Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Endoscopy and Anaemia, Cork University Hospital

Details of Service

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has approximately 800 beds and this will increase further to 1000 beds on completion of the transfer of additional services to the CUH campus. CUH currently employs approximately 4571 (WTE) staff of multiple professions and is the primary teaching hospital for the Faculty of Health and Science in University College Cork (UCC). UCC is the Academic partner of the South/South West Hospital Group. CUH has very strong relationships with each of the six schools within the Science Faculty of UCC and this is a key area for future development to maximise the opportunities for both the service and academia.

CUH is a recommended Major Trauma Centre for the Republic of Ireland due to the wide range of specialties delivered by the hospital including Neurosciences Cardiac Services Orthopaedics General Surgery Renal Internal Medicine Vascular Ophthalmology Urology Plastic Surgery Maxillary-Facial Paediatrics Intensive Care Oncology Obstetrics Gynaecology Neonatology and Emergency Medicine.

CUH is the tertiary referral centre for the HSE Southern area and the supra regional area of Limerick Clare Tipperary Waterford and Kilkenny. CUH therefore acts as a regional centre for secondary and tertiary care for the catchment population of approx. 550000 served by the HSE Southern area and a supra-regional centre for a total a population of 1.2 million.

Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.

Each Health Region will be tasked with population specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population. This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.

Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:

Integrated locally planned and delivered

Easier to access and navigate

Available closer to home

Health Regions are geographically-based units with clearly defined populations. They align community and hospital services within specific areas. The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation with more service provision developed at a local level.

The HSE South West health region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry. HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.

This includes:

South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH

Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation

Community Healthcare Organisation Dublin North City and County

The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region

Services in the South West health region:

HSE Services working within this region include:

Acute Hospitals

Primary care services

Community services

Social care services

Health and social care professionals

Voluntary sector services

South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare will become part of HSE South West health region from 3rd March 2025.

Endoscopy Service

The Endoscopy Unit provides a comprehensive diagnostic service to both outpatients and inpatients. The service is provided by Consultant Gastroenterologists Colorectal Surgeons and Respiratory Medicine Physicians in conjunction with our dedicated and experienced team of Endoscopy Nurses and Health Care Technicians. Opening in July 2015 it consists of two fully equipped procedure rooms a recovery bay and a step-down area enabling us to provide high quality patient centred care.

The introduction of an ANP in Endoscopy & Anaemia will provide a role in the efficient and effective management of patients referred to the service with a diagnosis of anaemia and will result in positive outcomes in relation to preventing inappropriate admissions to the acute hospital rationalisation of resources correct utilisation of available diagnostic tools and supporting early discharge and patient flow through the acute hospital. This is a new service in CUH in collaboration with the Department of Gastroenterology and the post holder will be required to play a lead role in establishing the service including policy development and pathways in line with national strategies for advanced nursing practice and patient care.

The ANP Endoscopy and Anaemia caseload includes care for patients who have been referred to the service with anaemia. This will involve the ANP undertaking and documenting a complete episode of care to include physical psychosocial and environmental assessment obtaining past history and prior diagnostics diagnosing care planning and providing interventions including capsule endoscopy and discharging plans.

The ANP Endoscopy and Anaemia will play a role in long term monitoring and management of patients with recurrent iron deficiency anaemia of GI origin e.g. GAVE to include organisation of IV iron infusions and appropriate endoscopic/capsule endoscopy interventions.

Patients will initially be identified through referrals to the GI service (primary secondary and tertiary care) which will undergo initial triage from the Gastroenterology consultant. The model of care will incorporate a mixed model of face-to-face and digital consultations using a virtual clinic platform.

The ANP Endoscopy and Anaemia will work with consultant gastroenterologists including medical consultants in haematology and nephrology nursing and HSCP colleagues.

• Develop nurse-led virtual clinics and waiting lists to triage assess case manage and discharge safely from the GI service after appropriate diagnostics and intervention.
• Undertake assessment for older patients referred with anaemia to assess suitability for diagnostics via functional and cognitive assessment. This can be a mixed model of telehealth or in person review depending on identified patient needs.
• Provide an alternative to hospital admission for patients referred with anaemia.
• Undertake medication review and awareness of chronic conditions and their contribution to the current referral.
• Facilitate safe and sustainable discharge from the acute hospital by having established advanced pathways in place for continuation of outpatient care of anaemia.
• Provide access to advance nurse practitioner for support following a diagnosis of GI related anaemia.
• Assist with advance care planning for frail patients with GI related anaemia in cases whereby further diagnostic and therapeutic management may not be appropriate.
• Assist in the management of the capsule endoscopy service for diagnosis of anaemia including patient assessment determination of suitability for procedure and diagnostic performance and management with further advanced training.

Informal Enquiries

We welcome enquiries about the role.

Contact Ciaran Sweeney Assistant Director of Nursing or Dr. Clodagh Murphy- - for further information about the role

Contact Ann-Marie OKeeffe People Resourcing for enquiries relating to the recruitment process