Future shining bright for experienced Longford nurse

A Longford nurse was among five nurses from the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore who graduated from Trinity College Dublin with post graduate certificates in Advanced Practice in Nursing, having dedicated themselves to this course over the last two years.

This course has enabled each experienced nurse to develop the knowledge and skills required for registration as an advanced nurse practitioner and to undertake advanced practice roles that meet the challenges and developments within their relevant areas of expertise.

Maria Creggy from Longford has worked as an Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinical Nurse Specialist (ENT CNS) for 17 years in Tullamore Hospital and is also qualified as an RGN with a Higher Diploma in ENT Nursing, a MSc in Clinical Nursing, Post Grad Cert in Nurse Prescribing.

Maria said, “My special area of interest within ENT is Head & Neck Oncology which includes those patients with an altered airway, i.e. patients who have undergone a laryngectomy or tracheostomy procedure. My vision for the development of a Head & Neck Advanced Nurse Practitioner role is one of maximising quality of life for this group of patients who are often unable to articulate their social and healthcare needs as a result of both their disease and treatment. Providing advanced clinical nursing expertise to this patient cohort will enable efficiencies in terms of healthcare delivery systems whilst also providing positive patient outcomes.”

The other four graduates were Maree Healy (living in Westmeath but originally from Mayo), Grace Kinahan (Offaly), Annemarie Kirwan (Rosenallis, Co Laois) and Sharon Maher (Tullamore, Co Offaly).
Congratulating and acknowledging the work of the graduates, Louisea Burke Director of Nursing in the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore said, “We are so delighted that five of our nurses here in Tullamore Hospital have successfully completed their post graduate certificates in Advanced Practice in Nursing.

The course will have provided all students with a broad-based education experience enabling them to practice at a higher level of capability as independent autonomous and expert practitioners.
"The commitment of all five individuals is abundantly evident in all their hard work and dedication to the care of their patients in the Tullamore Hospital. We are extremely lucky at our Hospital to have such a highly skilled and newly qualified workforce at advanced practice level to ensure continued excellence of care for all patients.”