Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Candidate, Neurology University Hospital

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has approximately 800 beds and this will increase further to 1,000 beds on completion of the transfer of additional services to the CUH campus. CUH currently employs approximately 3,269 (WTE) staff of multiple professions and is the primary teaching hospital for the Faculty of Health and Science in University College Cork (UCC). UCC is the Academic partner of the South/South West Hospital Group. CUH has very strong relationships with each of the six schools within the Science Faculty of UCC and this is a key area for future development to maximise the opportunities for both the service and academia.

CUH is a Major Trauma Centre for the Republic of Ireland due to the wide range of specialties delivered by the hospital – including Neurosciences, Cardiac Services, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Renal, Internal Medicine, Vascular, Ophthalmology, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Maxillary-Facial, Paediatrics, Intensive Care, Oncology, Haematology, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Neonatology and Emergency Medicine. CUH is JAG accredited and is a Magnet4Europe Hospital.

CUH is the tertiary referral centre for the HSE Southern area, and the supra regional area of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny. CUH therefore acts as a regional centre for secondary and tertiary care for the catchment population of approx. 550,000 served by the HSE Southern area and a supra-regional centre for a total a population of 1.1 million.

In 2021 (which was a Covid year), CUH had 69,087 ED presentations; 215,529 physical out-patient attendances; 50,173 virtual out-patient attendances; 29,966 inpatient discharges and 27,960 day cases.

The main purpose of the post is to develop the job description and supporting documentation under the direction of the Health Care Provider’s Advanced Practice Stakeholder Governance Group, to enable the individual nurse to meet the NMBI Criteria for Registration as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner as set out in Advanced Practice (Nursing) Standards and Requirements (NMBI, 2017).

The individual will undertake the academic preparation and develop the clinical and leadership skills, competencies and knowledge required to meet the criteria to be registered as a RANP with NMBI. The scope of the cANP role must reflect the incremental development of expertise and as such, the cANP cannot deliver care as an autonomous practitioner.

Furthermore, the cANP will develop and submit their personal portfolio and all other necessary documentation to NMBI in order to register as a RANP.

The value of the nursing contribution as a distinct profession must be safeguarded and articulated in the development of new services led by advanced nurse practitioners, complementing rather than replacing current services delivered by doctors (NMBI 2017 p.9).

The overall purpose of the post is to provide safe, timely, evidenced based nurse-led care to patients at an advanced nursing level .This involves undertaking and documenting a complete episode of patient care (assess, diagnose, plan, treat and discharge patients) according to collaboratively agreed protocols and scope of practice in the clinical setting; demonstrating advanced clinical and theoretical knowledge, critical thinking, clinical leadership and decision making skills.

The advanced practice role demonstrates a high degree of knowledge, skill and experience that is applied within the nurse-patient/client relationship to achieve optimal outcomes through critical analysis, problem solving and accurate decision-making (NMBI, 2017). Central to this is the provision of quality care, a safe environment and processes for patients by the use of evidence based clinical guidelines that address patient expectations, promote wellness and evaluate care given.

The role will provide clinical leadership and professional scholarship in order to develop nursing practice and health policy at local, regional and national level.

The role will contribute to nursing research to shape and advance nursing practice, education and health care policy at local, national and international levels.

For informal enquiries, please contact:

Nora Twomey,

Assistant Director of Nursing,

Medical Directorate,

Cork University Hospital

Email: Nora.Twomey@hse.ie

Tel: 087 2186170