information about the ipna clinical award - Irish Practice Nurses ...

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www.irishpracticenurses.ie
Promoting
Professional
Development
for
Practice Nurses
in Ireland
The Main Object for which the Irish Practice
Nurses Association is established is:
THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN
GENERAL PRACTICE IN IRELAND BY
PROMOTING AND ASSISTING NURSES
IN FURTHER EDUCATION
PROGRAMMES AND TO PROVIDE A
FORUM FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF
INFORMATION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE GENERAL PRACTICE NURSING FIELD
WHICH WILL PROMOTE THE HIGHEST
STANDARDS OF CARE TO BENEFIT THE
COMMUNITY.
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Registered in Ireland No: 133336
www.irishpracticenurses.ie
Twitter: @PracticeNurses
Monthly Branch Educational Meetings
Annual Educational Conference (ABA Cat 1: 5 CEUs)
Reduced Conference Registration Fee
Nursing in General Practice Journal
Opportunity to enter IPNA Educational Awards
Access to Members Area of website
Options to receive e-mail alerts / text alerts / mail shots
Practical assistance with research
Networking, peer support & friendship
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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1) IPNA BRANCH MEETINGS
There are 21 IPNA branches around the country that meet monthly for an
educational talk and branch business meeting.
Please contact the IPNA Administrator at e-mail
admin@irishpracticenurses.ie for contact details for
individual branch chairpersons.
Sponsorship opportunities include:
Venue.
Invitations.
Speaker’s fee & expenses
(please note that speakers are chosen by branch committee).
2) IPNA ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
The IPNA Annual Educational Conference takes place in October each year. For
more information please e-mail ipnaconference@irishpracticenurses.ie
Sponsorship opportunities include:
Exhibition Stand.
Inserts in delegate packs.
Speaker Fees.
Coffee Breaks.
3) ADVERTS/ARTICLES IN NURSING IN GENERAL PRACTICE – THE
JOURNAL OF THE IPNA
The IPNA has a bi-monthly Journal, "Nursing in General Practice”. For
information please contact the Editor, Maura Henderson at
maura@greencrosspublishing.ie
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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4) IPNA AWARDS
Any of the following awards may be offered at the discretion of the National
Executive Committee. Please scroll down for more information on each award.
IPNA Practice Nurse of the Year Award
IPNA Clinical Award
Valerie Mangan IPNA Loyalty Award
IPNA Educational Bursary
IPNA Poster Award
BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN RELATION TO IPNA AWARDS
The logo and name of the sponsor may be placed on the entry forms which may be circulated as
appropriate, e.g. by e-mail to members, published in the Nursing in General Practice Journal and
also posted on the Grants & Awards page of the IPNA website (www.irishpracticenurses.ie).
The logo and name of the sponsor can also be placed on the winner’s Certificate. A representative
of the sponsoring company may present the winner with his/her Certificate and Award at the IPNA
Conference if desired. This also represents a photo opportunity.
If a sponsoring company wished to publish additional educational information in Nursing in General
Practice that might be of benefit to members in relation to any award, this would also be welcomed.
You can contact the publishers GreenCross Publishing directly to discuss options.
A report on the award with details of expenditure is sent to the sponsoring company after the
conference. All records of awards are maintained by the IPNA and produced if requested by the
sponsoring company or in the event of an audit of IPNA accounts as part of the requirements of
retaining Charitable Tax Exemption. For more information please e-mail IPNA Administrator at
admin@irishpracticenurses.ie
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE IPNA CLINICAL AWARD
This award was first developed in 2007 and has been offered regularly since then. It is open for any
IPNA member, who is on the current register of An Bord Altranais and who is currently working as a
Practice Nurse in Ireland, to enter.
FORMAT OF THE CLINICAL AWARD
The award is in the form of a case study with questions that will encourage thorough research into
the latest guidelines in a particular clinical area.
AIM OF THE AWARD
The aim of the Award is to support continuing nurse education by encouraging Practice Nurses to
research current literature on a particular clinical area. Each year the subject is chosen based on
its’ relevance to Practice Nurses and its’ incidence in practice populations - so that Practice
Nurses are given an opportunity to update their knowledge on that area and present their
findings. Sharing of this knowledge with other Practice Nurse colleagues is facilitated by
publication of the winning entry in a subsequent issue of “Nursing in General Practice”.
WINNING ENTRY
The IPNA notifies the winner by telephone and/or letter as soon as the judge has made his/her final
decision.
The winner of the Award is formally announced at the IPNA Annual Educational Conference and
presented with an Educational Grant and a Certificate for their Professional Development Portfolio.
The name of the winner is posted on the IPNA website after the Conference and the winning entry
is published in a later issue of “Nursing in General Practice”.
ABOUT THE CASE STUDY
An external expert chosen by the IPNA writes and judges the case study. Entries sent to the judge
are anonymous to ensure complete equity and impartiality.
The case study takes the format of a paragraph or two about a fictitious patient who may present
to the Practice Nurse with typical clinical features of this condition, followed by a series of
questions that will encourage the entrant to carry out research on current evidence and
recommendations in order to answer correctly. Examples of the case studies from previous years
are available if required for reference.
The case study and questions are published in the Journal of the IPNA, “Nursing in General Practice”
and e-mailed to current members. A suitable closing date is mutually agreed by the IPNA and the
judge.
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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ENTRY CRITERIA
Entrants must be current IPNA members.
Entrants must be on the current register of An Bord Altranais. They must include their name
and ABA PIN number with their entry for verification.
Entrants must be working as a Practice Nurse in the Republic of Ireland.
Entrants must answer all questions.
Word limit for entries is decided by the judge.
Entrants must submit their entry on or before the closing date.
Joint entries will not be accepted.
The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
JUDGING ENTRIES
Below is a table for use by the judge of the Award to help decide on the winning entry. Each area
can be scored on a scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being excellent, with the final totals giving an overall
result.
The judge is asked to write a short synopsis of why the winning entry was selected, which is then
used during the announcement of the winner at the IPNA Annual Educational Conference.
The identity of the judge of this award is kept confidential until after the judging process is
complete, after which it is available on request to current members of the IPNA.
The case study will be made available to any future writers of case studies & potential sponsors for
reference if required.
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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TEMPLATE FOR JUDGING ENTRIES TO CLINICAL AWARD
Each section can be graded from 1 to 3 (with 3 being excellent), so that the total
reveals an overall result.
Judging Template used with kind permission of Rita Forde,ANP Diabetes
Name
Accuracy of
information
Depth of information
provided
Clarity of submission
Use of references
Range of literature
utilised
Holistic approach to
patient
Writing style
Total
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PRACTICE NURSE OF THE YEAR AWARD
This Award aims to recognize the contribution made by the individual
Practice Nurse in any area within Practice Nursing, i.e. entries can be
based on patient care, education, support of colleagues, and/or any
other area that is relevant.
Any IPNA Branch may nominate any current IPNA member.
A judging panel is selected by the National Executive Committee and is
made up of three experts in the area of Practice Nursing, both internal
and external of IPNA.
Entries are anonymised and coded before being sent to the judges.
The winner is announced at the IPNA Conference and a profile is published in Nursing in General
Practice. The winner receives an educational grant and each nominee receives a silver brooch in
the form of the IPNA logo.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE IPNA EDUCATIONAL BURSARY
The IPNA offers an annual educational bursary to members who are undertaking or have
undertaken a research project or clinical audit in the area of practice nursing. This can be any
initiative in practice nursing – clinical, educational or practice management – within the past 2
years.
The winning entry is featured in “Nursing In General Practice” and on the IPNA website –
www.irishpracticenurses.ie
The winner is also asked to present their findings at the IPNA Annual Educational Conference.
To enter, members can e-mail an abstract of 500 words to the IPNA Administrator. They must
include contact details and details of any other funding/sponsorship they have received for this
study if applicable.
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE
VALERIE MANGAN IPNA LOYALTY AWARD
This annual award was launched in 2006 in memory of our friend and colleague Valerie Mangan
(R.I.P.).
Valerie was a very active member of the IPNA, and felt strongly that members should attend their
local branch meetings so that the association would continue to grow and develop as a strong body
of practice nurse professionals. The format of the award was developed in consultation with
Valerie’s family and is as follows:
The names of all IPNA members who attended at least six branch educational meetings between
September and summer of the relevant year is sent to the NEC before the closing date below and
the draw takes place during the IPNA Annual Educational Conference.
The winner receives an educational bursary - and an engraved statuette or other ornamental piece
which is donated by Valerie’s family - in recognition of their attendance at all of their branch
meetings.
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

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WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THE IPNA
"We recognise the enormous contribution that the IPNA makes in promoting education and
professional development for Practice Nurses. This contribution has supported Practice Nurses to
have access to a wide range of educational opportunities."
Kathleen Mac Lellan, Head of Professional Development, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing & Midwifery.
WHAT IPNA MEMBERS SAY
“After 15yrs membership I am still attending meetings and learning all the time. Peer support and excellent clinical updates
helped me to establish and maintain my role. Any isolation in practice that I felt initially was soon alleviated by
shared experiences, depth of knowledge and generosity of spirit that was shown by all members. IPNA membership
continues to be a positive and enriching experience for me.” IPNA member (North East)
“As practice nurses, we often work alone amongst a team of other professionals. It is great to have the support of an
organisation that is always there for advice and help. The Cork branch has been amazing and really enhances my
enjoyment of the job. The journal is useful, the meetings are also useful and the clinical days the Cork branch has
organised have been fantastic.”
IPNA Member (Cork)
“As one of the 'Grannies' of the IPNA, the Association has always provided excellent clinical and professional support and
encouragement to grow as a Practice Nurse. Every meeting or conference you attend gives more ideas and you arrive
back to the practice brimming with plans. Some developed brilliantly and some get lost in the list of appointments waiting.
The most important value of being a member is belonging to a fantastic group of forward thinking determined
professionals who support each other through good times and often the bad times. Some of my closest friendships have
been formed through the IPNA. To keep these ideas fresh we need plenty of new blood. Come on the youngsters!” IPNA
Member (East Coast)
“I have found the text alerts re education … invaluable. I would never hear about these things without being a member of
the IPNA. Meetings are a nice opportunity to meet other nurses and to compare the different roles we play within various
practices because as we know every place of work is different!!” IPNA member (Cork)
“I joined the IPNA Louth Meath group 3 years ago when I was new to practice nursing. The support I received from
networking with other practice nurses was invaluable. I have remained an active member since and look forward to our
meetings which are always interesting, educational and benefit me greatly. The regular emails keep me updated to new
changes in practice and new courses available to attend. I would feel very isolated as a practice nurse without the IPNA.”
IPNA member (Louth/Meath)
"The IPNA is a terrific resource for new practice nurses and for those not so new. It assists me in my professional
development through regular educational meetings and the email alerts keep me up to date with what’s going on. The
association is invaluable in terms of peer support and friendship as many PNs work in isolation" IPNA member (North
East)
Registered in Ireland, No: 133336
Registered Address: IPNA, c/o T Rooney, Dundrockan, Donaghmoyne, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan