Maynooth University’s new School of Nursing will begin teaching 30 students from September
The first new university-based nursing school in Ireland in two decades will open its doors to students next month, following its recent approval by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
Maynooth University’s new School of Nursing will begin teaching 30 students as part of a BSc in General Nursing programme. Applications for the course open on August 28 through the CAO ‘Available Places’ facility.
Prof Fintan Sheerin, founding head of the new MU School of Nursing, said student numbers are expected to rise to 100 over the next four years.
“We are ideally placed to take the lead in tackling challenges and in re-shaping Irish healthcare education and service delivery,” he said.
“Our new School of Nursing is at the forefront of a new wave in healthcare education. We are committed to inclusive pathways for diverse learners – that was explicit in our commitment that 50 per cent of our students will come from further education and mature learners.”
The nursing programme, established by Prof Sheerin and his colleagues Dr Adeline Cooney and Dr Myles Hackett, reflects the policy recommendations of the Expert Review of Nursing and Midwifery Curriculum published last year.
This new teaching approach, which will be spearheaded at Maynooth, is expected to be applied across all institutions in the coming years. The programme is offered in partnership with HSE Dublin and Midlands Region.
Based in the Eolas Building on campus, the School incorporates a state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation laboratory that mirrors hospital and community care environments. Students will combine theory with hands-on practice in a controlled environment.
While a BSc in General Nursing will be the core programme, the School will later incorporate other areas of nursing, and is expanding to postgraduate programmes as well as research and innovation.
“What makes the new School’s approach especially distinctive is our focus on integrating community care and primary care – shifting away from a hospital model of nurse education to a community-focussed model of maintaining health and well-being,” added Prof Sheerin.
“Digital health innovation is also a key component of the nursing curriculum. Maynooth University has the opportunity to be a leader in digital health integration and sustainability.”
President of Maynooth University, Prof Eeva Leinonen, said the development of the new school was part of the University’s strategic plans to develop new programmes in health and medicine.
“Today’s announcement represents a significant milestone for Maynooth University, as well as for the future of healthcare delivery, research and education in Ireland,” she said.
“Following many years of considered planning we feel privileged to see our new School of Nursing come to fruition and fulfil our mission of delivering a cutting-edge curriculum that will actively cultivate compassion and innovation, together with scientific rigour and clinical excellence.
“Forming part of the University’s Strategic Plan from 2023-2028, the new School of Nursing will embrace interdisciplinary collaboration, building on our existing and emerging academic and research capabilities in areas such as biomedical sciences, chemistry and digital health. By fostering inclusive pathways for learning, we look forward to welcoming and inspiring the next generation of nursing professionals.”
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill added: “The availability of highly-trained health and social care professionals is essential to improving access to care and ensures our workforce keeps pace with population and demographic changes.
“We have made significant progress, working in collaboration with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the higher education sector in increasing student training places for the health sector.”
