Clinical Nurse Manager Emergency Department, University Hospital

Geriatric Emergency Medicine Service ED

The National Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons’ (NICPOP) is leading out on the development of an end to end pathway that describes cohesive primary, secondary and acute care services for older people with a specific focus on those with more complex needs and frailty. There is substantial emerging evidence (locally and internationally) that focusing on the management of the needs of the ‘frail older adult’ can produce significant dividends for both the older populations who use them and the systems that serve them (BGS, 2014; NCPOP, 2012). This involves bespoke care pathways, appropriate expertise in its management and ensuring key points of contact are made available to older adults and their carers that coordinate care and anticipate on going needs (thereby reducing periods of ‘crisis’). This requires a re-design of the way in which care for the older person is organised and delivered as articulated in the Older Persons/Chronic Disease Service Model.

The aim of the Frailty at the Front Door Team is to improve the experience and outcomes of older people >65 living with frailty presenting to acute services, and to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, lengths of stay and re-admission rates for this cohort of patients.

The CNM2 GEMS ED will oversee the effective care and management of the Older Person between care teams and settings, and will work with emergency physicians, geriatricians, acute physicians, nurses, therapists, community teams and discharge coordinators that will provide the best model for decreasing admission, readmission, and minimising length of stay, morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Post

The post of CNM 2 has a pivotal role in service planning, co-ordinating, and managing activity and resources within the clinical area. The main responsibilities are: quality assurance, resource management, staffing and staff development, practice development, facilitating communication and professional / clinical leadership.

Informal Enquiries

Siobhan Scanlon, Assistant Director of Nursing, 086 7872209, email: siobhan.scanlon@hse.ie

Norma O’Sullivan, Assistant Director of Nursing, 087 3536411, email: norma.osullivan1@hse.ie