.  The First Irish Injection Technique Recommendations can be found at: www.fit4diabetes.com/ireland .

The recommendations include the latest advice on injection sites and care, the correct use of pen devices, needle length, rotation of injection sites and much more.  A scale is included throughout to show the weight a recommendation should have in daily practice and the degree of support in medical literature.

Poor technique can lead to injectable therapies not being absorbed properly.  This, in turn, may cause immediate problems such as hypoglycaemia (a sudden drop in blood sugar because of accelerated insulin absorption) and/or hyperglycaemia (a rise in blood sugar because of slow insulin absorption).  Longer-term problems can also include lipohypertrophy (accumulation of fat under the skin caused by injecting too frequently in the same area).  Lipohypertrophy may cause variability in the absorption of insulin. 

The FIT Ireland founding board explain: “Injection technique is one of the keystones of diabetes injection therapy and it is vital that people get it right.  It has not always been given the recognition it truly deserves and it should be a priority in the management of injection therapies. To increase awareness of this important issue, FIT Ireland has been formed.” 

FIT is supported by medical technology company BD and both are committed to promoting injection technique best practice.

The Forum’s founding board is:

• Helen Twamley, Clinical Nurse Manager, Beaumont Hospital – (+353 1 809 3000)
• Sonya Browne Gleeson, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Beaumont Hospital – (+353 1 809 3000)
• Helen Burke, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, University College Hospital Galway – (+353 091 542 222)
• Patricia Coady, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Cork University Hospital – (+353 21 492 2896)
• Yvonne Moloney, Clinical Midwife Specialist, Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital – (+353 061 483 481)

For more information or queries regarding FIT Ireland, please contact:

Laura Blott
Lindsell Marketing

020 7402 0510

laura@lindsellmarketing.com  

1. Survey by Callan Institute St John of God Hospitaller Ministries


Are you working in a Behaviour Specialist role in an Intellectual Disability Service in Ireland?   If so, The Callan Institute St John of God Hospitaller Ministries, would like to invite you take part in a short internet survey.


The Callan Institute are interested in finding out more about the staff employed in these roles, their duties and how they fit into the structures of the services they work in. The aim is to identify how we can best support the skills set of staff employed and identify their future needs. This will help us look at how to provide the best possible services to individuals in receipt of behaviour services.

The survey is completely anonymous and should take no longer than 5-10 minutes.

To take part in this survey, please click the following link: 


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CallanPBS


2. Flora Women's Mini Marathon - ALONE

As Spring is hopefully sprung and we leave the winter behind us, getting fit and shaping up for summer is on the agenda with refreshed and renewed vigor! The Flora Women’s Mini Marathon has begun and ALONE would like to put out a call to all of you wonderful women (and any brave men!) to consider us in 2013 as your chosen charity.

We do not receive any government funding for the day to day running of our services. As a volunteer led organisation with a ratio of 15 volunteers to each staff member we ensure costs are kept at a minimum and the maximum benefits of the donations we receive goes towards the older people we work with. All funds raised are hugely appreciated and go a long way in the continued provision of our services in the community, the demand for which is ever increasing, with a 25% rise in calls for assistance in 2012.

As members of the nursing community in Ireland you are probably acutely aware of many of the issues faced by older people in today’s society. Your support would carry enormous resonance within the community and be hugely appreciated by us. - ‘Every step makes a difference’ take yours’ for ALONE! 

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Lydia on 01- 6791032 or by email at lydia.s@alone.ie. Please check out our Facebook page ALONE_Ireland for regular updates or follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/alone_ireland

ALONE- Keeping hearts hopeful.