Rewarding Innovation and Research:  The RCSI Hospital Group Awards Multiple Staff With Clinical Scholarships To Fund Nursing & Midwifery Research

Picture: Ian Carter CEO RSCI Hospital Group (HG), Petrina Donnelly Director of Nursing & Midwifery RCSI HG, Clinical Scholarship Recipients Karen Mc Gowan, Bernadette Conlon & Preethy Manoj, Paddy Clerkin COO RCSI HG

The RCSI Hospital Group were delighted to launch their Annual Clinical Scholarship Awards this month. The RCSI Hospital Group awarded three clinical scholarships, each to the value of €5000, to registered Nurses working in the direct provision of health care in the RCSI Hospital Group.

These awards aim to:

• Invest in and support nurse/midwife-led initiatives in healthcare delivery;
• Strengthen and optimise the contribution of nurses and midwives in the delivery of patient safety and care
• Support and enable nurses and midwives to maximise the full potential of their education, training and licence.

Supporting Research In Healthcare

The scholarship will support a publication in a peer reviewed professional journal with academic support leading to publication being facilitated by RCSI relating to;

• Clinical research findings
• Clinical audit findings or
• Clinical quality improvements.

	One of the scholarship recipients Karen Mc Gowan, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Gynecology was awarded a scholarship for the publication of a quality improvement initiative in Beaumont Hospital of a ‘Nurse led Rapid Access Post-Menopausal Bleeding Service’. Karen said “This initiative is something I am very proud off and delighted to be in receipt of the RCSI Hospital Group scholarship…The scholarship will facilitate the publishing of the research into this area and share what we have learned leading out on this service.”
	Bernadette Conlon, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the Fracture Liaison Service, in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital received a scholarship for her innovation in secondary fracture prevention following a fragility fracture. Bernadette manages an intravenous bisphosphonate treatment pathway and this year initiated and developed a bespoke digital platform to refer, identify, treat and monitor patients in the Hospitals following a fragility fracture.
	Preethy Manoj, a Clinical Nurse Manager in Connolly Hospital was awarded a scholarship through The RCSI Hospital Group to support her research and presentation on findings on the ‘Association between Iron deficiency anaemia and ischaemic stroke with a focus on the incidence clinical presentation and treatment outcome in adults’

Each recipient will be presenting their research findings at The Annual RCSI Hospital Group Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Practice Grand Rounds on October 31^st. Congratulations to each recipient and The RCSI Hospital Group looks forward to continuing to work with you in developing safer and better healthcare.

Further information on the Annual RCSI Hospital Group Clinical Scholarship Programme

For more information on the Annual RCSI Hospital Group Clinical Scholarship Programme please contact Petrina Donnelly, Director of Nursing & Midwifery RCSI Hospital Group CDONM@rcsihospitals.ie