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DCU's New School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health officially opens
DCU's New School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health officially opens

DCU's New School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health officially opens

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Dublin City University’s new School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health (SNPCH) reflect current and future health needs, as the SláinteCare model is implemented in the coming years.

The school was renamed in September, and officially launched this morning. It was previously named the ‘School of Nursing and Human Sciences’.

Speaking today, Dr Mary Rose Sweeney, Head of DCU’s SNPCH, said the structure of the new school reflects current and future health needs, plus the rising importance of care in the community.

The establishment of the new school takes cognisance of plans within SláinteCare, the government’s ten-year programme to transform our health and social care services. 

“The rationale for renaming the school is to give greater visibility to the areas of critical mass in existence within the school which include - Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health - across programmes of study, research and community engagement. 

“The three disciplinary areas in our school reflect current and future health care needs.

“Nursing and psychotherapy have been identified as areas which will become much more important into the future, and health and social care in the community is an emerging need as the SláinteCare model of care is implemented in the coming years.”

Nursing

Nurses play a critical role in society: they help individuals achieve, maintain or regain independence and the best possible health.

At other times, they provide comfort, support and dignity in times of illness or death.

They often work with families, groups or the larger community – and practice with intelligence, compassion and enthusiasm

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated 2020 as the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’. This global initiative is aimed at empowering nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges and maximise their contribution to achieving Universal Health Coverage. 

Dublin City University is supporting nurses through high quality education and training in the four nursing disciplines such as general, mental health intellectual disability and children’s and general nursing. 

The Bachelor in Science in Nursing (BSc Nursing across the 4 disciplines - General, Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Children’s and General) - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/undergraduate/snhs/nursing-general.shtml

The Higher Diploma in Children's Nursing - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/undergraduate/snhs/childrens-nursing-higher-diploma.shtml

Masters (MSc) in Nursing / Health Care Practice - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/snhs/MSc-General-Nursing-Practice.shtml

Graduate Certificate in Dermatology - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/snhs/Graduate-Certificate-Dermatology.shtml

Graduate Certificate in Sexuality and Sexual Health Education - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/snhs/Graduate-Certificate-Sexuality-Education_and-Sexual-Wellbeing.shtml

Graduate Certificate in Relationships and Sexuality Education for People with Intellectual Disability - https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/shhp/Graduate-Certificate-Relationships-and-Sexuality-Education-for-People

Psychotherapy

One-in-four people around the world will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives, according to the World Health Organisation.

Mental disorders are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide – depressive disorders are already the fourth leading cause of the global disease burden. They are expected to rank second by 2020 – just behind heart disease, but ahead of everything else.

This is an important time for Psychotherapy in Ireland as Coru, under instruction from the Minister for Health, have set up a national statutory board who have the responsibility for the regulation of Counselling and Psychotherapy nationally. 

 This board will maintain a national register of people eligible to practice psychotherapy and will be in the position to ensure that psychotherapists will have achieved the required standard of education and training as well as ensuring that they operate ethically.

In Dublin City University’s School of Nursing Psychotherapy and Community Health the Masters in Psychotherapy programme is designed and delivered in line with the standards required by the EAP.  

Education programmes like the Masters in Psychotherapy in DCU go through robust validation and accreditation procedures to ensure that psychotherapists are exposed to appropriate education and development and to enable graduates from the programme to register as psychotherapists with the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) and the National Association for Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy (NAPCP).

Check out the course here: https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/snhs/MSc-Psychotherapy.shtml

Many psychotherapists, having completed their Master’s and gained accreditation remain interested in developing both their own knowledge and that of the profession.  A career in psychotherapy is not confined to clinical work, there are opportunities for careers in research and teaching. The desire to develop a psychotherapy career in these areas can be achieved by studying for a Doctorate in Psychotherapy.

For more information on the Doctorate in Psychotherapy here: https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Postgraduate/snhs/Doctorate-Psychotherapy.shtml

Community Health 

Concepts of community health and practices of community healthcare are integral to all populations of the world throughout time.

The value of community healthcare for health promotion, early intervention and effective management of chronic disease and disability is increasingly recognised in evidence based research and government strategies.

The notion of self-care, where patients will be trained to manage their own chronic or long term health conditions, is emerging as a model of care which will receive much greater emphasis in the future. 

Many models of community healthcare practice continue to espouse a holistic approach which considers the biological, psychological and social conditions that promote and also challenge health and wellbeing. In contemporary societies, with complex and diverse infrastructure and resources, approaches to addressing the challenges of health and social wellbeing are multi-factorial and demand a wide range of practitioner knowledge and skills. 

Dublin City University’s School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health offer a number of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in the area of Community Health. 

Postgraduate programmes