Holistic care, a career that is truly a vocation
Mary Rose Loughnane, who enjoys her role as a clinical nurse manager working with people with intellectual disability in Galway.
Mary Rose Loughnane currently works as a clinical nurse manager, overseeing day services for individuals with intellectual disability in the Galway region.
“I play a pivotal role in ensuring the highest quality of care and support for service users and I am responsible for managing and coordinating the daily operations of these day services, each tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities,” she explains of her daily duties.
The services offer therapeutic, educational and social opportunities designed to enhance the independence, wellbeing and community integration of the people they serve.
“My role as a manager is broad, I act as mentor and leader to allow a collaborative environment where staff feel supported and people supported receive the best possible care. From an operational perspective I coordinate scheduling, resource allocation and the daily logistics across multiple day services ensuring that all facilities run effectively and meet the standards as set out under the new directions guidelines.”
A typical day would consist of liaising with her fellow colleagues, senior management, multidisciplinary members, coordinating meetings, seeking new opportunities for the people using the service to explore and experience and supporting staff with any queries that arise on a day to day basis.
“The day is just never long enough,” she adds.
“One of the greatest satisfactions in my work is embracing the principles of holistic care and having the ability to support the same cohort of individuals on a daily basis for many years. This means looking at an individual’s biological, psychological and social needs and seeing them holistically.”
Mary Rose adds that another rewarding aspect is the profound impact of small achievements, seemingly minor milestones like learning a new skills, building confidence or forming meaningful relationships, which may appear modest but represent monumental steps for the person involved.
“For example, supporting a person to seek and commence employment within their locality.”
It is a profession that requires continuous upskilling as part of the commitment to providing high quality, evidence based care.
“Continued professional development is not just a career expectation but also a professional responsibility in the healthcare field. Having a background in intellectual disability means training in positive behaviour support, alternative communication systems, care planning, regular updates on safeguarding practices especially with the enacted Assisted Decision Making act are some of the most important areas that guide my day to day work, and therefore, continuous education is so important.”
The role of the registered nurse in Intellectual Disability (RNID) within the Irish healthcare sector is ever evolving, she explains.
“As people with intellectual disabilities are living longer, their health needs are increasing. In turn, people with intellectual disabilities are experiencing many of the health challenges of the general population.”
Opportunities around early intervention, specialised care (CNS/ANP), future planning, community liaising, behavioural support, health promotion and education are cropping up as new opportunities for the RNID’s of today.
Mary Rose’s advice to anyone considering nursing as a career is to go for it: “If you are thinking about pursuing intellectual disability nursing, I would whole heartedly encourage you. This career offers a unique and fulfilling opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The role is practical and hands on, ranging from teaching essential life skills to managing complex health needs. You’ll be part of a dynamic team within in a range of settings from residential to community to day centres.”
To thrive in this role, it is essential to have compassion and empathy, she says, as well as critical thinking skills and a strong dose of common sense.
“While deeply rewarding, this career can also be challenging. You’ll need resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to ongoing learning to meet the varied needs of the people you support. My advice for anyone considering this role is to spend time in a care setting to see if this path resonates with you. Volunteering or working in Intellectual Disability services can give you a sense of the hands on nature of the job. Few professions offer the same level of personal satisfaction as intellectual disability nursing.”
Every small achievement — from a person gaining independence, finding their voice or achieving a personal goal — is a reminder of the impact you can have.
“You’ll build strong, meaningful relationships and contribute to a more inclusive society. It’s definitely a job worth doing.”
