IAANMP: Association news

IAANMP members survey analysis: Educational pathways and senior leadership development

The IAANMP Educational Pathways Survey provides a national snapshot of ANMPs’ educational attainment, leadership confidence, and perspectives on doctoral-level progression. A total of 205 respondents participated, the majority of whom were registered ANMPs working in patient-facing roles.

Respondents demonstrated a high level of academic achievement, with most holding a Master’s degree and a small, but notable, cohort having completed doctoral-level education. Despite this strong educational foundation, intention to pursue QQI Level 10 education was mixed. While a proportion expressed interest in doctoral study, almost half were uncertain, reflecting ambivalence rather than clear opposition to further academic progression.

Self-assessment of the six domains of advanced practice revealed strong confidence in clinical decision-making, professional values, communication, and knowledge-based competencies. In contrast, leadership and professional scholarship emerged as comparatively weaker domains, echoing qualitative comments that highlighted limited preparation, opportunity, and organisational recognition for leadership development within current roles.

Encouragingly, most respondents felt qualified to support the progression of nurses from graduate to advanced practice level. However, many identified a lack of organisational support, protected time, and structured leadership development pathways as barriers to fully realising this role.

These findings underline the informal nature of leadership expectations placed on ANPs and AMPs, often without corresponding educational or institutional scaffolding.

Barriers to doctoral education were multifactorial. Time constraints, lack of funding, insufficient employer support, and the absence of tangible career or financial incentives were the most frequently cited challenges.

Many respondents questioned the return on investment of doctoral study, particularly in the context of unchanged remuneration, limited role expansion, and ongoing restrictions on autonomous practice, such as access to radiological investigations.

Preferences for QQI Level 10 pathways were diverse. While some favoured traditional PhD routes, a larger proportion expressed interest in clinically focused or professional doctorate models. A substantial number also reported uncertainty regarding available options, signalling a need for clearer national guidance on doctoral pathways aligned to advanced clinical and leadership practice.

Overall, the survey highlights a highly educated and clinically confident advanced practice workforce that is motivated to lead but constrained by systemic, organisational, and structural barriers. The findings strongly support the need for nationally coordinated leadership development, clearer doctoral pathways, and meaningful recognition of advanced and doctoral-level practice within Irish healthcare structures.

The full survey is available on the IAANMP website at: https://iaanmp.com/iaanmp-members-survey-analysis-educational-pathways-and-senior-leadership-development.

Congratulating IAANMP bursary recipients 2026

The IAANMP is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 IAANMP Bursary Awards, recognising excellence, leadership, and commitment to the advancement of practice across Ireland. This year’s Bernie Carpenter Perpetual Bursary is awarded to Tracy Finnegan, Candidate ANP (CIT, Louth), to support her completion of a Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Diploma in Infectious Diseases.

Established in honour of Bernie Carpenter’s legacy to advanced nursing practice in Ireland, this bursary supports innovative practitioners committed to advancing patient care. It promotes professional development through conference attendance or further education, enabling members to engage with current research, access national and international expertise, and strengthen professional networks within advanced practice.

The Trisha McKeown Bursary is awarded to Felicity McFadden, Registered ANP Respiratory Integrated Care, for her project titled: ‘Evaluation of a nurse practitioner-led sleep clinic within a community setting, Ireland’. This award commemorates Trisha’s outstanding contribution to advanced practice, recognising her enduring commitment to strategic networking, professional education, mentorship, and the advancement of evidence-based standards of care.

The Trisha McKeown Bursary provides the opportunity to pursue professional development in line with the values and mission of the IAANMP, fostering leadership, growth, and excellence within the advanced practice community.

In addition, this year, the IAANMP is delighted to award not one, but two dedicated bursaries to support attendance at the upcoming International Council of Nurses (ICN) Nurse Practitioner/ Advanced Practice Nursing Network Conference in September in Nashville, USA.

This prestigious international forum brings together advanced practice leaders, researchers, and policymakers from across the globe to share innovation, influence policy, and strengthen the global advanced practice voice. The recipients will represent the IAANMP at this important event, contributing to, and learning from, international developments in advanced practice.

The winners are Aoife Feeney, Registered ANP and Adjunct Lecturer, Emergency Department, St James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, who has been accepted for an oral podium presentation titled: ‘Ask why, then change it: Definition of research activity by Irish registered advanced nurse/midwifery practitioners’; and Aidan Foley, Registered ANP, whose ‘Strategies to enhance nurse practitioner research capacity and evidence-based practice: A scoping review’, supports his ongoing PhD work at University College Dublin on building research capacity among ANPs.

Congratulations to all our 2026 bursary winners. 

NurseHub: Leading innovation in community healthcare delivery

Innovative, accessible, and nurse-led, NurseHub – based in Newtown, Greystones, Co Wicklow – represents a progressive step forward in community healthcare delivery. Founded by Melissa Hammond, RANP and Chair of the IAANMP, this nurse-led health hub brings specialist nursing expertise together under one roof in a collaborative, patient-centred environment.

NurseHub expands community access to advanced nursing care, providing specialist assessments, prescribing, minor illness management, blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, lipid management advice, joint injections, medical weight management, aesthetic services, and preventive healthcare.

It stands as a strong example of how nurse-led enterprise can complement existing services, reduce system pressures, and expand patient choice while maintaining the highest standards of professional practice.

This initiative reflects the evolving scope of advanced practice in Ireland, where ANPs and AMPs are not only delivering expert care, but also leading service design, innovation, and strategic healthcare development.

IAANMP congratulates Melissa on this outstanding achievement and wishes her every success as NurseHub continues to grow and strengthen community healthcare delivery.