National ANP CPD Day brings over 110 Advanced Nurse Practitioners together at SVUH

16th September 2025

Yesterday, St. Vincent’s University Hospital welcomed over 110 Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) from hospitals and healthcare services across Ireland for the National ANP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Day.

This year’s focus was Hand Injury Assessment and Management, with a full programme of presentations and case discussions. Topics ranged from anatomy and radiology interpretation to surgical management of complex injuries, treatment of fractures and the impact of hand injuries in both paediatric patients and older adults.

ANPs are a growing part of the Irish healthcare workforce, bringing advanced clinical expertise and leadership to their specialties. Their work enhances patient care by providing timely assessment, treatment and follow-up, while supporting multidisciplinary teams and improving access to services.

Opening the day, Rosa McNamara, Clinical Lead Emergency Medicine Programme and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at SVUH, highlighted the important role ANPs play:

“Advanced Nurse Practitioners are leading care across specialties. Their expertise and patient focus make a real difference to outcomes and to the experience of care for patients and their families.”

The event provided vital space for learning, collaboration and networking, giving ANPs the opportunity to share approaches, compare practice and strengthen links across hospitals and services.

As the day concluded, Pamela O’Brien, ANP in the SVUH Emergency Department and session chair, reflected on both the day and the work that went into bringing it to life:

“These events take months of preparation but they are worth every effort. When ANPs come together like this, we not only share knowledge and skills, we build a stronger network of colleagues who can support each other and most importantly, deliver the highest standard of care to our patients.”

Pamela acknowledged that she was not alone in organising the event, expressing thanks to fellow ANPs Cian O’Braidaigh from Tallaght University Hospital and Rachel Power from Wexford General Hospital for their support in bringing the day together.

The programme closed with case presentations from emergency ANPs, offering practical insights into real-world scenarios and treatment pathways.

A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed to yesterday’s event — to our speakers, organisers and especially Rosa McNamara, Pamela O’Brien and to every ANP who took time away from busy services to attend and share their expertise.