Clinical Nurse/midwife Specialist, University Maternity Hospital

Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) is a 150 bedded Tertiary Referral Centre for Maternity, Neonatology and Gynaecology located on the campus of Cork University Hospital. CUMH incorporates Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology Services in the Cork University Hospital Group within the Health Service Executive Southern region. CUMH has approximately 7,000 births per annum and is a tertiary referral centre.

Services at CUMH are delivered within the HSE South West Women and Infants Directorate, which is based on the principles of partnership and integration and strongly supports the involvement of the multidisciplinary team in service provision.

CUMH is a site for clinical placements for student midwives and student nurses in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with University College Cork.

CUMH Services incorporates the use of the MN-CMS (Maternal Newborn Clinical Management System) into care delivered at CUMH.

There are four Maternity Units in Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate – University Hospital Waterford, University Hospital Kerry, Cork University Maternity Hospital and Tipperary University Hospital - spanning four of the largest counties in the country. Maternity Services includes Neonatology and Gynaecology as well as Midwifery and Obstetrics.

The Group’s Primary Academic partner is University College Cork. A wide range of educational programmes and research is conducted within all hospitals in the Group.

The post holder will be employed as part of the multidisciplinary team at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE, on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.

Each Health Region will be tasked with population-specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population. This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance, while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.

Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:

· Integrated, locally planned and delivered

· Easier to access and navigate

· Available closer to home

Health Regions are geographically-based units with clearly defined populations. They align community and hospital services within specific areas. The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation, with more service provision developed at a local level.

The HSE South West Health Region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry. HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.

This includes:

· South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG

· Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH

The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region.

Services in the South West health region:

HSE Services working within this region include:

· Acute Hospitals

· Primary care services

· Community services

· Social care services

· Health and social care professionals

· Voluntary sector services

South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has become part of HSE South West Health Region since 3rd March, 2025.

Purpose of Post

The purpose of this Infection Prevention and Control Manager post is to:

Provide and maintain comprehensive, efficient and effective infection prevention and control service within CUMH. The post holder will promote patient safety. The post holder will ensure a high quality of midwifery/nursing practice through the prevention, surveillance, investigation and control of infection, incorporating policy development, audit, research and staff education. The post of CN/MS has a pivotal role in service planning, co-ordinating and managing activities and resources for infection prevention and control within the clinical areas. The main responsibilities in relation to infection prevention and control are quality assurance, resource management, staffing and staff development, practice development, facilitating communication and professional/clinical leadership.

The post holder in Infection Prevention & Control will play a key role in the implementation of an evidence based Infection Prevention & Control Programme in CUMH. The post holder will contribute to patient’s nursing or midwifery care through prevention, surveillance, investigation, liaison, education, research and control of health care acquired infection(HCAI)

The post holder in a specialist role will deliver care in line with the five core concepts of the role set out in the Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Midwife/Nurse Specialist Posts, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM) 2008.

Informal Enquiries

Ms. Katie Bourke, Director of Midwifery

Email: Katie.Bourke@hse.ie

Phone: 021 – 4920705

Ms. Claire O’Halloran, Assistant Director of Midwifery

Email: claire.ohalloran@hse.ie

Phone: 021 – 4920704