18 NEWS
Key issues addressed on advancing RNIDs’ role A symposium on advanc- ing the role of the registered nurse in intellectual disabilities (RNID) took place in Dublin last month. Organised by the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Direc- tor and the National Quality Improvement Office, the sym- posiumwas opened by Siobhan O’Halloran, chief nurse at the Department of Health. Speakers addressed a range of key subjects including:
At the symposiumon advancing the role of the RNID (l-r) : Marian Spelman,secretary of the INMO RNID Section; Ailish Byrne,chair of the INMO RNID Section; and Dr Mary Doolan NMPDU Midlands
• The development of com- munity nurses in intellectual disabilities by Prof Owen Barr • Acute liaison nurses role in acute hospital settings by
people with intellectual disa- bilities by Prof Mary McCarron. A lively question and answer
Liam Hamill and Muireann Ní Riain • Positive aging indicators for
session proved an invalua- ble opportunity for RNIDs to engage with the speakers.
Pressure against ‘employment control framework’
Hospital, Mullingar, there are 60 vacancies in the hospital and approximately 40% of staff nurse positions in the emergency department were vacant in September 2019. Progress has been made on the filling of the staff posts and graduate positions have been offered to 2019 graduates. As a consequence of the ina- bility of the hospital to recruit further recruitment initiatives were outlined to the INMO. In the interim, and pending the posts commencing, the closed beds remain closed. A further meeting is planned with man- agement on November 7. INMO IRO Joe Hoolan said: “Local management took the
staff, management made a decision to curtail activity levels by closing ward 4 with the closure of 10 beds until the end of October 2019 (at the time of going to press). The INMO will be monitor- ing progress on the filling of these vacancies on an ongoing basis.
The INMO has been engaged with the Ireland East Hospi- tal Group in relation to the ‘employment control frame- work’ which has been imposed on hospitals by the HSE. The INMO has been meeting with the Ireland East Hospital Group, chief director of nursing and other senior managers on a weekly basis in order to expe- dite the filling of vacancies in
hospitals, particularly the stat- utory hospitals. The INMO has been success- ful in getting a large number of posts approved through this process and will be endeavour- ing to maintain pressure on the employers to ensure that all frontline positions are filled in a timely manner. I n p a r t i c u l a r i n r e l a - tion to Midland Regional pending the recruitment of nursing staff. At a meeting on October 11, 2019, management con- firmed the start dates for 23 nursing staff between Octo- ber and the end of November. These posts will go to all ser- vices within the hospital and
– Albert Murphy, INMO assistant director of IR
The INMO and management in Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore recently agreed on the temporary closure of 12 beds due to the ongoing effect of the recruitment pause. The hospital has over 40 nursing vacancies and manage- ment agreed to bed closures responsible decision of match- ing their capacity to available staffing levels. The closure of beds allowed some staff to be redeployed, temporarily, until new staff arrived. With the arrival of new staff, further meetings will occur to discuss these beds reopening.” Tullamore beds closed due to recruitment pause In difficult times the INMO will be your only partner and representative. If you are not a fully paid up member, you cannot avail of the Organisation’s services and support in such critical areas as: safe practice, fitness to practise referrals, pay and conditions of employment, other workplace issues and continued professional development. Please advise the INMO directly if you have changed employer or work location Contact the membership office with any updates through the main INMO switchboard at Tel: 01 6640600 or email: membership@inmo.ie Is your INMO membership up to date?
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