Department: FutureNeuro Research Centre for Translational Brain Science, RCSI
Tenure: Specified purpose contract for 12 months
Working Hours: Full-time. Flexible working option normally within the hours of 08.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday, as agreed.
Location: Dept of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital (main location), FutureNeuro Research Centre, RCSI, 123, St Stephens Green (secondary location). This position allows for an element of hybrid working.
Reporting to: Director of FutureNeuro Centre, RCSI (or designate) with indirect reporting to Deputy Head of School of Nursing, RCSI (or designate, for academic matters) and Prof Orla Hardiman, Consultant Neurologist, Beaumont Hospital (for clinical matters).
Salary: At the level of Director of Nursing, Band 5, point 1 depending on experience.
Proposed Start Date: June 2025
RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates w RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to hose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2021-2024” at RCSI. Our students come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This makes our university stronger and ensures we hire the best talent.
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RCSI School of Nursing & Midwifery Educating future leaders in healthcare delivery and related research is at the core of the school’s mission. The key goal is to empower nurses and midwives to be able to demonstrate the difference that they make to practice, and in doing so, to be able to respond accordingly to the leadership and professional challenges that they face every day. The school is committed to providing students with outcome-focused curricula and with developing professionalism, shaped by innovative teaching and learning practices.
FutureNeuro is the Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science. Our Centre uniquely focuses on making discoveries and developing technologies that can solve the urgent, unmet needs of people living with neurological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and the health professionals who care for them, linked to Ireland’s clinical care pathways. We aim to change the patient journey through our research.
This includes developing rapid and accurate tools for diagnosis, the development of therapies to correct damaged brain networks, technologies to enable self-monitoring of health and well-being, and linking this to Ireland’s national imaging, diagnostics and eHealth infrastructure based in our specialist care hospitals. We are multi-disciplinary, inter- institutional and work with industry, patient organisations and the health service to transform the lives of patients in Ireland and worldwide. http://www.futureneurocentre.ie/. Patient engagement, recruitment and involvement in our studies is core the success of FutureNeuro.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (MANDATORY).

• Be registered, or be eligible for registration, in the General Nursing Division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (Board Altaians agus Cnaimhseachais na hEireann).

And

• Have successfully achieved a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major academic Level 9 or has proven equivalent experience in one for the following areas: Health Care, Quality Improvement, Risk Management, Health and Safety or Leadership and Management.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Proven experience in project management involving multiple locations and stakeholders in either development of health-care services or development of training and education programmes.
• Experience in the development of educational programmes in Neurology, and in management of implementation of new nurse-led services in Neurology would be a distinct advantage.
• Demonstrate experience of quality improvement programmes or evaluation of programmes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of structures/development within the HSE both at local and national level.
• Be fully conversant with the Requirement & Standards for Nurse Registration Education Programmes of Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland) and other relevant publications that impact on the Nurse Education, Training, Learning and Professional Development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of post-graduate nursing programmes and the clinical experiences required to meet the needs of the requirements of the programme and students.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role.
• Demonstrate knowledge of clinical research and evidence based practice skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively collate information and prepare professional reports.
• Demonstrate evidence of planning/organisational skills, including time management and the ability to use his/her own initiative.
• Demonstrate excellent problem solving, analytical and decision making skills.
• Proven leadership and management experience.
• Demonstrate ability to motivate self and others.
• Proven experience of building cross functional working relations at a national level.
• Interpersonal skills required to integrate as part of a diverse research team.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office (particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
  The role holder will require a full clean driving licence and access to appropriate transport to fulfil the requirements of the role as this post will involve travel.
  We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application, we would love to see you apply

BACKGROUND FOR ROLE

The Model of Care of the National Clinical Programme for Neurology, has identified the need to expand the Neurology specialist healthcare workforce to respond to the chronicity of neurological conditions and navigate patients through primary, secondary, and tertiary care for optimal outcomes. A priority is to build capacity within Neurology clinics and Nurse-led outpatient and outreach clinics for neurological conditions, with clinical governance through the Neurological Hubs across the country. Through a collaborative effort between the National Clinical Programme, RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery(SONM), the FutureNeuro centre and Irish Neurology Nurses Forum representatives, a new Post Graduate Diploma (level 9) in neurology nursing is currently being developed and planned for delivery by RCSI SOMN from Autumn 2025.
Funding has been provided for this temporary post through the NMPDU, HSE North Dublin to progress this project. This project will require close coordination between sites, education centres, the RCSI SOMN, the Dept. of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, the Irish Neurology Nursing Forum, and a representative from the National Clinical Programme of Neurology (Prof. Orla Hardiman).
The role-holder will support the roll-out of this new Level 9 qualification by establishing and managing the clinical training element in the participating hospitals, building relationships with key stakeholders, supporting clinical sites across Ireland to establish the course, supporting the accreditation process if required, facilitating an evaluation of the initial programme and setting up local structures to ensure future students have access to required experience and evidence based practice.
The person appointed to this post will be based in Beaumont Hospital and RCSI, and cover a national remit. This nursing post is underpinned by the values and principles of nursing including accountability, equity and evidence based practice working to advance neurology nursing at a national level linking in with local , regional and national nursing leadership colleagues and multidisciplinary staff to advance this project.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The National Education Lead in Neurology Nursing will establish and manage the clinical training element of the Post graduate Diploma in Neurology working closely with RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery. Key duties include:

Project Management

• Project manage the clinical aspects of the delivery of the course at a national level engaging with relevant stakeholders across the health service.
• Develop project plan and timelines to deliver this project to ensure the course is rolled-out within the coming academic year.
• Communicate updates and milestones as per project plan with the main stakeholders.
• Build working relationship at a national level to support the delivery of the course and to create a plan to support future course candidates.
• Identify channels and opportunities to promote the course nationally.
• Support applications for additional funding if necessary.
• Facilitate ongoing evaluation and improvement processes.

Support Course Development

• Provide input to RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery for course development, if required
• Support necessary course approval submissions and accreditation in collaboration with School of Nursing and Midwifery and nurse leadership in the participating sites, where required.
• Manage planning, coordination and engagement with educational leads across the country to advance the programme in consultation with Regional Co-ordinator for Continuing Nurse Education and Development and Centres of Nurse Education and the RCSI SONM.
• Collaborate with FutureNeuro and other clinician scientists to identify Year 2 research thesis projects.
• Provide leadership input on neurology education issues appropriate to the programme.

Professional/Personal Development

• Maintain knowledge of relevant nursing literature, recent nursing research and new developments in neurology nursing practice, management and education.
• Identify and participate in activities that enhance the post holder’s performance of the role.

Specialist & Advanced Practice

• Advise and signpost in relation to evidence-based practice and models of care in order to support the development of appropriate standards of care.
• Facilitate the expansion of nursing roles to develop clinical capacity to meet current and future population healthcare needs in an effective and efficient way.
• Facilitate the sharing of practice based initiatives across the neurology nursing services.
• Support academic and clinical course coordinators in the application of NMBI, HSE codes and policies of practice, into professional practice.

Research

• Be conversant with research and initiatives in neurology nursing practice.
• Promote research awareness, application to practice within the services and participation by nursing staff in nursing research.

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.