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Minister for Health & Children dedicates €20m WIT nurse education building to ‘Ireland’s Florence Nightingale’
Posted: Mon, July 12, 2010 |
Mary Harney TD, Minister for Health & Children, today (Mon, July 12) praised the high standard of professional education received by nursing students in Ireland.
Speaking during a dedication ceremony at the 3,910-m² nurse education building funded by her Department at Waterford Institute of Technology, Minister Harney said: “Nursing and midwifery education in Ireland has gone through a radical change process, being transformed from an apprentice model to a diploma model and now to a degree programme.”
She went on to say: “The implementation of the nursing degree programme brought a greater recognition of the level of professionalism attained by qualified nurses. However, the pre-registration degree must not be thought of as an end in itself. Rather, its purpose is to provide skilled professionals who can deliver the type of service which patients deserve. Nurses and midwives face the challenge, along with all of us, of embracing new methods and systems of care delivery which will provide a quality service that is truly people-centred.”
Speaking during a dedication ceremony at the 3,910-m² nurse education building part-funded by her Department at Waterford Institute of Technology, Minister Harney said: “While nursing is perhaps one of the ultimate people professions and long considered a vocation, it is vitally important that our nurses are educated to the very highest standard for what are ever more complex roles in frontline healthcare. The excellent calibre of nursing graduates emerging each year at this and other higher education institutions leaves us well placed to meet future demand.
“Nurse education for the southeast region has been centralised at Waterford Institute of Technology since 2002 with a Centre for Nursing Studies initially established here in 1996 in partnership with the then South Eastern Health Board to coordinate the development of nursing programmes. This model rightly puts nurse education on a similar standing to that of other health professionals as nurses work in a highly-skilled discipline.”
Ms Harney was at the nurse education building for a ceremony to dedicate the facility to the memory of Mary (Molly) O’Connell Bianconi, a war-time volunteer nurse referred to as ‘Ireland’s Florence Nightingale’ who was a descendant of historic figures Daniel O’Connell and Charles Bianconi.
Doctoral research by Alice McDermott, a lecturer at Waterford Institute of Technology, has found that having been educated at Laurel Hill Convent in Limerick and finishing schools in Belgium and France, Molly joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment in 1915 at the age of 19 and – after a training period in Yorkshire – entered the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry with whom she served in Amiens and St Omer during the First World War. Mentioned in despatches for bravery in the field, she received a Military Medal (MM) from King George V for her conspicuous devotion to duty during a hostile air raid when she “showed great bravery and coolness”.
A hotelier at her Tipperary country estate during the inter-war years, Molly rejoined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry at the outbreak of the Second World War and, subsequently, became a Junior Commander in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She later co-wrote a biographer of her great grandfather, Bianconi: King of the Irish Roads, which was published in 1962.
Prof Kieran R Byrne, President, Waterford Institute of Technology, said: “It is entirely fitting that we dedicate our nurse education building to a trailblazer in this caring profession. Molly Bianconi showed tremendous courage and sacrifice in pursuit of her vocation. From a comfortable background, it would have been easy for her to enjoy a life of relative leisure in Ireland but she actively pursued adventure and challenge, making a real contribution to a great many people across the arenas in which she served.
“Our Institute colleague Alice McDermott has done a considerable body of doctoral research that is delivering a fresh insight to the extraordinary life of Molly Bianconi whose story stands the test of time.”
Designed by A&D Wejchert Architects and built by Cleary Doyle Contractors, the nurse education building at Waterford Institute of Technology has three levels around a central atrium.
The facility which cost more than €20m to develop and equip is located at the city end of the Institute’s main campus near Leabharlann Luke Wadding and the Walton Information and Communications Technology (ICT) building. The landmark building incorporates a suite of practice nursing laboratories along with more conventional lecture theatres and offices.
• The Department of Nursing at Waterford Institute of Technology offers BSc (Hons) degree programmes in general, psychiatric and intellectual disability nursing along with a part-time BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies and a range of postgraduate programmes.
