MEDIA RELEASE
Public Health Nurses recognised by ICHNfor outstanding care in the community
(May 18) At the ICHN AGM, Wednesday May 18th, five public health nurses were recognised for the exceptional care they provide and their commitment to promoting Public Health Nursing in the community
Nominees for the ICHN Annual Award are highly commended for their professional commitment to nursing in the community and for their work in the promotion and development of best practice and services for identified health needs of varying population groups.
Those awarded have committed to their professional development ensuring that all practice delivered by them is evidenced based and will enhance the quality of care of their patients and the community at large.
Clare Lewis, clinical care manager for the elderly in Dublin North, was named the overall winner at the ICHN Annual Awards in addition to being named regional winner east for her dedication to the patients in her local community and also for thesupport and mentoring of community nurses in dealing with older clients with complex care needs.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Violet Hayes, Director of Public Health Nursing, West Cork. Violet was awarded for always going that extra mile when dealing with the patients within her community. Violet was also recognised for the huge support she has given to her staff at both a professional and personal level. She epitomises what all nurses should aspire to be.
The regional awards were presented to:
Regional Winner: Midlands Margaret Keogh, Public Health Nurse, Longford Westmeath.
Regional Winner: West; Marie Chambers, Public Health Nurse, Achill Island
Regional Winner: SouthGrainne O’Brien, Clinical Care Manager,Cobh
Regional Winner East; Clare Lewis, clinical care manager for older persons in Dublin North, CHO area 9
Speaking at the awards Ms. Johanna Downey President, commented “On behalf of the ICHN and the Public Health Nursing service we would like to congratulate all of our winners today. Their initiative, motivation and care given in the workplace is inspirational. Those awarded continually go above and beyond in the care they provide within their community”
“The work Violet Hayes has achieved in the local community is invaluable. We have worked with Violet and other public health nurses through the years and Violet has always gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to keeping older people in the community feeling safe and at home. On behalf of the Kerry and West Cork community, I would like to congratulate Violet for making our community a better place to grow old”.Commented Tim Healy, Owner and Managing Director of Home Instead Senior Care Kerry
Notes to Editor
Lifetime Achievement: Violet Hayes
Violet has relentlessly pursued further knowledge to ensure that the care provided by the public health nursing department is evidence based and patient centred. She has always been involved in national policy committees and is a strong advocate for patient centred care.
Violet has been an inspiration for all the team in West Cork. She is a huge advocate for nurses and has provided on-going support and mentoring for the team. Her support has enabled the development of two community Clinical Nurse Specialist posts in West Cork. Many of the team have completed postgraduate education with Violet’s support.
Violet has been very supportive of staff who have developed services in Tissue Viability and Diabetes prevention. Her vision and leadership has been instrumental in progressing and expanding the services. One of her team recently completed training in Lymphoedema management and a new service is currently being rolled. Breast feeding support and antenatal classes are also supported and implemented throughout the area.
Violet has also been a major advocate of the Men’s Health Promotion Group. This group consists of primary care staff from the public health nursing department, physiotherapy, dietician service, and mental health services. This team aims to promote all aspects of health-both mentally and physically for men in the local community. This service was initially developed for the local area and was delivered in local GAA clubs and at agricultural shows. However the team, in association with the GAA nationally, now collaborate with the Tony Fenton Foundation, with the aim of developing this service nationally. From the beginning Violet saw the potential for the service and facilitated the team to develop it.
Violet has many outstanding features however her leadership skills are what make her deserving of the overall award. When Violet announced her retirement a couple of weeks ago numerous phone calls from community RGNs, PHN’s, administration staff , home helps and GPs were received. Within her community Violet had been a huge support both in a professional and personal level. Violets epitomises what all nurses should aspire to be.
Regional Winner Midlands; Margaret Keogh.
Margaret works as the public health nurse on the early intervention team in Longford/Westmeath. This is a multidisciplinary team providing therapies and support to children aged 0-6 years with Complex developmental needs.
Margaret supports parents dealing with complicated medical and developmental needs which are challenging for the parents. She is resourceful and acts with compassion and understanding to advocate for the best outcomes for the families in her care.
She is involved in policy development in her area of work. She also teaches infant massage classes; parenting classes and works on the weekend essential duty roster.
Margaret carries out her work in a professional manner but also has a personality that puts parents at ease. Her farming background is often used to the amusement of her clients and colleagues.
Regional Winner West; Marie Chambers
Marie works as a public health nurse on Achill Island. She has a pivotal role in the Primary Care Team. She is an educator, and advocates on behalf of her clients, especially the vulnerable and elderly. She acts as a mentor for both nursing and medical students using every opportunity to provide education and learning.
Marie helped to establish the PHN led venous assessment clinic and its success is due to her enthusiasm to provide a locally accessible evidence based clinic for the community. She ensures her practice is up to date linking closely with experts in wound management to provide the best possible care. The success of the clinic is helped by her positive approach to providing all aspects of care.
Marie has a heavy caseload and heavy work load. She has been described as an inspirational person who always has time for both clients and colleagues. She listens and uses her wealth of experience to face challenges and work them out. She is energetic and her infectious enthusiasm and energy make her a delight to be around.
Regional Winner South: Grainne O’Brien.
Grainne works as the clinical care manager in the day centre in Cobh. She works closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team to build trust and engage clients to reach their full potential and lead full lives.
Grainne is a keen advocate for health promotion initiatives and she works in partnership with community organizations. She has an excellent rapport with her clients which encourages trust and the development of an individualized approach to planning care incorporating best practice focused on the client and their needs.
She recently completed her Higher Diploma in Gerontology and uses her academic learning to enhance her clinical practice using an evidence based approach to care provision. She shares her learning with the team and acts as a mentor to students and volunteers in the day centre.Grainne has developed excellent relationships with the local community groups and she initiated a Senior Citizens forum group in the day centre to ensure the voice of the client is heard.
Regional Winner East; Clare Lewis
Clare works as the clinical care manager for older persons in Dublin North, CHO area 9.
Clare has patient centered delivery of care at the core of her daily work. She acts as an advocate for clients and their families as they deal with different services. She has expertise in chronic disease management and long term conditions and uses this knowledge in carrying out advanced health assessments.
Clare supports and mentors community nurses in dealing with older clients with complex care needs. The aim of the care provided is to maximize self-management for the client and family. She uses a proactive approach to providing care for conditions such as COPD; Dementia and heart failure.
Clare is currently undertaking a PhD in research focusing on the care of older persons. She has presented both locally and nationally advocating for service development for older persons within the primary care setting.
Clare has developed ‘A Community Virtual Ward’ model of care to support older persons with complex health and social needs to remain at home for longer. This project was in the final 7 of 400 projects entered in the HSE Health Service Excellence Awards.
Clare is very experienced in her field with an impressive academic portfolio covering areas such as long term conditions; palliative care and heart failure. She is a nurse prescriber and previously worked as an ANP in heart failure in Beaumont Hospital. She brings her significant academic achievements as well as her wealth of experience to providing the best possible care for her clients and their families.