European Perioperative Nursing Day
Our perioperative nursing colleagues celebrated the European Perioperative Nursing Day, which took place on February 15.

The theme for the day was ‘Be Safe – Be Seen – Be Heard’ and some members attending the seminar for clinical nurse and clinical midwife managers on the same day celebrated by cutting a cake made especially in honour of the occasion.

Pictured at the European Perioperative Nursing Day were (l-r): Claire Mahon, INMO president; Audrey Al-Kaisy, ODN Section chairperson; Liz Waters and Sandra Morton, INMO EORNA reps; and Caroline Higgins, EORNA president

Mount Carmel
I visited staff in Mount Carmel Hospital alongside my colleagues, Eileen Lawrence, Executive Council member, and Philip McAnenly, INMO industrial relations officer, who were also supported by Kevin Downey, membership services officer, and Colette Mullin, information and research executive, in helping members following the announcement of its closure. The INMO provided support and guidance in a number of areas including CV workshops, a jobs fair, advice on redundancy and support for nurses and midwives through the redundancy process.

Our colleagues in Mount Carmel are obviously extremely upset by its closure as they are not only losing their jobs, but will miss the day-to-day friendships that they have built up over many years. I am aware that some members have already found alternative employment and I do hope that they will all secure employment before too long. I want to reiterate that the INMO is here to help and support all members who find themselves in such difficult situations.

I would like to thank our reps in Mount Carmel – Patricia Kelly, Eleanor Byrne, Eileen Finn and Marian Hendrick – for their trojan work and also to acknowledge the assistance provided by Eileen, Philip, Kevin and Colette to staff at the hospital. It has been a very traumatic experience for all members.

Quiz night
The INMO’s quiz night, organised as part of our fundraising efforts in aid of our Filipino colleagues following Typhoon Haiyan, was an excellent night. I would like to thank INMO deputy general secretary, Dave Hughes, for organising a very interesting quiz.

We now have enough funds to send eight of our Filipino colleagues to Tacloban, one of the affected areas, to work with the Red Cross and provide assistance to the local relief effort. We wish them all the best and they promise to give us feedback for a future issue of WIN. I would also like to congratulate the winners of the quiz on the night and those who won the many prizes in the raffle.

Executive Council elections and ADC
Members’ ballot papers for Executive Council elections are enclosed in this issue of WIN. A reminder to use your vote in this important election as the new Executive Council will steer the Organisation for the next two years.

Branch and section officers should note that accommodation for the upcoming annual delegate conference in Kilkenny must be reserved before March 28.

Out and about
Since the last issue of WIN I have spent much time travelling the length and breadth of the country attending branch and section meetings and safe practice workshops. On these visits, I met with you, the members, and heard first-hand about the issues impacting you on a daily basis. I have taken on board your concerns about staffing workload and patient safety and the INMO is finalising a staffing campaign that we hope to launch in the coming weeks.

CNM/CMM seminar
There was huge interest in the INMO Safe Practice seminar for clinical nurse and midwife managers on February 15 and unfortunately not everyone was able to participate. The speakers were very thought provoking and reinforced the importance of the clinical nurse and midwife manager role as frontline clinicians against the backdrop of continuing cuts in the health service. The day followed a series of very successful evening seminars held last year for members.

Get in touch
You can contact me at the INMO headquarters at Tel: 01 6640 600, through the president’s corner on www.inmo.ie or by email to: president@inmo.ie

From the President - On the ground with the president