Working Life: “Women aged 50 and over have the lowest uptake of cervical screening nationally”

Rachael Comer, education and training manager, screening training unit, HSE CervicalCheck

Rachael Comer, education and training manager, screening training unit, HSE CervicalCheck

“I’m from Mayo originally, and trained as a nurse in Galway, but women’s health always felt like the right place for me. I went straight into midwifery in the Rotunda Hospital before returning west, where I worked as a midwife and completed a master’s degree in women’s health, followed by a master’s in nursing education.

“My work in gynaecology oncology was a turning point. I realised I wanted to work in prevention, not just after diagnosis. That led to seven years in colposcopy, where the impact of early detection was evident daily.