Director Of Nursing, Assistant, Practice Development Project Officer, Magnet Pathway To Excellence Lead

Details of Service

The HSE have recently undergone large scale restructuring and by September 2025, the transition to HSE Health Regions will be complete. The establishment of the Health Regions has resulted in new Regional Executive Teams being formed, who have assumed managerial responsibility for existing functions in Hospital and Community. HSE South West Region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services to a population in excess of 700,000 people across the counties of Cork and Kerry. The changes in healthcare governance arrangements are designed to make our services easier to navigate for people, to facilitate more integrated care, stronger accountability and greater transparency across the Region. This in turn aims to foster change and innovation at a local level to deliver high-quality services to populations based on their needs, making our service a better place to work for our staff.

The primary role of the post holder is to deliver a coordinated approach to the Pathway to Excellence Programme in acute hospitals throughout the HSE South West. The post holder will also lead on additional projects assigned by the RDONM. There are seven acute hospitals in the HSE South West Region. These are as follows:

· Cork University Hospital

· Cork University Maternity Hospital

· Mercy University Hospital

· University Hospital Kerry

· South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital

· Mallow General Hospital

· Bantry General Hospital

The ANCC Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence progammes provide organisations with the frameworks to achieve healthcare excellence. A number of HSE South West hospitals were part of the Magnet4Europe research project (2020 – 2024) to evaluate the effect of organisational redesign guided by Magnet principles. This led to the formation of international partnership with some of the world’s leading Universities and experienced Magnet recognised hospitals. The HSE South West will now build on this experience by supporting the ANCC Pathway to Excellence framework.

The ANCC Pathway to Excellence® Programme is an organisational credential to recognise healthcare facilities that create supportive workplace environments, where nurses can excel and flourish, positively effecting patient safety, quality and outcomes. Pathway-designated organisations are deemed the best places to work for nurses and midwives, with high satisfaction and retention. The programme defines and measures the essential elements of an optimal practice environment. Hospital designation recognises what is important to practice and values nurses and midwives contribution in the workplace.

Purpose of the Post

The purpose of the post is to assist the Regional Director of Nursing & Midwifery (RDONM) in achieving service goals, optimise clinical environments and contribute to the strategic development of nursing and midwifery in the HSE South West. The post holder will lead, and provide clinical leadership on all aspects of the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® application and designation processes and will lead on other projects assigned by the RDONM. The post holder will:

· Understand and interpret The Pathway to Excellence® Standards and how this relates to hospital’s existing structures and practices in the local context.

· Function as the primary liaison with the Pathway to Excellence® Board (USA), with the Department of the RDONM, HSE South West Region and Nursing departments across acute hospital sites.

· Establish and maintain effective relationships with Regional and Integrated Health Area leadership and other key staff to ensure achievement of goals

· Develop plans to ensure compliance and maintenance with Pathway to Excellence® requirements and other assigned projects.

Informal Enquiries

We welcome enquiries about the role.

Contact Bridie O’Sullivan –Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery, HSE South West, Email: bridie.osullivan1@hse.ie- for further information about the role

Contact Ann-Marie O’Keeffe- People Resourcing, Annmarie.okeeffe2@hse.ie – for enquiries relating to the recruitment process