Student and new graduate officer Dean Flanagan updates us on the pay issue facing pre-registration nurses and midwives

I have almost completed my visits to the colleges and universities around the country meeting first-year nursing and midwifery students.

I would like to say a huge hello to everyone I have met so far and a big thank you to the busy lecturers and staff who facilitated our meetings. However, I know I haven’t got to meet everyone yet and if you or a friend missed the opportunity to talk to me, you can join the INMO online at www.inmo.ie/membership

I hope to meet second-, third- and fourth-year students in the next few months, and also the new graduates. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me any time by emailing: deanflanagan@inmo.ie or Tel: 01 6610466.

Please also keep a close eye out for the Youth Forum meetings, which will be starting very soon in Dublin, Cork and Galway. I plan to attend all of the meetings and I encourage all students to become active in the Student Section of the INMO as your local section meetings can offer you valuable support and guidance.

Feel free to contact me for further details if you would like to attend these meetings.

Minimum wage issue
I would like to give a brief update to you all on the issue of the minimum wage and pre-registration nurses and midwives.

The INMO is aware that the pre-registration rate of pay is being paid at 50% (the internship pay scale). This is, however, less than minimum wage.

As these new graduates are no longer students and cannot be defined as staff nurses until they receive their Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) pins, the INMO is seeking that the HSE pays them as per the first point of a healthcare assistants pay scale, until registration come through.

The Organisation is preparing a case for the Labour Relations Commission and I will be looking for active members to support us on this important issue.

Graduate scheme
The Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services announced the first outline of the New Graduate Scheme in October. It confirmed that the School of Nursing and Midwifery Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) will provide the programme, which will consist of three modules in total. Each module will incorporate two supported face-to-face days, with the remainder of the module accessed online and in conjunction with self-directed student work.

On completion, programme participants will be awarded a professional certificate in nursing and midwifery (applied professional and clinical development NQF Level 9).

The part-time programme will be delivered via a blended learning approach of online and face-to-face methods. The face-to-face component will be delivered at regional sites to facilitate ease of access. I will continue to update all members as more information becomes available.

Social media
I am delighted to welcome the new guidance to nurses and midwives on social media and social networking, which was published by the NMBI. The INMO was involved in the research of the guidance document, and I would recommend all nursing and midwifery students to read it carefully.

It includes guidelines for healthcare professionals using social media, advice on privacy settings, confidentiality and defamation issues, and some practical examples based on real cases involving social media.

Overall, the document is a very short and informative piece and can be found on the NMBI website (www.nursingboard.ie) or the INMO website (www.inmo.ie)

Emigration debate
In September, I took part in a discussion on RTÉ’s Prime Time about young people leaving Ireland. The programme was organised in response to comments made by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, about Ireland’s ‘brain drain’.

The programme is available on http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/

Christmas panto time
It’s that time of year again folks: “Oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is!”

It’s Christmas pantomime time and the INMO has teamed up with the Tivoli Theatre in Dublin and the Cheerios panto, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, which stars TV3’s Alan Hughes.

Tickets are available for the December 11 show at 18.30pm at a special discount rate of €16, which represents a saving of 45%.

To avail of the offer, call the Tivoli box office on Tel: 01 4544472 and quote ‘INMO’.

I hope I get to meet everyone there!

Student focus - Fair pay for all