News Release
Ulster Supernurses heading for University of Ulster
6th November 2000
The University of Ulster is to partner Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Services Trusts and Board in five out of the eight ‘Supernurse’ nurse consultant posts announced by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
And three of these posts are in the field of emergency nursing – a specialist field in which the University of Ulster leads the UK and Ireland.
It is a powerful recognition of the expertise in nurse education, research and practice that’s been developed at the University.
Professor of Nursing Hugh McKenna pointed to the importance of this:
“In England there are hundreds of nurse consultants - but there's only one emergency nursing consultant.
“So for Northern Ireland – and the University of Ulster – to receive three of them is a clear recognition of our expertise in this field of practice.”
The ' Supernurse' nurse consultant initiative emanated from Prime Minister Tony Blair's vision of a better quality clinical career structure for nursing as a means of stanching the flow of skilled nurses out of the profession.
Said Professor McKenna: “In the past as nurses got promoted to ward sister level, they found that, if they were to progress, they had to go into teaching or management, leaving the wards and patients behind.
“And many dedicated nurses, whose skills were highly attuned to caring for patients on the wards, did not want to leave the patient's side.
“In fact, people were staying at staff nurse level for years because you had young ward sisters who enjoyed their work and didn't want to move from the clinical setting.
“So these new nurse consultant posts are a way of recognizing a professional nurse who is not only a good clinician, but has also has research and practice development skills.”
The posts will also attract a much higher salary, said the Professor - rising to around £42K.
It's expected that the Nurse Consultants - presently being recruited -will begin their new jobs early in the New Year.
For further information, please contact:
Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk
