Dozens of students working in Waterford/SE mental health services receive qualification

Dozens of students working in mental health services across Waterford and the South East have been presented with their qualifications.

The presentation comes following completion of four years of study on the B.Sc. (Honours) in Psychiatric Nursing course at South East Technological University (SETU), and 80 weeks of clinical placements in HSE/South East Community Healthcare. 

Eighteen students in the Waterford and Wexford mental health services received their qualification at St Patrick's Gateway Centre in Waterford, while 21 others in the Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary mental health services received theirs at a similar ceremony at St. Canice’s Hospital in Kilkenny. 

The 39 students will register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland as Psychiatric Nurses on completion of their training in the HSE in the coming weeks.  

Speaking at the Waterford ceremony, Ursula O’ Neill (SECH Nurse Practice Development Co-ordinator for Waterford/Wexford) said, "We are delighted that these students chose this career. Psychiatric/Mental Health nursing is a specialist field within the health care profession. It involves an interpersonal, caring process which acknowledges the uniqueness of each person. 

"The Psychiatric Nurse is concerned with the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental illness and the provision of care to those with mental health problems.” 

The ceremony in St. Patrick’s Gateway was also addressed by SECH’s Waterford/Wexford mental health services area Director of Nursing, Kasia Nolan, and Clinical Placement Co-ordinators John Fitzgerald (Waterford) and Marilyn Vereker (Wexford). 

Also in attendance were Joan Croke Power (Asst. Director of Nursing) and Colman Noctor (Lecturer, Dept. of Nursing and Health Care, SETU). 

HSE/South East Community Healthcare works closely with SETU in facilitating clinical placements across a diverse range of mental health services. This includes working in the Dept. of Psychiatry acute mental health inpatient units, the residential units for Psychiatry of Later Life and Rehabilitation Centres. 

There are also placements in other high, medium and low support residences, day hospital services, specialist nursing support in acute hospitals (e.g. the Emergency Dept. liaison services) and participation in Community Mental Health Teams and other community supports and services based in and from Primary Care Centres.