The role of nurses and midwives in the targeted Covid-19 immunisation programme has been set out by NMBI and its partners.

The High-Level Task Force on Covid-19 Vaccination and its strategy has been developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and the Department of Health. This has been endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) which has resulted in the development of a targeted immunisation programme for vaccine recipients against Covid-19.

“Nurses and midwives must have received training in the administration of the product as approved by NMBI,” said Anne-Marie Ryan, Director of Education (Nursing) at NMBI.

“The HSE provides governance for registered nurses and registered midwives through the development of medicine protocols for each vaccine included in the Covid-19 vaccination programme.”

NMBI Category 1 approved education programme (5 CEUs) supports registered nurses and registered midwives in the administration of Covid-19 vaccines under medicine protocol.

The HSE Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD) in collaboration with the National Immunisation Office (NIO) develops medicine protocols for the administration of the Covid-19 Vaccines to vaccine recipients under medicine protocol by registered nurses and registered midwives.

The Medicine Protocols apply to:

• Registered nurses and registered midwives employed by the HSE and HSE Funded Agencies (Section 38s) who are involved in the administration of Covid-19 Vaccine to vaccine recipients under the medicine protocols.

The vaccines can be administered under medicine protocol in:

• Health Service Providers across the voluntary and statutory services of the HSE and HSE Funded Agencies (Section 38s), non-HSE healthcare facilities and mass vaccination centres.

The following requirements are necessary for registered nurses and registered midwives employed by HSE & HSE Funded Agencies (Section 38s) to administer Covid-19 vaccine under medicine protocol:

• Be a registered nurse or registered midwife, employed by the HSE and HSE Funded Agencies (Section 38s), on the active register maintained by the NMBI 

• Completed an approved education programme for registered nurses and registered midwives on the use of Medicine Protocols for the Covid-19 vaccines to vaccine recipients by registered nurses and registered midwives and any updates. This is available on HSELanD and is titled “Covid-19 Vaccination programme for nurses and midwives”. This is NMBI category 1 approved 

• Completed Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers within the last two years 

• Completed an Initial anaphylaxis programme National Anaphylaxis Education Programme for Health Care Professionals via HSELanD followed by a one and a half hour classroom based skills workshop (replacing the previous four hour classroom based programme) 

• Complete subsequent updates every two years via HSELanD Anaphylaxis e-learning programme is available here. 

• The nurse/midwife must complete the Competency Assessment Form to administer the Covid-19 Vaccines (this is included as an appendix to each medicine protocol).

The National ONMSD Nursing and Midwifery Immunisation Working Group (education subgroup) has developed an education programme for registered nurses and registered midwives to support the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. This is NMBI Category 1 approved.

The online education programme consists of recorded PowerPoint presentations, which are accessible on HSELanD,

The education programme is continually updated as new evidence emerges.

A series of 1-hour Question and Answer sessions will be held by remote platform, dates as follows:

• Tuesday, 23 February 2021 at 12.00pm
• Tuesday 2 March 2021 at 12.00pm
• Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 12.00pm
• Tuesday 16 March 2021 at 12.00pm

Those who register for the online education programme can choose the option to attend any of the above dates. The sessions will be facilitated by representatives from the NIO, Centres of Nurse and Midwifery Education (CNMEs) and ONMSD.