Maternity & Midwifery Forum

All-Ireland Festival: Advancing Nursing Care

Wednesday 25 March 2026 | The Crowne Plaza (Blanchardstown), Dublin

The future of health and care services

 

Integrating acute and primary care services to meet the challenges of ageing populations, long term conditions, complex non acute co-morbidities and the challenge of disease prevention all require an increased role for nursing, new skills, new roles of leadership, new team working and the adaption to a digital world evolving around and in health care.

Howard Catton

Howard Catton

Chief Executive, International Council of Nurses 

Sharon Kinsella

Chairperson,

Irish General Practice Nurses Education Association

Tony Fitzpatrick

Tony Fitzpatrick

Director of Professional Services, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation

The next phases of integrated models for healthcare impacts on nursing

Safer staffing levels in nursing

the leading roles for nurses, nursing and maternity services in integrated healthcare

Education models to prepare the nurses of the future

New working environments in community hubs and GP practices

Adaption and upskilling for nurses in service to plan their career

Personal professional development

Innovation and improvement in discharge into the community or home

Innovation and improvement in transition into acute care for effective outcomes

Regulating the new professional roles

Tackling the social determinants of health in the population

Adapting to the growth of the virtual ward and the online patient in a digital world

International models and experiences that international nurses bring to healthcare in Ireland