The Nursing and Midwifery Resource - Towards Workforce Planning

The Nursing and Midwifery Resource – Towards Workforce Planning The past five years have seen a dramatic change in the composition and organisation of the nursing and midwifery workforce in Ireland. For many years we had a constant supply of newly qualified nurses and midwives, with strong competition for every available post. Click here to download PDF 1.5mb

The Nursing and Midwifery Resource - Interim Report of the Steering Group

This project arises from the need for an enhanced focus on workforce planning having regard, in particular, to the availability of sufficient nurses now and in the future. For a country which historically has had an abundance of nurses, the recruitment difficulties now being experienced by the health services are unprecedented. Up to the mid 1990s, there was a surplus of registered nurses here and other countries sent recruitment teams to Ireland in order to address their own shortages. As will be seen in this report, the concern of the professional interest groups at the time was the high levels of unemployment among nurses. The conventional wisdom was that the health services were training too many nurses for the jobs available. However, there has been a sea change in the situation over the past five years and the stage has now been reached where Irish health care agencies, particularly the major acute Dublin hospitals, are actively seeking to recruit nurses from abroad. Download the Report here

The Nursing and Midwifery Resource - Guidance for Best Practice on the Recruitment of Overseas Nurses and Midwives

Guidance for Best Practice on the Recruitment of Overseas Nurses and Midwives is prepared specifically for employers. The document includes a set of principles which are fundamental to the development of a model of transcultural nursing and midwifery. The document is based on the assumption that each potential employee has the qualifications and experience required to meet the criteria for registration as a nurse or midwife in Ireland Download the Report here

The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study 2006

The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study 2006 This report presents data from the HBSC Ireland 2006, the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. The 2006 HBSC survey is the third time that data of this kind has been collected from young people across the Republic of Ireland; previous surveys were conducted in 2002 and 1998. Click here to download PDF 1.3mb

Gender-based Violence: a resource document for services and organisations working with and for minority ethnic women

Gender-based Violence: a resource document for services and organisations working with and for minority ethnic women Click here to download PDF 492kb This is a publication of the Womens Health Council

Report of the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector

  Report of the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector Download this document (PDF 4.77mb) Alternatively, there is a lower resolution version available (PDF 2.31mb) Related Documents Resource Allocation, Financing and Sustainability in Health Care Evidence for the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector (Volume I) – PDF, 4.25mbAlternatively, a Lower Resolution version is available – PDF, 2.23mb Resource Allocation, Financing and Sustainability in Health Care Evidence for the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector (Volume II) – PDF 4.87mbAlternatively, a Lower Resolution version is available – PDF, 2.65mb Presentation by Professor, Frances Ruane Director , ESRI and Chair of the Expert Group. PDF 235KB Presentation by Professor Charles Normand, a member of the Expert Group. PDF 32KB

The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study 2010

This report presents data from the HBSC Ireland 2010, the Irish Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children survey. The 2010 HBSC survey is the fourth time that data of this kind have been collected from young people across the Republic of Ireland; previous surveys were conducted in 2006, 2002 and 1998 (www.nuigalway.ie/hbsc).   Click here to download PDF 1.2mb

Health Care Quality Indicators in the Irish Health System

  Public reporting of quality indicators promotes the principle of a transparent and accountable health care system that encourages a continuing focus on improving the quality of care it provides. This work brings us a step further in enhancing the quality and safety of our system. It is important that this report is not relied upon to draw conclusions on quality of care. That was not the purpose of the exercise. The data is mostly over five years old and was collected from the system before the improvements to collection and reporting of information that the hospitals were asked to put in place as part of the work to prepare this report. The Department of Health will produce a report of quality indicators based on data from 2011 to 2013 inclusive later in 2014 which will identify regions and hospitals. A governance process will shortly be established to oversee the selection and reporting of these indicators. This system will report at national and regional level and will be aligned with international systems so that international comparisons can be reported. The publication of this report is an important step in the development of this national reporting system. It shows that we can use a major IT system called HIPE which captures information on all hospital stays in all public hospitals to examine quality and safety of care. Health Care Quality Indicators in the Irish Health System

New interactive resource feeds children's curiosity

The Public Health Agency and safefood today (Wednesday 22 June) officially launched Eat, Taste and Grow, a new interactive curriculum based education resource to help increase awareness among primary school children of the origins of their food, local produce and the role this plays in healthy eating. As research in 2006 showed, 18% of children aged 2-15 years in Northern Ireland were reported to be obese; and provisional data in 2008-2009 showed that 22.5% of children entering Year 1 were already overweight (17%) or obese (5%).* The launch of Eat, Taste and Grow is an innovative collaboration between the PHA and safefood that will provide children with lifelong lessons about the food they eat, healthy eating options and the benefits of an active lifestyle.The free teacher-led CD-ROM resource will be sent to every primary school across Northern Ireland by September 2011 and will help increase awareness among primary school children of the origins of their food and local produce, and the role this plays in healthy eating.Speaking at the event, Health Minister Edwin Poots said: "Being obese as a child can store up problems for the future, leading to a reduction in life expectancy and potentially causing other health problems such as increased risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes."Currently around one in four girls and one in six boys in Primary One (Year 1) are overweight or obese."Many of our children are not as physically active as they should be, nor do they have a healthy, balanced diet."This new resource will help teachers in our primary schools educate children on how to choose what foods are healthier for them which hopefully they will carry with them into adulthood."Dr Eddie Rooney, Chief Executive, PHA said: "The Public Health Agency recognises the need to give every child a healthy start in life. Schools play a vital role in contributing to the development of knowledge and skills necessary to make healthier food choices and laying the foundation for good eating habits which can then be carried through into adulthood. Eat, Taste and Grow is an excellent resource that will help equip teachers to carry out this role and in turn enable children to make healthier choices."Mr Martin Higgins, CEO safefood said: "We know and understand the challenges faced by parents to encourage children to eat healthy foods. As obesity among children continues to rise, this interactive resource will educate children in a fun and engaging way while providing them with the information to make informed, responsible choices throughout their lives."The Eat, Taste and Grow resource is an interactive CD-ROM for use on a whiteboard or computer and is divided into: Foundation, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Topics include 'Where does our food come from?', 'Who produces our food?', 'How food grows' and 'How food is produced and preserved'. Each topic has accompanying teacher's notes and includes ideas for classroom discussions, role play, games and quiz suggestions.

Consumer Focused Review of Men's Food Behaviour

Increasing attention has been paid to the burden of ill-health experienced by men in many Western countries. In Europe and internationally, the Republic of Ireland has been leading the way by developing a national policy for men’s health. In most countries around the world, women now have a longer life expectancy than men. Similarly, on the island of Ireland, in spite of recent increases in men’s life expectancy, men continue to have higher death rates at all ages and from all leading causes of death. In Northern Ireland, in 2010, men’s life expectancy at birth was 77.08 years (81.53 years for women), while in the Republic of Ireland, figures published in 2009 revealed that men’s life expectancy at birth was 76.8 years (compared to 81.6 years for women). Key health issues for men include circulatory diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. In relation to food and health, obesity has been highlighted as a major concern in relation to men’s health. While physiological difference between men and women explain some of the variation in the rate and/or onset of disease (e.g., protective effects of oestrogen in relation to the onset of cardiovascular diseases), other factors, such as socio-cultural influences, which are the main focus of this report, also play an important role. It is acknowledged that men and women experience different influences and motivations with respect to their knowledge and attitudes of and behaviours towards food and health. The purpose of this report is therefore not to compare men with women or to encourage men to model themselves on women in relation to their food and health behaviour. Rather, the goal is to provide recommendations to improve communications, resources, interventions, education and services targeted at boys and men in relation to food.

National Health and Lifestyle Surveys

Results of the National Health and Lifestyle Surveys: SLaN [Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition] and HBSC [Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children] Two baseline surveys of health related behaviours among adults and schoolgoing young people were carried out across the Republic of Ireland in 1998 and again in 2002. The main aims of these surveys are to: - Produce reliable data of a representative cross-section of the Irish population in order to inform the Department of Health and Children's policy and programme planning. - Maintain a survey protocol which will enable lifestyle factors to be remeasured so that trends can be identified and changes monitored to assist national and regional setting of priorities in health promotion activities. In keeping with the health and lifestyle surveillance system of many European countries a number of related factors were measured in both surveys. These include general health, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and nutrition, exercise and accidents. This work was commissioned by the Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and Children and carried out at the Centre for Health Promotion Studies, National University of Ireland, Galway.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

National Health and Lifestyle Surveys. Regional Summary Report (2003)

Two baseline surveys of health related behaviours among adults and school-going young people were carried out across the Republic of Ireland in 1998 and again in 2002. The main aims of these surveys are to: - Produce reliable data of a nationally representative cross-section of the Irish population in order to inform the Department of health and Children's policy and programme planning. - Maintain a survey protocol which will enable lifestyle factors to be re-measured so that trends can be identified and changes monitored to assist national and regional setting of priorities in health promotion activities. This report focuses on these two cross-sectional studies, SLaN (Survey of Lifestyles, Attitudes and Nutrition) adults aged 18+ years and HBSC (health Behaviour in School-aged Children) school-going children aged 10-17 years. In keeping with the health and lifestyle surveillance system of many European countries a number of related factors were measured in both surveys. These include general health, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and nutrition, exercise and accidents. This report presents the findings for the same topics at a regional level with some demographic analysis. It must be noted that the aim of the survey was to establish patterns in health and lifestyle at a national level. The significance therefore of findings at the regional level is to identify potential variations that may merit further investigation. This work was commissioned by the health Promotion Unit, Department of health and Children and carried out at the Centre for health Promotion Studies, national University of Ireland, Galway, and at the Department of Public health Medicine and Epidemiology, Woodview House, Belfield, national University of Ireland, Dublin.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Brief Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Alcohol Intervention Programme is an Effective Secondary Prevention Approach for New Employees entering an Irish Workforce: A Pilot

The prevalence of unhealthy drinking at all levels in Irish society poses serious issues in terms of the consequence to individuals concerned, as well as to society as a whole. The workplace offers a useful setting for early identification and intervention with new employees who may have pre-existing alcohol use disorder issues. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness within the workplace of a brief Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention in reducing participants binge and risky drinking behaviours. Twenty-six Irish Naval recruits volunteered to participate in this randomised controlled trial. The intervention was conducted over four consecutive one and a half hour weekly sessions. Participants completed four principle outcome measures at intake, termination of the intervention and at the two-month follow-up assessment. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Babor, Higginis-Biddle, Saunders & Monterio, 2001) was used to measures participants’ consumption levels and frequency of binge or risky drinking. A Readiness Ruler (Miller, Zweben, Diclemente, & Rychtarik, 1992) was used to measure participants’ readiness to change drinking, while the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire (Young & Oei, 1996) was used to measure participants’ beliefs pertaining to alcohol, and their ability to refuse alcohol in high-risk social surroundings. There were preliminary data in support of the intervention. There were interaction effects that approached statistical significance for both a reduction in participants’ binge drinking (p =. 064) and an increase in participants’ ability to refuse alcohol in high-risk social settings (p = .059). There was also a significant interaction effect (pThis resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Study of a Staff Alcohol Policy in a Large Public Health Organisation, Looking at the Policy Content, the Policy Development and the Implementation Process, and the Policy Impact

There are different approaches to dealing with alcohol related problems in the workplace. A literature review indicates that two of the models that underpin programmes to deal with alcohol related problems in the workplace are the disease model and the health promotion model. The disease model considers alcoholism as an illness and uses curative techniques to restore the individual to sobriety. The health promotion model looks at the determinants of health and promotes changes in the environment and structures, which would support healthy behaviour in relation to alcohol. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) may have elements of both theses models. Dealing with alcohol problems at work involves a captive audience and the workplace as a setting can be used to influence healthier lifestyles. A workplace alcohol policy is a mechanism through which alcohol related issues might be dealt with, and the necessary resources and commitment of managers and staff channelled to this end. The policy aims should be clear and unambiguous, and specific plans put in place for implementing all aspects of the policy. In the case of the alcohol policy in the organisation under study, the policy was underpinned by a health promotion ethos and the policy document reflects broad aims and objectives to support this. The steering group that oversaw the development of the policy had particular needs of their own which they brought to the development process. The common theme in their needs was how to identify and support employees with alcohol related problems within an equitable staff welfare system. The role of the supervisor was recognised as crucial and training was provided to introduce the skills needed for an early intervention and constructive confrontation with employees who had alcohol related problems. Opportunities provided by this policy initiative to deal with broader issues around alcohol and to consider the determinants of health in relation to alcohol were not fully utilised. The policy formalised the procedures for dealing with people who have alcohol related problems in an equitable and supportive manner. The wider aspect of the health promotion approach does not appear to have been a priority in the development and implementation of the policy.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Study of Sexual Health Issues, Attitudes and Behaviours: The Views of Early School Leavers

This research aimed to explore the sexual attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of early school leavers and how a group of young people, without the advantage of completing post-primary education, deal with the complicated issues of constructing, defining and experiencing sexual practice.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.