Welcome Note

Welcome to the Limerick Branch of the I.A.N.O. We are over 10 years established. In January 2002 a preliminary meeting was held. A committee of 10 people was formed with Chairperson Deborah English, Secretary Anne Quinlan and Treasurer Delma Hackett elected. On 22/1/2002 the inaugural committee meeting was held with the aim of holding 2-3 regional educational meetings annually. The first educational meeting organised was held on 11/4/2002 in the Castletroy Park Hotel. With over 80 people attending, the topic was colorectal cancer and the speakers were Professor Rajnish Gupta, Medical Oncologist and Mr David Waldron, General/Colorectal Surgeon. 10 years on The Limerick Branch continues to evolve. It is a successful and active branch, thanks to the commitment throughout the years of the various committee members .We are of course hugely indebted to the continuous support of the attendees, many of whom attend on their own time and expense, but without whose support we would find it difficult to exist. We are also thankful to the various companies who have provided sponsorship for our educational seminars over the last 10 years.
Mission Statement

To provide a programme for education and a forum for exchange of information for members of the nursing profession who care for people with cancer
Committee Membership:

At present the Limerick Branch has 13 members, with any nurse most welcome to join.

Chairperson:- Maureen O’Grady. maureen.ogrady@hse.ie

Secretary:- Susan Gilligan. susan.gilligan@hse.ie

Treasurer:- Lisa Burke-Joyce. lisaburkejoyce@gmail.com

Communications Officer: Deirdre Ryan. deirdrec.ryan@hse.ie

Representative on NEC:- Rosemarie Murphy. rosemarie.murphy1@hse.ie

Other committee members include Lorraine Duggan, Liz McNamara, Cathleen Osbourne and Catherine Hand. The committee members range from many specialities within the Cancer Services including Breast, Lung, Prostate, Oncology Day and Inpatient Unit as well as Clinical Nurse Managers.
Events

At present the aim is to hold 4 educational meetings of 1.5- 2hours duration, per year. The branch acknowledges restrictions on the release of staff from the clinical area for attendance at the educational meetings. Our circulation/contact list includes the Hospitals in the Mid-West area, University of Limerick (student nurses), Public Health Nurses, Practice Nurses, Community Intervention Team, Homecare Team, Milford Hospice and all Nursing Homes in the Mid-West area. Other disciplines are also most welcome to attend. If you wish to be included in our circulation list, please contact one of the above members.
Past Events

The IANO committee here in Limerick ran a Sarcoma study evening on Thursday 5th May 2016 in The Castletroy park hotel and it was a great success. There was a strong attendance from a variety of nursing fields including oncology, theatre, orthopaedics, palliative care and surgery. Professor Gupta spoke from an oncological perspective and Professor Masterson gave a surgical overview. Clinical Nurse Specialist Pamela Hickey presented a case before Ms Colette Kelleher kindly spoke about her own patient experience of a sarcoma. It was an excellent end to a very informative evening.

On Wednesday the 28th September 2016 the Limerick branch of the IANO hosted an evening talk in The Castletroy Park Hotel. The talk was centered on “Self Care” and the promotion of well being for people working in Oncology. 23 nurses and staff from the University Hospital Limerick, Milford and the community attended and listened as speaker Theresa Lawlor advocated being “Mindful of what matters most..”. As nurses in oncology we are often so focused on patient care and the patient experience that we become neglectful of our own well being. This talk focused on finding balance and just “being” rather than always “doing”. The evening was skilfully chaired by IANO Limerick Chairperson Maureen O’Grady and kindly sponsored by Roche. Well done to all involved.

Contact Details for further information

Chairperson: Maureen O’Grady. maureen.ogrady@hse.ie