Michael Ring
Question:305 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the general nursing courses in St. Michael's Hospital, Dublin, were discontinued in 2001; and if this course has been taken up in another hospital. [22921/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Education.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the post-registration training programme which was offered to registered psychiatric nurses – RPN – and registered mental handicap nurses – RMHN – who wished to train as general nurses.
More than 300 additional nursing training places have been created since 1999, in response to the current shortage of nurses. In order to provide more training places in the Dublin area where the shortages are concentrated, the school of nursing at St. Michael's Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, was redesignated as a pre-registration school of nursing, with an annual intake of 40 general nursing students.
In view of the success of recent competitions to select nursing students for the general nursing diploma programmes and the increased number of places available on the programme this year, I do not see the need at present for a post-graduate general nursing course. It is important to bear in mind that such a course is primarily designed to cater for practising registered psychiatric and mental handicap nurses and, as such, would have the effect of withdrawing nurses from the existing workforce which would add to the difficulties hospitals and agencies in the mental health and learning disabilities section are experiencing in recruiting nurses.
I will, of course, keep the situation under review in the light of service requirements.