Assistant Director Of Nursing

Details of Service – Mental Health

The HSE provides a wide range of community and hospital based mental health services in Ireland and these services have been evolving as we continue to move from the hospital model to providing more care in communities and in clients' own homes. It is estimated that up to one in five of us will experience some mental health problems in our lifetime and in order to meet these needs, Mental Health Services are expanding and evolving.

We are committed to providing progressive high standards of recovery-based nursing care to clients with a wide range of mental health issues, which range from basic to complex, severe psychiatric care needs. Services include Adult, Older Adult, Psychiatry of Later Life, and ID with a Mental Health Diagnosis, Alcohol and Addictions Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN), Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH) and Liaison Services.

CAMHS provides assessment and treatment for young people up to 18 years and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Mental Health Services offer more rewarding nursing career opportunities than you may be aware of. Our nurse led services allow extensive opportunities to fully engage in the delivery of holistic quality care, working with many other health care professionals such as Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, General Practitioner’s, Social Workers, to ensure the best outcomes for service users and residents.

Mental Health Services actively encourage and support continual professional development as well as extensive access to rewarding career pathways. Nurses with experience qualify to apply for a variety of promotional managerial roles such as Clinical Nurse Manager, while those seeking specialist pathways can develop within roles such as Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Prescriber, Clinical Nurse Specialist roles and more. Nurses joining a Mental Health Service are fully supported and mentored.

Candidates must have at the latest date of application:

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc.

(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:

(i) Are registered, or are eligible for registration, in the Psychiatric Nurses Division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

And

(ii) Have 7 years post registration psychiatric nursing experience and 5 years psychiatric nursing management experience.

And

(iii) Have successfully completed a post registration programme of study, as certified by the education provider, which verifies that the applicant has achieved a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major academic Level 8 or higher award maintained by Quality & Qualifications of Ireland (QQI) or can provide written evidence from the Higher Education Institute that they have achieved the number of ECTS credits equivalent to a Level 8 or higher standard in a health care or management related area.

And

(b) Candidates must possess the requisite clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative knowledge and ability for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

2. Annual registration

(i) On appointment practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the Psychiatric Nurse Division of the Register of Nurses & Midwives maintained by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

And

(ii) Practitioners must confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

Post Specific Requirements

Demonstrate depth and breadth of nursing experience in the psychiatric setting, as relevant to the post including:

• Experience of working across a wide variety of Mental Health Services.
• Experience of policy development and translating policy into action.
• Experience of quality audit/assurance systems.