Play Specialist, Paediatric Services, University Hospital

Details of Service

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 4,571 (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 recommended 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 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 1.2 million.

Purpose of the Post

The Play Specialist will work with children of all ages, individually or in groups, within Cork University Hospital. They will assess the individual child’s needs and provide appropriate play activities which could include therapeutic, remedial and developmental play, facilitating expression of feelings and encouraging the maintenance of links within the home.

They will be involved in advising and supporting parents and carers in the play needs of children in the hospital. The Play Specialist will liaise with and participate in the multi-disciplinary team in the total care of the child, advising on play and communication with children.

Informal Enquiries

We welcome enquiries about the role.

Contact Diarmuid Nolan – Assistant Director of Nursing, Diarmuid.nolan@hse.ie /0873653102 - for further information about the role

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