The Irish Research Nurses Network is increasing the knowledge base and professional recognition of clinical research nursing in Ireland

There was a record attendance at the sixth annual conference of the Irish Research Nurses Network (IRNN) in University College Cork (UCC) in November.

The theme of the conference was ‘National Harmonisation of Clinical Research’ and during the morning session, chaired by Dr Sarah Condell, Nursing Research Advisor of the Health Research Board (HRB), the audience heard talks on the topic by: Prof Joseph Eustace, clinical director of the HRB-funded Cork clinical research facility (CRF); Dr Catriona Creely, programme manager of clinical and applied biomedical at the HRB; and Hannah Reay, lead nurse of the NIHR Clinical Research Network and co-chair of the Birmingham Region Research Training Collaboration (BRTC).

Dr Mary Clarke Moloney, vascular research manager at the HSE in Limerick, launched, on behalf of the IRNN working group, the Clinical Research Nurses Orientation Pack. This is a practical resource that can be used in any research setting by nurses who are new to the research nurse role and/or to the particular area of practice. It is available on request from the IRNN (email: info@irnn.ie) or on the Molecular Medicine Ireland (MMI) website: www.molecularmedicineireland.ie

David O’Brien, INMO Executive Council member, with delegates at the IRNN conference in University College Cork

Following favourable feedback from previous IRNN annual conferences, presentations were provided by research nurses on their own research areas. This part of the conference was chaired by Josephine Hegarty, professor of nursing and director of graduate studies at UCC.

Dr Claire Magner, clinical audit and research nurse at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin, presented a summary of her project ‘Analgesia and Sedation Management in PICU: The Impact of New Guidelines on Patients and Staff’, which has had a meaningful impact on the clinical practice in the use of analgesia and sedation in children in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Siobhan McFadden from the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) Clinical Research Centre presented her study, ‘An exploration of the psychological indicators of aspirin adherence in patients with stable coronary artery disease’, which provided an interesting insight into the support provided by significant others in relation to medication compliance.

Jennifer Connolly, research nurse at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and ELDERMET study in UCC, presented her paper, ‘Are there signs of palmar skin hyperlinearity at birth which can predict atopic eczema at six months?’

Laura Dunne and Lorna Green from TCD gave an update on the progress of the TILDA study, and highlighted opportunities for nurses to become involved in the next stage of the project.

The IRNN once again hosted the presentation of certificates to nurses who completed the postgraduate programme for clinical research nurses in the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. This NUI accredited programme is now in its fifth year and has made a major contribution to increasing the knowledge base and professional recognition of clinical research nursing in Ireland.

The certificates were presented by Prof Zena Moore, head of the faculty of nursing and midwifery at the RCSI.

The conference closed with the presentation of the poster awards. Posters were presented on a variety of topics reflecting multidisciplinary and nurse led research. First prize went to Ann Collins, RCSI clinical research co-ordinator, for her poster, ‘A questionnaire to explore the motivations and experiences of healthy volunteers who were screened to participate in a Phase I Malaria vaccine study’.

The runner-up prize was awarded to Siobhan McCoy, PhD student in the National Children’s Research Centre, for her poster ‘Paediatric Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Department - Results from our Sedation Registry’.

Deirdre Hyland, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland; Virginia Walls, Molecular Medicine Ireland; and Susan Lennon, Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network

Research focus - Progress in healthcare