The strategic alliance with the Psychiatric Nurses and the Faculty of Nursing and midwifery RCSI  continues to deliver innovative continuing professional development (CPD) programmes under the leadership of Aisling Culhane, Research and Development Advisor, at the PNA and Catherine Clune Mulvaney, Operations and Education Manager, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.

The PNA/RCSI College of Continuous Professional Development offers an extensive range of programmes which have been developed in response to service need. The delivery of the collaboration’s programmes by clinical experts is a key feature of this initiative, and clinicians assist participants with the application of complex theoretical concepts to the real world of patient care. The programmes are facilitated in an interactive manner, using discussion, group work, questioning and case studies to create an interactive experience for participants. In response to the pandemic, the collaborative pivoted from classroom delivered study days to virtual programme delivery. In collaboration with programme facilitators, a series of short 1.5-hour webinars were designed, developed and delivered. The webinars were well attended, and positive programme evaluations have been received. Given the continued challenges with COVID-19 over the last year, the collaborative embraced virtual programme delivery, facilitating colleagues across the country to engage with CPD from their own homes. Cognisant of the workload of PNA members in response to significant COVID-19 surges, the collaboration provided a free Autumn/Winter Webinar Series in 2021. The series featured new programmes titled “Psychological Trauma and the Family: An EMDR Perspective to Improve Nursing Care”, and a new suite of programme focused on the management of chronic disease. These programmes were focused on “An Overview of the Gap in Life Expectancy from Preventable Physical Illnesses. The Multifactorial Factors that Impinge on Physical Health in Individuals with Mental Illness”, “Overview of Chronic Illness – Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancers, Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Diabetes” and “Bringing it all Together – Make Every Contact Count Framework for Self-management Support (Physical activity, Obesity, Alcohol and Smoking)”.

The collaboration, informed by PNA members at the coalface, took the decision to pause the delivery of a Spring 2022 programme in response to the significant burden on clinical staff. The Autumn Winter series of webinars have just finished, covering important areas of clinical risk assessment and management in mental health, chronic disease management, integrated care and the management of people with eating disorder and recordings will be provided on our website in the New Year.

We look forward to seeing you in 2023 for the continued contributions and programmes. If you have a particular interest, you wish to present / cover please contact Aisling aculhane@pna.ie or Catherine ccmulvaney@rcsi.ie