Fiona Toolan, Bachelor of Midwifery Science

I have really enjoyed studying Midwifery in NUI Galway over the last three years. There is a good variety in the course between theory and practice in a wide range of areas including general and pyschiatric nursing as well as midwifery. The course can be difficult but is very worthwhile, especially on placement when you feel like you are involved in something special. The small class group allows you to get to know everyone. It also makes it easier to learn as the lecturers have more time to give to individuals. All the lecturers are approachable and have great knowledge and expertise in all midwifery areas. There are loads of facilities available to us such as the clinical skills labs, our own computer suite, the new Nursing Library and everything else that NUIG has to offer. On top of this, Galway is a great city to study in as it is very student centred and offers a brilliant social scene.

Mary Walshe, Bachelor of Nursing Science (Psychiatric)

I have found my experience studying in Galway a really good one. I found the course amazing with very friendly and helpful lecturers, a curriculum that provides us with the knowledge needed to work to the best of our ability in our chosen field and clinical work placements that are varied in order to give us a taste of every area of clinical work. I believe that on graduation students here feel ready and fully prepared for the work area they are soon to enter.

Sinead Smith, Bachelor of Nursing Science (General)

My name is Sinéad Smith and I made the decision to return to University as a mature student to study General Nursing. I am now in my 3rd year and I have absolutely no regrets regarding my course choice and attending NUI Galway.  In my opinion, the strength of the School of Nursing and Midwifery completely lies with the lecturers. From day one, it was evident that the lecturers had a genuinue passion for all aspects of nursing and this in turn is radiated and absorbed by students. Their enthusasim inspires you to both achieve your best academically and also to gain the confidence and skills necessary to provide thorough holistic patient care.
The 4 year degree programme is a combination of teaching and clinical placement. During your time on campus you attend lectures, tutorials and the clinical skills lab. It can be daunting and overwhelming but the support and encouragement that you receive from the lecturers make you believe in your own abilities. The clinical skills lab is a carbon copy of a hospital ward, therefore I feel you are more prepared for your clinical placements. Placements are wide and varied, you get the chance to experience the many different areas of nursing. Examples include midwifery, surgical, paeds and geriatrics. I feel that as you go through your placements one discovers the area of nursing that is most suited to you. 
The nursing library offers a wide range of books and the librarians are so helpful when it comes to assignments. There is easy access to the internet with up to date research and articles available. It is not all work and no play in NUI. There is a fantastic gym and swimming pool on campus, along with many clubs, groups and societies. I would encourage every student to participate or join at least one club.
You are never alone on your journey to becoming a nurse. The teaching staff, your preceptors on the wards along with the wonderful friends that you make in college make the experience worthwhile and rewarding.

Eimear Butler, Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (Oncology)

My name is Eimear Butler and I completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Nursing (Oncology) NUI Galway.
“Juggling study with a full-time job can be difficult, but the blended learning format allowed me the freedom to study at any time that suited me from wherever I wanted. This format also promotes self directed learning which has proved invaluable for me to stay up-to-date in the ever advancing  speciality of Oncology. The staff at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUIG provided great support and endless encouragement with both my placements and academic work. I really enjoyed the course and would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to develop their practice in Oncology Nursing. It not only provides an excellent knowledge base in the area, but also offers a stepping stone to continue learning to Master’s and Doctorate level”.

Patricia Healy, PhD (Midwifery)

Hello. I am Patricia Healy and I am currently undertaking a PhD study in NUI Galway. I am a midwife and children’s nurse so I am affiliated to the School of Nursing and Midwifery for my study. My PhD subject is cerebral palsy, which gives me an excellent opportunity to combine my midwifery identity with my clinical background in neonatology and paediatrics.

The academic environment and facilities provided here in NUI Galway are very conducive to exploring and developing that level of enhanced knowledge expected of a PhD student. The library resources are extensive, the library staff always helpful, the remote access completely reliable and as a PhD student I have access to a research support librarian who is very accessible.

As a PhD student I am supported by a Graduate Research Committee, which consists of my principle supervisor, a relevant senior academic and an experienced researcher. This group provides constant supervision and oversee the direction and management of my study which keeps me focused and in control of my timelines for completion. My principle supervisor is always available to me and never seems to run out of patience!

The PhD process provides an exceptional foundation for research activity and this is enhanced in NUI Galway by providing numerous opportunities for attendance at additional courses. To-date, I have completed a module in health research ethics, a module in basic statistics, a module in healthcare law and am currently undertaking some classes in advanced statistics in the school of mathematics. These additional learning opportunities allow me to broaden my knowledge base substantially.

As a PhD student, I am encouraged and given the opportunity to publish in peer-review journals and to attend and/or present at national and international conferences. This provides opportunities to share my learning with other interested parties and also to build up a network of contacts.

The PhD process includes undertaking teaching hours with the student nurses and midwives in the school. These teaching hours allow me to indulge my passion for excellent clinical care and to role model a philosophy of care for students while they are growing as practitioners. As a ‘blow-in’ to Galway, the teaching hours also provided me with an opportunity to meet staff in the school and to feel a sense of belonging.

The experience to-date has been a combination of overwhelming, frightening and challenging but overall it has been wonderful. It is immensely satisfying to explore deeper and deeper into a subject that interests you and to be constantly discovering new knowledge. This experience is greatly enhanced by the modern facility and the robust academic environment provided by the School of Nursing and Midwifery in NUI Galway. The National Council of Nursing and Midwifery (2006) found that 91% of completed research studies were at master’s level and only 6% at PhD level. Thus, there is definitely a need for nurses and midwives to conduct research at doctoral level. Having started that journey myself I would say to any nurse or midwife considering a PhD, yes it is a big undertaking but go on ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’!  It is definitely worth it.

Master of Health Sciences (Advanced practice Nursing/Midwifery)

Alison van Laar (Left in photo)
My name is Alison van Laar and I’m a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) candidate in Liaison psychiatry in Galway University Hospital. I undertook the Master of Health Sciences (Advanced practice nursing) in 2008/2009.
 I completed my original training at the Maudsley hospital in London, and my BSc (Hons) in GMIT. I chose to study in Galway for a few reasons; ease of access, the facilities that were offered such as the skills lab, and the good relationship that exists between the University and the hospital. This helped in that the lecturers involved in the programme are aware of the demands that we all are under as clinical practitioners whilst taking on post-graduate study and having a full time job (and not forgetting kids, husbands etc etc!).
Mental health and psychiatry is a smaller part of any university nurse education programme, but I was happy to have lecturers and an academic supervisor from all clinical backgrounds who were open, curious and willing to learn from our clinical experience as well as teaching us many new ideas and ways of looking at nursing. Meeting other nurses in and out of my own specialist area was a definite bonus – in fact, a group of us continue to set the nursing world to rights over a bottle of wine (or two!) on our trips abroad – the process of studying has made us all firm friends.
We had inspiring lecturers who enabled us to progress on the programme and in our clinical areas whilst recognising our own experiences. They also encouraged us through our research to improve and challenge current practice. Having lecturers with a wide and varied knowledge base helped too – there was always someone who could help! I am now completing the ANP process with An Bord Altranais and hope to be accredited within the year. I feel that the course in NUIG has made me more aware and therefore more prepared for the role, and look back on my time there with great memories of hard work, but also great fun!

Teresa Meenaghan (middle in the photo)
To all of the new recruits hoping to embark on studies at NUIG,  I was a student at NUIG form Sept 2007-Oct 2009 where I studied for a Masters of Health sciences (Advanced practice nursing). I now am a candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Haematology and currently undergoing the accreditation process with An Bord Altranais.
Prior to commencing the course I had many concerns about whether or not I was academic enough to complete this course. I really needn’t have worried about it. I have undertaken many courses prior to this and I can honestly say without doubt this was the most enjoyable.  Despite my fears NUIG is hugely supportive to their students and as a result of this support I not only completed the course but did it successfully. It was from the individual attention especially from individual mentors that I achieved each target one by one. This way it feels more achievable and the huge task that it seemed at the beginning gets smaller and smaller one step at a time.
It’s important to have support from the college but one of the best advantages and support I received was from the friends I made during the course. Even now two years later, we have just booked our annual European trip away in April. The people I have met through this course are the most amazing people in my life. They were motivating, encouraging and even when I thought I couldn’t make it they carried me through with their humour. Study groups with small groups that you know well, really help.  I am so glad I went through this not only for the personal achievement but NUIG is a great environment for learning with lots of support and help to ensure you to make it. Best of all you will come away with something to be proud of and friends for life.  

Shirley Angland (Right in the photo)
My name is Shirley Angland. I work as a Clinical Nurse Manager 2 / Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Candidate) in the Emergency Department in Galway University Hospital. I have worked in various clinical settings but my passion was always the excitement of the Emergency Department. I received a Higher Diploma in Critical care in the Royal College of Surgeons in 1998 and really didn’t undertake any further education until my masters in 2007. This was a big step for me as I truly believed that I would not be academic enough for such a higher degree.
I graduated in 2009, and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever undertaken. The support I and my classmates received from the school of nursing was second to none. I also developed lifelong relationships and friendships though my time in NUI Galway. Since graduating, I have completed the certificate in Nurse and Midwife prescribing through the Royal College of Surgeons and am now close to the end of completing the certificate in prescribing Ionising radiation (X-ray) for nurses. I am waiting for the moratorium in nursing to be lifted to commence my post as Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the emergency department. The role as an ANP in emergency is by far the most satisfying job I have undertaken in my nursing career. I would encourage any nurse to further their education; this opens doors and opportunities to many other aspects of nursing.

Emma Doyle: Bachelor of Midwifery Science

Being a third year student, studying Midwifery in NUI Galway is challenging but definitely rewarding.  I really like our new modern nursing & midwifery building, its such a lovely environment and really conducive to learning. The clinical skills labs are really cool and so well equipped.  They  give a realistic insight into what it’s like working in a hospital environment. 

I enjoy the fact that class sizes are small so you really get to know other students and the lectures.  The lecturers are so enthusiastic about their topics that it makes learning enjoyable and a lot easier!  The support and teaching in the clinical setting given by experienced clinical staff is also great and sometimes you are learning things without even realising it! As a student you also have easy internet access, with excellent library facilities with a wide range of books available, and helpful librarians.

This year saw the opening of a new gym, and a swimming complex, which is bright and spacious and makes studying at NUI. Galway all the more attractive.  There are also many clubs, and societies within the University such as football and athletic club, not to mention the newly established nursing society.

Hilary Bradley, Senior Staff Nurse, University College Hospital Galway

My name is Hilary Bradley.  I work as a senior staff nurse in the clinical surgical area of University College Hospital Galway.  Being a nurse on the ward has never lost its appeal for me, its variety and satisfaction are paramount despite the heavy workload and fiscal constraints on the work area. Being clinically based in an acute area also means that I am always working alongside students on the Bachelor of Nursing degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). 
Students can be concurrently together on placement from across several years of the programme. This variety of students on a constant basis is healthy for the clincal working arena.  In  my experience students deliver holistic patient care and always maintain patient dignity and respect.  The students are well motivated, curious, facilitative, highly educated and have received their information based on the most up to date research evidence available.  I think that this is what allows students be assertive and confident in their knowledge.  Working closely with their preceptor enables students to build their knowledge further and to become proficient in their clinical skills.  Having such motivated students in the clinical area also has a positive impact on staff who learn from students and they themselves are sometimes prompted to pursue further studies and advance their own professional development.
Overall it is quite evident that the standard of education and training provided to students is quite high. In short they are ’fit for purpose’.  Indeed their presence in the clinical area is interesting, enjoyable, educational  and memorable for the many who share their learning journey with them.
Hilary Bradley
RGN RM BNS MHSc