Midwifery reportA new report evaluating the effectiveness of specialist nursing and midwifery posts within the health services has concluded that there is a need for more of these posts to be developed.
Since 1998 more than 1,500 nurses and midwives have been appointed to posts of clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and clinical midwife specialist (CMS). Just over 30 of these are midwives.
In order to qualify for the role it is necessary to have more than five years general experience and two years specialist experience. They should have, or undertake to complete, a relevant higher or post-graduate diploma. They work in practically all areas of nursing including general, psychiatric, midwifery, mental handicap and occupational health.
The report An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Role of the Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist was drawn up by the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery.
Ms Jenny Hogan, project leader on the report, said the main message was that more posts needed to be developed but that future development must be based on service need and should reflect health policy. Managers needed to make informed decisions about where posts were needed and, once identified, they should be included in the service plan to ensure funding was provided.
"It should not be on an ad hoc basis, say if someone goes and does a diploma course and for that reason wants to become a CNS," she said.
"We need to review annually the development of these posts. It needs to be based on service need and this must be informed by demographics, public health data, disease patterns etc."
The report is based on questionnaires sent to all CNS/CMS post-holders in the State and the response rate was 61 per cent. Focus groups were also used to gather the views of post-holders, patients/clients, nursing colleagues and managers.
It found that overall there was "overwhelming support" for the effectiveness of the role of CNS/CMS even though the development of the role is still in the early stages. One aspect of the job, the training of colleagues with less experience or training, was found to need further development.