UHK is part of the SSWHG with a catchment area of Kerry, North Cork and West Limerick, serving a population of approximately 180,500.
It is third largest hospital within the group and is a teaching hospital affiliated to UCC and MTU.
The hospital is a primary teaching hospital with close alliances to University College Cork (UCC), nursing, medical and allied health professional training.
University Hospital Kerry have a range and scope of services provided as follows:
?Hematology.
?Emergency Medicine – The Acute Floor.
?Ear nose and Throat Services.
?General Medicine including Medicine of the Elderly & Endocrinology.
?General Surgery.
?Endoscopy.
?Adult Intensive Care.
?Gynecology (Inc. Colposcopy, menorrhagia, Fertility and Urodynamics)
?Obstetrics.
?Orthopaedics.
?Paediatrics including Special Care Baby Unit.
?Audiology.
?Palliative Care
?Psychiatry
?Radiography, including C.T.
Scanning Service
?Renal Dialysis Satellite Unit.
Purpose of Post Ireland is experiencing substantial growth in the older population.
The number of people aged over 65 years increased by 14% between 2006 and 2011, 17% between 2011 and 2016, and a further 17% by 2021.
The National Clinical Programme for Older People 'Specialist Geriatric Services Model of Care' highlights the need to change health care practices in response to the needs of the older population.
This model of care recommends that older people should have access, if required, to the following services in secondary care:
•Dedicated in-patient Specialist Geriatric Wards (SGW);
•Specialist Geriatric Teams (SGT);
•A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for all those identified as frail, at risk, older people to fully assess their individual needs and the range of services they require
•Access to in-patient rehabilitation facilities
•Ambulatory day hospital services
•Improved links with community based services (residential care and home supports).
The application of specialty focused knowledge and skills of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNSp.) Care of the Frail Older Person (hereafter referred to as CNSp.) will provide for the care and on-going management of patients with conditions relating to frailty and old age.
The post holder will be required to work as a key member of the frail older person team in the hospital providing physical, psychological and emotional support to older people and their families/carers throughout their disease trajectory.
She / he will act as a liaison between Services for Older People in University Hospital Kerry, Primary Care, Community services and other agencies.
The appointment of the CNSp is an essential element in the provision of effective, high quality, seamless integrated care for frail older people with complex health care needs with a multidimensional and multidisciplinary input for acutely ill frail older persons as they move through the acute sector and home again.
The CNSp.
will deliver care in line with the five core concepts of the role set out in the Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts, 4th ed National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM) 2008.
Informal Enquiries Ms Mairead O Sullivan ADON
University Hospital Kerry,
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