Overview
Confined Competition - Internal Applicants Only
Post Title:
Clinical Practice Support Nurse (CNM 2)
Post Status:
Specified Purpose
Department
NeuroCent Wards
Location:
Beaumont Hospital
Reports to:
Clinical Nurse Manager 3 & Directorate Nurse Manager (DNM)
Salary:
Appointment will be made on CNM 2 Pay scale (€61,463 - €77,666) at a point in line with Government pay policy
Hours of work:
Full time, 37.5 hours/week
Closing Date:
Wednesday 4th February 2026 @ 12Noon
Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received.
Position Summary:
The Clinical Practice Support Nurse (CPSN) is a key member of the Nursing Management Team within the Neurosciences Directorate (NeuroCent). The role centres on the identification, support, and provision of learning needs, developmental opportunities, and excellence in clinical nursing practice. Additional functions include the identification and distribution of suitable teaching interventions, supervising performance, assessing competence, auditing practice, and putting actions in place to address substandard or unsafe practice. Always a role model, the CPSN will work alongside registered nurses and learners in practice whilst planning, implementing, and supervising learning activities.
The CPSN is responsible for promoting best practice through staff development and education. The CPSN acts as a resource and facilitator through supporting staff to reach their full potential at each stage of development. The ultimate aim is to support the development and capability of nursing staff to a competent, proficient, and confident level so as to be able to care for the multiple care needs of patients within the neuro specialities. The successful candidate must have appropriate interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills to perform the role effectively. Additionally, the candidate must be prepared to disseminate a variety of formal and informal teaching methods using multiple and simultaneous mediums.
Responsibilities
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
Clinical Practice
Ensure all staff practice nursing within the code of practice set by NMBI (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland). Specific responsibilities of the Clinical Practise Support Nurse include but are not limited to:
• Orientation of new nurses
• Assist the facilitation of mandatory education, training, and learning
• Provide clinical support and ongoing education of nurses, and other members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
• Assessment of nurses using clinical competencies
• Identify and respond to the learning needs of individuals and the service
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of education within the Neurosciences Directorate
• Collaborate with Clinical Nurse Managers to ensure Staff Nurses are allocated a broad range of experiences, and thus develop their skills
• Develops evidence-based educational materials and evaluate their effectiveness, and regularly update same to reflect best practice
• Take charge of shift with a learner to promote their development, and to facilitate other Clinical Nurse Managers (CNMs) to maintain their clinical skills or to relieve them to perform their allocated management duties
• Adopt a flexible approach to personal duty roster
• Assist in updating Policies, Procedures, Protocols and Standards in the Directorate following collaboration with key stakeholders
• Act as a positive role model by adhering to unit and hospital Policies procedure and guidelines
• Supports recruitment and retention initiatives
• Operate within a safe, defined, and informed scope of practice guided by policies, protocols, policies, and guidelines
• Use a variety of communication mediums employed in healthcare settings (e.g. IT systems, remote communication platforms)
Education and Development
• Assess and identify individual staff nurses' learning and development needs and develop and implement training programmes to meet these needs in liaison with the Clinical Nurse Manager 2 or 3.
• Carry out and document the progress of staff giving feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses in collaboration with CNM 2s and the Clinical Nurse Manager 3
• Provision of training to nurse learners to enable them to integrate theory with practice, and to acquire the knowledge and nursing skills to deliver quality patient care
• Identifies the individual and collective learning needs of the delivery of formal and informal education
• Acts as a role model by demonstrating and providing skilled, safe, and evidence-based nursing care
• Encourage staff to participate in development programme
• Develops methods of assessing the quality and effectiveness of the training / education programmes
• Liaise with the Clinical Nurse Manager 2 or 3 in relation to poor performance issues of individual staff members as required (escalate as appropriate to Directorate Nurse Manager)
• Coordinate the orientation / induction programme for new staff in collaboration with the Clinical Nurse Managers 3 & 2s, Neuro Foundation Course Coordinator and the Centre of Education
• Work alongside nurse learners clinically to ensure they receive theoretical and practical training to make them safe practitioners
• Contribute to the nursing education component of the strategic plan of the organisation
• Collaborate with intra-hospital and external (e.g. RCSI- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland) stakeholders, CPSNs, and course coordinators to develop effective and supportive networks
Self Development
• Actively pursue opportunities to advance own professional knowledge and skill and participate in relevant ongoing professional development programs
• Maintain and update knowledge and keep abreast of relevant professional development and all current trends within the speciality of Intensive Care Nursing
• Develop and maintain personal and practical skills within neurosciences through direct patient care provision, enquiry based learning, and completion of required training
• Discuss personal performance and future needs with the Clinical Nurse Manager 3
• Participate in performance / appraisal review with Clinical Nurse Manager 3 or Directorate Nurse Manager
• Ensures the ongoing assessment of nurses in accordance with NMBI (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland)
Standards and Quality of Work
• Leads nursing staff on achieving key quality indicators against which clinical practice can be measured
• Initiates regular audit of nursing practices and procedures through discussion with Consultants, CNMs, Staff Nurses, and Patients through approved audit tools
• Continuously risk assess potential for harm and instigate appropriate actions/interventions to remove hazards from patients and staff
• Report adverse incidents and events using the local electronic reporting system – it may be a requirement to support a local investigation of these events if deemed appropriate by local management
• Create, maintain, and update local competency and orientation documents to ensure that they are current and evidence-based
• Maintain accurate records in the delivery of patient care
• Ensure that there is a high standard of documentation practice which accounts for support offered to nurse learners, pertinent discussions, action plans, or performance summaries
• Escalate concerns of underperformance or substandard practice to CNMs and Directorate Nurse Manager
• Ensures the agreed Hospital, specialist administrative and clinical policies, and procedures are known to and understood by the staff, and are implemented
• Introduces new clinical practices or techniques in an appropriate manner and with reference to local, national, and international guidance
• Support (where appropriate) research, quality improvement, and audit initiatives
• Ensure that there is a cost containment approach with regards to staff and resource allocation
Health and Safety
• Ensure that effective safety procedures are developed and managed to comply with statutory obligations in conjunction with relevant staff (e.g. health and safety team)
• Observe, report, and take appropriate action on any matter that jeopardises patient/staff well being or safety
• Support CNMs to implement and maintain established policies and procedures with regards to health and safety (e.g. infection control, moving and handling)
• Follow departmental policies and procedures for equipment or devices within the remit of intensive care nursing
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role (e.g. Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards) and comply with associated HSE (Health Safety Executive) protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards
• Support, promote, and actively participate in sustainable energy, water, and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon, and efficient health service.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Effective communication skills
• Ability to build and maintain relationships particularly in the context of MDT working
• Ability to present information in a clear and concise manner
• Ability to manage groups through the learning process
• Ability to provide constructive feedback to encourage future learning
• Effective presentation skills.
Organisation and Management Skills
• Evidence of effective organisational skills including awareness of appropriate resource management
• Ability to attain designated targets, manage deadlines and multiple tasks
• Ability to be self-directed, work on own initiative
• A willingness to be flexible in response to changing local/organisational requirements
Building & Maintaining Relationships including Team and Leadership skills
• Leadership, change management, and team management skills including the ability to work with MDT colleagues
Commitment to providing a quality service:
• Awareness and respect for the patient's views in relation to their care
• Evidence of supporting quality improvement programmes
• Evidence of conducting audit or service evaluation initiatives
• Evidence of motivation by ongoing professional development
The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing or the Directorate Nurse Manager contingent on service needs.
Qualifications
Selection Criteria: Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.
Mandatory:
1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:(i) Are registered in the relevant division of the Register of Nurses & Midwivesmaintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (BordAltranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) or entitled to be so registered.(ii) Have at least 5 years post registration experience (or an aggregrate of 5 yearsfulltime post registration experience) of which 2 years must be in the specialityor related area.(iii) Have the clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to properly dischargethe functions of the role.(iv) Candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuous professional development.(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability including a high standard ofsuitability and clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge thefunctions of the role.
2. Annual registration(i) On appointment, practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the relevantdivision of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing andMidwifery Board of Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).(ii) Confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the annual PatientSafety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).3. HealthCandidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable ofundertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate areasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
4. CharacterCandidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.
Desirable
• Candidates must have completed a post graduate level 8 or above (or equivalent) specialist neurosciences programme (or commitment to complete the same within 18-24 months following post start date)
If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee's re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.
Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position
Further Information for Candidates
Supplementary information:
The Hospital
Management Unit:
Informal Enquiries ONLY to: (No applications will be accepted through these email addresses)
Name:
Cam Salcedo and Shymol Paul
Title:
Directorate Nurse Manager and Clinical Nurse Manager 3 respectively
Email address:
Telephone:
or