First advanced nurse practitioner in paediatric care appointed to Portiuncula

Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) has appointed its first Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Paediatric Integrated Care, one of the highest levels of nursing clinical experts in Ireland.

The PUH announced on Friday, September 20, that Siobháin Kiernan is the first to be appointed to the role with the Saolta Group of hospitals.

In 2022, the Saolta Group appointed three people to a two-year candidature process for the Advanced Nurse Practitioner, which were the first in the area of General Paediatric Integrated Care nationally,

The aim of the roles is to provide safe, timely and evidenced-based nurse-led care to children and young adults under the age of 16 for an agreed patient cohort.

Speaking about her appointment, Siobháin said, “The key focus of this particular role was to identify patients with low acuity and common childhood conditions who were on wait lists for conditions that could be easily treated with timely intervention, significantly improving patients' and families' quality of life.

“Unlike other advanced practice posts in areas of specialties, defining a patient cohort for the general paediatrics was the biggest challenge and, after reviewing the most common referrals received to general paediatric outpatients, we defined the patient cohort to include constipation, recurrent abdominal pain in childhood, eczema, asthma, and coeliac disease.

“I am very focused on delivering meaningful patient-centred care. I want to ensure that patients who attend my service are empowered, educated and equipped to manage the above conditions.

“These conditions are often relapsing, therefore it is essential that patients have the right information and a plan to intervene when an issue arises. In turn the children will have better outcomes,” added Siobháin.

The General Paediatric Clinic in PUH receives new patient referrals from general practitioners and review referrals from paediatric consultants as well as nursing staff.

In addition, an outreach clinic is held once a week in the Primary Care Centre in Monksland, Athlone, to integrate treatment into the community and provide patients and their families with care as close to home as possible.

Siobháin, who hails from County Longford, is a registered general and children's nurse. She worked at Children's Health Ireland Crumlin for 13 years, three of which were in paediatric cardiology and gastroenterology, before becoming a clinical nurse specialist, specialising in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, Higher Diploma in Children’s Nursing and Masters in Health Science as well as a certificate in Nurse Prescribing from University of Galway and a micro credential in referring for radiological procedures from Trinity College Dublin, allowing her to practice at the top of her field in meeting service needs.

Siobháin's interest in general paediatrics led her to the position of candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Paediatric Integrated Care, after receiving a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice from the University of Galway.

The Saolta Group said Advanced Nurse Practitioners are “redefining patient care via an enlarged scope of practice, more clinical autonomy and decision-making, and are the highest level of clinical experts in the nursing profession in Ireland today”.

Saolta Group Paediatric Nursing Director Siobhán Horkan explained, “This is a fantastic development for children and families attending Portiuncula University Hospital.

“Siobháin is a highly skilled specialist in children's clinical nursing practice, and her specific expertise and advanced decision-making will have a positive impact on care outcomes, paediatric OPD waiting times, and service integration.”

Hospital Manager James Keane said, “This nurse-led clinic will provide our younger patients with safe, timely, evidence-based nurse-led care at an advanced nursing level, while simultaneously providing child and family-centered care, which will benefit the health and well-being of the child.”