First Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Heart Failure at Letterkenny University Hospital

Letterkenny University Hospital is delighted to announce that Cathy Farrell has recently been appointed as a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) in Heart Failure, the first role of its kind in the Saolta Hospital Group. RANPs are the highest level of clinical experts in the nursing profession in Ireland today.

Cathy undertook her nurse training in King’s College London. After qualifying in 2006 she worked in coronary care while undertaking her primary degree in critical care nursing, with a focus on cardiology. In 2002 Cathy moved to Donegal and worked as a cardiac rehabilitation nurse specialist until 2006 when she set up the Heart Failure Service in Letterkenny University Hospital. In 2010 she completed a certificate in nurse prescribing to further develop the nurse-led service. In 2015 she completed her Master of Science Degree in Nursing and most recently has completed a graduate certificate in Advanced Practice Nursing in UCD, registering as a RANP earlier this year.

Speaking of her new position as an RANP in Heart Failure Cathy said, “My original role as a heart failure nurse specialist was to support patients by educating them on self-care and managing their medication. Over the years, particularly after becoming a registered nurse prescriber, I was keen to develop my skills further to allow a more holistic assessment and management of patients and reduce delays in treatment as a result of the decision-making scope of a RANP qualification.

“I am delighted to achieve the RANP role. My years of experience in heart failure nursing have given me extensive experience and knowledge in the treatment of heart failure and the training I undertook for the RANP qualification extended that knowledge. Now I am managing my own caseload of patients and diagnosing and treating patients, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team at LUH and as part of Donegal’s new Sláintecare-funded integrated heart failure service.

Seán Murphy, Hospital Manager at Letterkenny University Hospital said, “Advanced Nurse Practitioners are transforming services for patients through an expanded scope of practice, greater clinical autonomy and decision-making. Cathy’s appointment is a significant development for Donegal’s new integrated heart failure service which aims to improve quality of life for patients through earlier diagnosis, appropriate medication and lifestyle changes by linking hospital and community care to deliver high quality patient-centred care in a timely manner.”