Annual Registration Renewal Now Open
 

 

The 2022 annual registration renewal window is now open, and registrants can renew online up to 31 January 2022.

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


 

The 2022 annual registration renewal window is now open, and registrants can renew online up to 31 January 2022.

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

Notices containing details on how to renew were issued by email to registrants. If you have not received your notice, please check your Spam or Junk email folders. If your email is not in these folders, you can contact our customer care centre at 0818 200 116 or email regservices@nmbi.ie and we will send you the details. When contacting us, please provide your name, Personal Identification Number (PIN) and date of birth to ensure we can deal with your query efficiently.

The annual renewal process must be completed through our online portal, MyNMBI and we would like to advise all registrants that we no longer accept renewal payments by phone. You can pay online using your own debit/credit card or if you are using a card issued to another person, please ensure that you have authorisation to do so. Under new EU requirements, the card provider/bank will request authentication to complete the payment.

A step-by-step video and guides have been created to assist you through the 2022 annual renewal process and we advise that registrants view these before renewing their registration. The guides can be accessed through the links below or on our website.

MyNMBI is now mobile enabled, allowing registrants to access the full range of services on their mobile/table device. For the best user experience though we still recommend registrants use a laptop or desktop to renew their registration.

Please note that due to the large number of Registrants who need to renew with NMBI, there may be times when the MyNMBI portal is slower processing details and payment, as a result of a high level of usage at any one time. If you experience this issue, we suggest that you log out and come back to the portal later. Peak usage tends to be in the evenings from 6 to 7pm.

While the annual renewal window is open until 31 January 2022, we encourage registrants to login and renew online as soon as possible. Please note, peak times for renewals are 29-31 December and processing during this time may take longer. To date, over 3,000 have renewed their registration.

For those who require assistance to complete the renewal process, please call: 0818 200 116 (Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:30pm) or email our Registration Department at regservices@nmbi.ie.

Experts in Older Person Care and Midwifery Invited to Join Panel for Fitness to Practise Inquiries
 

 

NMBI is inviting applications from nurses and midwives interested in becoming members of the Panel of Expert Witnesses working on behalf of the CEO of NMBI and the Fitness to Practise Department.


 

NMBI is inviting applications from nurses and midwives interested in becoming members of the Panel of Expert Witnesses working on behalf of the CEO of NMBI and the Fitness to Practise Department.

In particular, we would like to hear from nurses employed in senior nursing posts (5 years or more) in community hospitals or nursing home settings providing care for older persons. We would also like to hear from midwives with extensive experience in hospital and other settings.

An expert witness is required to give their professional opinion to the Fitness to Practise Committee (FTPC) on a matter arising from a complaint that has been sent forward for an inquiry. To assist the FTPC, the expert witness is asked to provide their opinion on whether the alleged conduct on the part of a nurse or midwife amounts to professional misconduct, poor professional performance and/or non-compliance with a code of professional conduct. As such it will be necessary for the expert witness to have the requisite degree of expertise in the discipline and/or specialist area of nursing or midwifery practice to which the complaint relates

If you are interested in becoming an expert witness and would like further information, please visit our website.

NMBI Annual Student Midwife Debate
 

 

NMBI’s Annual Student Midwife Debate will take place on Friday, 5 November 2021 and this year the event will be held remotely and streamed online. 

The debate is organised in conjunction with the six Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) that provide midwifery education leading to registration.


 

NMBI’s Annual Student Midwife Debate will take place on Friday, 5 November 2021 and this year the event will be held remotely and streamed online. 

The debate is organised in conjunction with the six Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) that provide midwifery education leading to registration.

One student midwife is selected to represent each of the six HEIs and the teams will be challenged to debate a motion related to midwifery practice.  

This year, the motion for debate is ‘This house believes that midwifery is still not recognised as a separate and distinct profession in the healthcare community’. 

Admission is free but registration is required to confirm a place. You can register for the event here.

NMBI Meets Future Nursing and Midwifery Students at Higher Options

 

The Irish Times Higher Options fair took place earlier this month and NMBI, in partnership with the Office of Nursing and Midwifery Service Director (ONMSD) were there to provide students with information on how to access careers in nursing and midwifery


 

The Irish Times Higher Options fair took place earlier this month and NMBI, in partnership with the Office of Nursing and Midwifery Service Director (ONMSD) were there to provide students with information on how to access careers in nursing and midwifery

The online event gives second level students from across the country the opportunity to speak with representatives from third level institutions, further and higher education bodies, and information organisations in Ireland, the UK and Europe. 

Over 30 nurses and midwives were available on our stand to answer student questions and we would like to thank them for their time over the two-day period.

Recent graduates Emma Helebert and Sarah Tyrrell, along with General and Psychiatric nurse, Catherine Cocoman and 4th year Intellectual Disability Nursing student, Bróna McGahon shared their experiences during a panel discussion with Brian Mooney from the Irish Times. A profile on each of our panellists can be read below and the discussion is available to view here.

We would also like to thank the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director for their support of this event. 

All the information we provided for students at Higher Options is now available on our website.  

Higher Options panel profile

Catherine Cocoman

Catherine is a registered General and Psychiatric nurse who always knew that nursing was for her. She gained valuable experience in a nursing home while she was in 5th year in school that cemented her desire to become a nurse. Catherine studied General Nursing in Trinity and believes that nursing is a very rewarding career. She feels privileged to work with people, helping to make their life a little easier when they are unwell or on the road to recovery.

Catherine furthered her studies by completing a postgraduate in Mental Health Nursing in DCU and is currently working in an acute psychiatric unit. She says, ’each day brings new opportunities to learn and no two days are the same. ‘There may be many highs and lows, but I love nursing and for me, there is no other career as rewarding’. 

 

Sarah Tyrrell

Sarah completed her Leaving Certificate in 2015 and went on to study integrated Children’s and General Nursing Degree at UCD, graduating in 2020 with first class honours. Sarah is currently working in St Michael’s Ward, Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin Hospital, an acute medical unit for children with diabetes, rheumatology, cystic fibrosis, haematology, neurology and psychiatry conditions. She says, the wide variety of conditions treated means that no two days are the same. 

During her studies and career, Sarah has developed a keen interest in student and staff nurse education and would love to undertake further qualifications in this area. 

 

Bróna McGahon

Bróna began her studies in Intellectual Disability Nursing at DkIT as a mature student after building a very solid foundation in healthcare. After completing her Leaving Certificate, she took time out to travel and gained voluntary care experience in Australia.

On her return, she completed the healthcare course offered by Monaghan/Cavan ETB to qualify as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA). It was during her time as an HCA, particularly in nursing homes that she developed a keen interest in intellectual disability conditions and explored her avenues to becoming an ID nurse. She particularly enjoyed building a relationship with the person she was caring for and getting to know their families.

Bróna is currently in her 4th year of Intellectual Disability Nursing and is looking forward to completing her internship in the future and progressing her career as an Intellectual Disability nurse.

 

Emma Helebert

Emma is a Midwife in University Hospital Galway. She graduated from NUI Galway in 2019 and began her career as a midwife in Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe.

Emma comes from Ballinderreen in south Galway where she began her Camogie career. She is a member of the Galway Senior Camogie Team that had recent success in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie final. She feels that working full time during a pandemic has had its challenges but being part of the camogie team gave her a huge outlet during a busy and stressful time. She says ‘winning the All Ireland gave the county and our maternity unit a huge boost. The support from my midwifery colleagues has been exceptional during the past few weeks while bringing some good news to our maternity unit during strange times’.

NMBI’s 2022 Careers Booklet Now Online
 

 

The 2022 edition of the NMBI’s careers information booklet Nursing/Midwifery-A career for you is now available on our website.

The booklet includes a comprehensive overview of the entry requirements, the application process, and the theoretical and clinical components of the different types of nursing and midwifery programmes available.


 

The 2022 edition of the NMBI’s careers information booklet Nursing/Midwifery-A career for you is now available on our website.

The booklet includes a comprehensive overview of the entry requirements, the application process, and the theoretical and clinical components of the different types of nursing and midwifery programmes available.

Information on post-registration courses leading to additional registration can also be found in the booklet and on the NMBI website.

If you have any queries about nursing and midwifery programmes, please contact the NMBI Careers Department at careersinformation@nmbi.ie.

HSE National Immunisation Office: Covid-19 Vaccine Bulletin
 

 

The HSE National Immunisation Office has published its Covid-19 vaccination bulletin which includes important updates in clinical guidance for the vaccination programme.


 

The HSE National Immunisation Office has published its Covid-19 vaccination bulletin which includes important updates in clinical guidance for the vaccination programme.

This edition includes:

  • NIAC Recommendations
  • COVID-19 vaccines given before the recommended or minimum interval
  • Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19 vaccination given outside Ireland
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen® SmPC has been updated
  • Extended shelf-life of Comirnaty®
  • EMA Updates
  • EMA starts evaluating use of COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty® in children aged 5 to 11
  • New formulation approved for COVID-19 vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer
  • Research
  • CoVax System Updates
  • Influenza

For further details, please click here.

News Round
 

 

This month’s news round up features stories including:

  • Technological University of Shannon: Midlands Midwest officially opens
  • Minister Donnelly welcomes reduction in geriatric assessments waiting times
  • Rathdrum Primary Care Centre Opens
  • Geraldine Tabb wins Nurse of the Year award at (HCCI) Home Care awards

 

Technological University of Shannon: Midlands Midwest officially opens

The Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) officially opened on 1 October.

Ireland’s newest technological university has a student population of 14,000 and a staff of 1,200 working across six campuses in Athlone, Limerick, Ennis, Clonmel and Thurles.

The formation of TUS comes after a number of years of extensive collaboration between Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology, which also encompasses the Limerick School of Art and Design.

The new higher education institution is the third Technological University (TU) to be established in the country following the creation of TU Dublin in January 2019, and Munster TU earlier this year. 

TUS is designed to drive development and investment across the midlands and midwest with a consolidation of expertise that will further strengthen its competitiveness, attract foreign direct investment and create employment for graduates.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Inaugural President, Professor Vincent Cunnane, said "achieving Technological University status creates momentum that will have a far-reaching positive impact for generations to come. It is also hugely significant for the wider economic landscape of the midlands and midwest, with an estimated economic impact of approximately €420 million per year." 

Minister Donnelly welcomes reduction in geriatric assessments waiting times

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly has welcomed a reduction in geriatric assessments waiting times under a new Sláintecare funded project.

The Age Related Care (ARC) Team project at Wexford General Hospital (WGH) and CHO 5 South East Community Healthcare, providing comprehensive geriatric assessments for older people, has reduced waiting times from six months to six weeks.

The team includes an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, a Senior Dietitian, a Medical Social Worker, a Senior Occupational Therapist and a Senior Physiotherapist. Patients who are referred to the service by the acute hospital as well as through community health services can access a range of services in one visit.

Recent results from the service show a reduction in non-attendance rates for appointments down from 10 per cent to 3 per cent while applications for long term care from the acute setting reduced by 12 per cent. A 14 per cent reduction in delayed discharges were also recorded.

Speaking about the service, Minister Donnelly said “Geriatric assessments allow older people in Wexford to access a range of services in one visit in their community – leading to better outcomes for patients and healthcare workers and improving quality of life. By building on existing services, this new model of integrating services is improving attendance rates and reducing waiting times for individual services.”

ARC has successfully secured long term funding through the Enhanced Community Care fund and aims to expand their services into four further locations in Wexford, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey.

For more on this story, please click here.

Rathdrum Primary Care Centre opens

Rathdrum Primary Care Centre in Wicklow opened earlier this month offering a range of services including a GP Practice, Public Health Nursing, Paediatric Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology, Mental Health and Social Work services.

The new centre will expand to include Dietetics and Podiatry in the future and deliver a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service and Chronic Disease Programme, funded by Sláintecare.

Speaking at the official opening, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said “the establishment of Primary Care Centres, like this one, puts service users at the centre of healthcare policy in Ireland. They are pivotal in the realisation of Sláintecare's vision to shift health and social care services left and take pressure off the acute care system in hospitals".

The Centre provides a population of over 6,000 people within the area access to a full range of community-based health and social care services.

Geraldine Tabb wins Nurse of the Year award at (HCCI) Home Care awards

Geraldine Tabb from Waterford has won Nurse of the Year at the Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) Home Care awards.

Geraldine, who works as a nurse with Right at Home in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow was chosen by judges at an awards event in the Shelbourne hotel on 21 October.

The HCCI Home Care awards celebrate the vital work that enables the most vulnerable to stay in the safety and comfort of home.

This year’s judging panel included Brendan Courtney (TV presenter and designer), Professor Thomas Kearns (Executive Director, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI), Katie Sloan (CEO Leading Age, USA) and Sandra Tuohy (the HSE’s Assistant National Director, Operations and Services for Older People).

Accepting the award, Geraldine said: “I would like to thank all the team at Right at Home who nominated me and to the judges who deemed me worthy of such an award. The team at Right at Home are absolutely fantastic. During the pandemic we all worked together, and we pulled together. We had our ups and downs, but we did get over them as a group and I think we all know here that teamwork is dream work. So, I would like to say thank you to each and every one of our staff and especially to David who is a wonderful leader and treats all of the staff with dignity and respect.”

Board profile - Essene Cassidy (NMBI President)

 

In a new series, we would like to highlight the important work of our Board members. In the first of our series, we speak with Essene Cassidy, NMBI President.


 

In a new series, we would like to highlight the important work of our Board members. In the first of our series, we speak with Essene Cassidy, NMBI President.

 

When did you join the Board of NMBI and why? How did you know about it?

I was elected as a representative from Public Health Nursing in October 2012. The then Minister for Health, James Reilly signed my letter of appointment in December of that year and my first official Board meeting was in April 2013. We were the first Board to serve under the provisions of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 which replaced An Bord Altranais (under the Nurses Act, 1985). This new legislation brought forward significant changes including reducing the size of the Board from 29 to 23 members with a lay majority.

I learned about the work of the Board when in early 2012, with a group of my colleagues, I attended an information session explaining the changes that were to be introduced under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. There was a lot of discussion about what the lay majority of the Board would mean for the professions. This resonated with me because I have always worked closely and supported colleagues in the workplace, so when the Board election was called, I felt that I should step forward as a candidate to give something back to the professions and to support professional development. I did not expect to be selected as I was one of the new cohort of Public Health Nurses who did not hold a midwifery qualification. The mandatory midwifery requirement for eligibility for the Public Health Nursing programme had been removed by An Bord Altrainis in 2007 and I wondered if my peers would consider if I had enough experience to represent the division. However, I was first elected in 2012 and then reappointed unopposed to a second term in 2017. As I near the end of my term I hope that over the years I have succeeded in providing an insight into the challenges and rewards associated with public health and community nursing.

Tell us a bit about the main functions of the Board of NMBI, why it is there and what it does?

That’s a really interesting question because I firmly believe that in the past people viewed the main functions of the Board as fitness to practice and getting registered but actually the Board does a whole lot more. Our core functions are the protection of the public and the maintenance of the integrity of the professions of nursing and midwifery in their interactions with the public. We achieve this by setting the standards and requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and midwifery programs that lead to registration and monitoring compliance with these standards to ensure a positive learning environment for students on clinical placement. Once nurses and midwives are registered, we provide guidance and advice to support competent practice. If there is a concern or a complaint raised with the Board regarding a registrant’s professional performance or misconduct, we investigate these prima facia complaints through our fitness to practice processes and finally we consider applications for restoration to the register to allow nurses and midwives to return to practice. So, in summary, fitness to practice is only a very small part of the work of the Board.

For me, having pride and professional integrity is the most important aspect of the work of the Board. As Board members we all have had different pathways to the Boardroom, we bring a wide range of experience from our workplaces and lived experience so that collectively our aim is to maintain professional pride and to uphold the quality of nursing and midwifery care at every single step in the persons journey and involvement with the professions of nursing and midwifery.

How is the Board different to the CEO and the Management team and what different role does it play?

From a Board perspective, as 23 people we operate as a collective and we set the strategic direction of the organisation. The CEO and executive’s job is to run the business of the organisation. For good governance it is really important that the Board speak with one voice, operate on a consensus basis and support the CEO and executive to deliver on our strategy goals.

Readers might be wondering how the work of the Board impacts them – could you give us some examples of the real impact that Board actions and decisions have on nurses and midwives?

During my time on the Board, I have become more aware of the amount of work that we do in collaboration with our key stakeholders around setting standards, supporting practice initiatives and promoting quality care provision by nurses and midwives.

A couple of key examples I recall, include the removal of the requirements for Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs) for nurse prescribers. This change has allowed our nurse prescribers to become autonomous practitioners. We also worked with the Department of Health on the advanced practice policy and revised the Advanced Nurse Practitioner pathways.

We undertook revisions to our Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives in response to legislative changes including the repeal of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution in relation to conscious objection for example and to support registrants in the provision of care in emergency situations presented as part of the public health response to the Covid-19 global pandemic. I believe that the Code is a key document for registered nurses and midwives and is the piece I am most proud of as a Board member. It is essentially the overarching constitution for nurses and midwives that supports the integrity of the professions and ensures that both nurses and midwives, and the public are kept safe. Registrants from a certain vintage will remember the Code as the ‘Little green book’ issued by An Bord Altranais in 1985. This was revised in 2015 and the little green book was replaced by a slightly bigger version. At the time I was Chair of the Ethics Committee which supported the development of this revision of the Code. While we believed that it was future proofed, here we are in 2021 and the Code has been revised again which shows the pace of change within nursing and midwifery, and within the healthcare environment. To me the Code is a living, breathing document and I have no doubt that it will be revised on a more regular basis as we deliver nursing and midwifery changes and expand over the coming years.

We also undertook a number of initiatives to support our students during the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Board made adjustments to how we measure students’ clinical practice to ensure timely progression to registration. Through the CEO and the executive, and in partnership with the Department of Health, the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD), the Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), the Institutes of Technology (IOTs) and the staff organisations we championed and supported learning in other ways. Through the use of artificial intelligence and hybrid approaches to learning and by focusing on the high-level definitions of domains of competency we supported our undergraduate and post graduate students to complete their clinical placements and ensure that they progressed in a timely manner through to registration. This ensured that compliance with the requirements of the EU Directive was maintained.

Supporting the Board of NMBI are a number of Committees and Sub-Committees, why are they there and how do they assist the Board?

There are eight committees which are essential to keeping the work of the Board going in accordance with our strategic priorities.

Four of these are statutory which means they are set out in the 2011 legislation. These include:

  • Fitness to Practice Committee (2011) and a Preliminary Proceedings Committee which are responsible for the running of our complaints management processes.
  • There is also a scaled back Fitness to Practice Committee (1985) which will is responsible for the management of legacy complaints coming through under the 1985 legislation and will disband once the last of these cases is closed out. 
  • Midwives Committee which advises the Board on matters related to Midwifery.

In addition to the statutory committees, we also have a Registration Committee, Business Strategy and Finance Committee, Audit and Risk Committee and the Education, Training and Standards Committee.

I would encourage registrants that if they are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Board, coming forward to work on one of our committees is an excellent introduction to professional regulation and a chance to expand your knowledge and experience.

The Board has a lay majority, what does this mean and what are the benefits of this?

Lay members bring a different viewpoint and they bring a balance to Board discussions. I do find that as a registrant on the Board, at times we can be quite emotional in our thinking and the lay members are really good at asking questions that challenge us and get us thinking outside of our comfort zone. I can see the absolute value in having a balance in Board thinking.

Having served on the Board for almost 10 years, what are the biggest changes you have seen?

One of the biggest changes has been that as a Board, and an organisation, we are more visible to our registrants. That was one of my core objectives when I became President - to be transparent, to communicate and to raise awareness and visibility of the Board with registrants. I think we have achieved this, and I hope that we have become more relevant to the professions of nursing and midwifery.

I hope for the next generation of registrants who are coming behind me, that they can see that yes, professional regulation is everyone’s business and that registrants and members of the public have a role to play in the Board as well. Being involved in the Board gives you an opportunity to expand on and develop your thought processes and develop skills that you really may not have had an opportunity to do otherwise.

During my time with the Board, I have been really lucky to work with and beside such a diverse group of people both here in Ireland and internationally. Through the work undertaken with the International Nursing Regulatory Collaborative (INRC) and CLEAR (Council on Licensure, Education and Regulation), I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn and grow from these experiences.

What have been the greatest challenges?

The greatest challenge I have felt was probably during the first few years of my time on the Board as a new Board under the new legislation. Then we faced a lot of different challenging situations in a very short period of time. Trying to balance my time to meet the challenges and understand my responsibilities as a Board member with the demands of working full time as a Public Health Nurse and having four small children, who were quiet young at the time.

To be honest, while the time commitment required of Board members is high, the pride that I feel in what we have achieved when I think about our strategic priorities, I believe it has been time very well spent. I have always been empowered by the Board and supported by my work colleagues and managers and I feel privileged to be the President. I am very fortunate to have a healthy working relationship with the Board and the Executive, and while I may as President be the public face of the Board, everything we do on the Board is done as a collective.

What have been the biggest advances and achievements?

As well as the advancements that I have previously outlined regarding the Code and our pandemic response in supporting the student learning environment, I am also really proud of our celebrations of 100 years of Midwifery Regulation (2018) and Nursing Regulation (2019).

We celebrated both centenaries with a conference and it is amazing to think we are one of the longest professional regulators in the country and internationally. After over 100 years of professional regulation, we are still here, we are relevant, and we are adapting to the professions needs. I think that is a huge achievement for us.

What advice would you give to your younger self, considering the experience you now have on the Board?

First of all, I would say be confident in what you bring, your views are valuable. Be open to learning and never assume anything, always ask questions.

Covid-19 has meant changes for everyone – how has the Board adapted and how have the changes impacted the work of the Board?

As a Board we kept functioning last year. We pivoted in the virtual space and everyone adapted really quickly. Board meetings were held remotely and as soon as possible we were able to move to a hybrid model. We were also able to keep our fitness to practice process going. While we paused initially in the first wave, as a Board we collectively came forward holding hybrid enquiries and Board meetings to ensure completion of the fitness to practice process with minimal delay. I think our ability to adjust to the public health challenges and keep our business going has been a significant achievement.

Finally, if someone is interested in joining the NMBI Board, or any other Board, what are the steps they should take and what advice would you give them?

There is nothing like being a member of a regulatory board. The experience you will get is amazing, as is the learning that you can bring back to your own workplace. The colleagues and the connections that you will make during your journey will stand to you for the rest of your life.

In terms of the steps you should take, you should think about your own professional development and about expanding your understanding of corporate governance as distinct to clinical governance. I believe it is important to step out of your comfort zone and to look outside the world of nursing and midwifery for further training and development. Start the conversations within your workplace with your peers and line managers about the work of the Board and its committees.

Being involved with a professional regulator is a positive for everybody. Yes, it does take a lot of your time but the value you are giving towards the integrity of the professions and the learnings that you can bring back to your workplace negates the time that you have to give. Most of all I would say enjoy it, enjoy every minute.