Career progress underpins team spirit for nurses in Cork hospital

Mercy University Hospital is seeking to recruit up to 50 nurses, with salaries ranging from €33,000 up to €81,000

Fri, 07 Apr, 2023 - 08:15

Joe Dermody

Flexibility, work-life balance and great promotion prospects add to the appeal of careers in Mercy University Hospital, Cork, says Michael Hanrahan, interim HR director.

A busy hospital in the heart of the city, MUH is recruiting to add 40 to 50 nursing and other roles, adding to its existing 1,600 staff treating over 137,000 patients and with a visitor footfall of approximately 50,000 annually. Salaries range from c.€33-51K for staff nurse roles up to €65-81K for advanced nurse practitioner posts.

While it faces the same pressures as every other hospital in Ireland — overcrowding, long waiting lists for key services and a continual recruitment cycle — MUH has taken huge steps towards prioritising the benefits it delivers to its staff.

This year, MUH marks ten years since staff developed values that the hospital adheres to around compassion, excellence, justice, respect and team spirit. Each year, internal recruitment process see 100 or so staff members gaining internal promotions.

“I joined two years ago and I’ve already had the chance to progress to interim HR director,” said Michael Hanrahan. “There are very real opportunities for career progress here.

“We’re offering competitive salaries for the current roles we’re looking to fill, but what’s even more attractive is the hospital’s total wellbeing approach supports the staff. We promote flexibility and work-life balance.

“We offer In-house and specialised training dedicated to your personal development. All employees have access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme and to our Wellbeing Programme, as well as to our Sports and Social Club.”

Michael Hanrahan, interim HR director, Mercy University Hospital, says staff wellbeing is a key value at the hospital.

Nursing staff have access to MUH’s on-site a Centre Nurse Education. Diversity and inclusion are central to the hospital’s values.

Some 78% of MUH employees are female, while 71% of full-time staff are female. MUH supports part-time working where possible, with 96% of part-time staff being female.

“Our senior management have a majority female representation,” notes Mr Hanrahan. “At the MUH, we continue to foster a work environment that inspires our employees.

“Our staff really engage with the local community, volunteering with local charities, with activities highlighted in or quarterly newsletter 'Mercy Times'. Staff also get a number of discounts with local businesses.”

That commitment to employee wellbeing is also clear in the range of yearly wellbeing initiatives with which engage: January, RTÉ’s Operation Transformation; March, National Quit Smoking Day; May, Culture week; June, Sun Smart; September, Focus on Mental health; October / November, World Menopause Day / Prostate Cancer; and November / December, financial advice.

MUH hosts two annual Wellness Weeks, including last year a wide variety of fun and engaging events throughout the week such as free treats for all staff members daily, including daily doughnuts.

“We had a mindfulness tree, vision screening, blood pressure checks, daily information from our department, talk on men’s health, foot and hand massages, chair massage and back by popular demand a squat challenge,” said Michael.

“We’re a busy acute hospital, so staff face all the current challenges around waiting lists and demands on services, but there’s a great team spirit here. We have a unique working environment. You get all the benefits of working in an acute hospital, but there also benefits to us not being a HSE hospital. We manage the waiting lists locally within the hospital.”

Mercy University Hospital was founded in 1857 by the Sisters of Mercy and has expanded substantially since its opening. It occupies 16 acres in Cork’s city centre. Its annual operating budget is in excess of €120m.

MUH has invested €40m in the last five years, notably €21m in a new 30-bed ward and two new operating theatres; €6m in a new radiology building with five new ultrasound suites and support services; €2m in new medical gas systems for Oxygen, Medical air and Vacuum, along with other new beds and electrical upgrades.

The MUH 2020 Capital plan outlines phased development plan over the next 10-15 years, with potential expansion to four times the current capacity with inpatient and day beds increasing from around 280 to 550.

Mercy University Hospital is a public voluntary hospital and became a company limited by guarantee in 2003. The affairs of the company are managed by a board of directors who are responsible to a trustee company — Mercy Care South, which was established in 2016. The hospital is a registered charity and operates as a not for proﬁt entity.

MUH provides 24/7 acute surgery, acute medicine and critical care, consistent with its status as a Model 3 hospital. It follows a model of “one hospital on multiple sites”, with off-site MUH services on St Mary’s Health Campus, including the Mercy Local Injury Unit and the Transitional Care Unit.

The hospital is a teaching hospital affiliated with University College Cork (UCC) for both postgraduate and undergraduate education.

For those interested in finding out more about the current vacancies, MUH is hosting on-site Nurse Recruitment Open days on Friday, April 21 (6pm-9pm), and Saturday, April 22 (10am-1pm). Enter via the main entrance of the green hospital building at Grenville Place, Cork, and follow the signage.

A sample of current roles: