Dear Student,

We hope you had a lovely summer and are delighted to welcome you to the start of the new college year. Nurses and midwives often tell us that they find it hard to know what’s happening in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, so here we have outlined some of the key news and events taking place within the School. We hope you enjoy reading our first newsletter and please contact us if you have any questions.

Prof. Kathy Murphy
Head of School

Annual Lecture Series “Working in Partnership”

Dr John Murphy:

Renowned clinical neurologist, president and chief executive officer of Danbury Health Systems, Dr John Murphy will be delivering a key note lecture entitled Improving the Quality of Care & Patient Safety in an Era of Reduced Resources at the School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual ‘Working in Partnership’ Lecture Series.

The lecture series is delivered in conjunction with the HSE, specifically Ms. Mary McHugh, Director of Nursing, Galway University Hospital. Mr. Murphy’s lecture will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 28th September in Aras Moyola Lecture Room 2, NUI Galway.

Dr. Moreen O. Donahue:

Dr. Moreen O. Donahue, Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services Danbury Hospitals will also deliver a lecture focusing on Nursing’s Response to Improving the Quality of Care & Patient Safety in an Era of Reduced Resources 

Find out more about this lecture series

Winning streak continues as nursing student makes it 4 in a row in HHS prizes

Our students have done it again! For the fourth year in a row, a School of Nursing and Midwifery 4th Year nursing student has won 1st prize in the prestigious NUI Dr Henry Hutchinson Stewart Medical Scholarships award for Nursing.

This competition is across the NUI Universities and the award is based on students' results from the final degree examinations in Nursing.

This year’s winner Krystle Ruddy, is a General Nursing student from Coldwood, Craughwell, Co Galway.

Read Krystle’s response to the news.

School of Nursing and Midwifery Conference April 2011

The third biannual international nursing and midwifery conference entitled Building and Promoting Excellence in Practice will take place in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway on Monday April 4th and Tuesday April 5th 2011. This conference is aimed at practitioners, researchers and policy makers and provides an opportunity for networking and the sharing of ideas around excellent quality care and promoting scholarship for the future. The gala dinner, which has always been a major success, will be held on the Monday evening.

Left to right: Ms. Mary McHugh, Director of Nursing GUH, Professor Kathy Murphy, School of Nursing & Midwifery, NUI Galway. Mary Francis O' Reilly, Director of the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit, pictured at the 2nd International Nursing and Midwifery Conference in Galway, April 2009.

Further details will be available on www.nursingmidwifery.ie from January 2011.

Research that makes a difference!

A strong and dynamic research ethos and culture exists within the School, which contributes to the culture of evidence-based nursing and midwifery practice currently evolving in Ireland. The School has sought to undertake research that makes a difference to day to day practice. Head of School, Professor Kathy Murphy outlines that a “key concern for the School is to undertake research that is meaningful and makes a real difference to nurses and midwives at the coal face and to those for whom they care. It is important that our research also has an impact on health, nursing and midwifery policy”

Left to right: Dr. Adeline Cooney and Professor Kathy Murphy pictured with physiotherapists involved in the PRINCE research study.

For further details on our research activities click here

Study at your own pace, from your own place

The School of Nursing and Midwifery now offers all postgraduate diploma programmes via blended learning. This means that nurses and midwives can now fit their learning around their work and home commitments and can study at their own pace.

If you don’t feel like taking on a complete programme, why not choose to take some stand-alone modules and build up to an entire postgraduate programme over time?

For more information on blended learning, click here

For information on stand alone modules, click here

Service learning

This year, 12 of our nursing students travelled to Africa during the summer to complete their service learning experience. Specifically students went to Zambia (Kabwe, Mpongwe and Lusaka) and Tanzania (Simanjiiro). Students will be hosting lunchtime presentations (1-2pm) on their experiences on the 6th, 7th and 8th October, Classroom 3, Aras Moyola.

Find out more about students’ service learning experiences and the charity (SNO) set up by the school to support our service learning sites.

Left to right: Student Nurse Karen O Brien and Clare Phelan of NUI Galway photographed on service learning placement in Our Ladys Hospice Lusaka, Zambia, July 2010

Study abroad - Fairfield University Connecticut, USA

Nursing and Midwifery undergraduate students also have the opportunity to have a study abroad experience in Fairfield University Connecticut, USA. This year Laura Rooney and Yvonne McDonagh spent a semester in Fairfield.

Find out more about our study abroad opportunities

Research Education Workshops

The research education support monthly workshops will resume again in semester one. These workshops aim to provide staff , PhD students and practitioners engaged in research with an opportunity to informally share and discuss their work. According to Declan Devane, Senior Lecturer “ these workshops, which were set up last year, have been really well evaluated and I’m looking forward to more exciting and interesting research debates and discussions”

To reserve a place and find out further information click here

Doctoral Fellowship Available

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is offering a Doctoral Fellowship for students commencing a PhD programme in the School in the 20010/11 academic year and who would not be expected to have access to external funding in the first year. Deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday, 30th September 2010 at 5pm. The application form and conditions of tenure are available on our website.