Fiona Connaughton

Always a great event thanks to @martinquinns and colleagues

Join the Long Covid & Complex Fatigue online group at The Brí Clinic. Learn strategies for managing symptoms and improving your quality of life with expert guidance from Ciara Breen CORU registered OT. Sign up today: wix.to/mnl0FOL #LongCovid #PwME

Wondering how Occupational Therapy supports people with fatigue? Discover how OT helps manage energy levels and what you can expect if seeing an OT for fatigue management Find out more here! wix.to/hr2BOcI #OccupationalTherapy #FatigueManagement

@HelenHobson20 @RCSI_FacNurMid @NursingOlol Amazing Helen 👏🏻

Delighted to have received a Fellowship by Examination with @RCSI_FacNurMid. A wonderful day of celebration with family and friends @NursingOlol #fellowship #RCSI

@NursingOlol @RCSI_FacNurMid @AdrianCleary101 @ainedav @ConlonCiaran @TracyEganDoc @lindakeogh16 @Jillianmunnelly @AndreaMcCabe20 @NursingDkit Amazing and such generosity of spirit 💕🤶🏻

Congratulations to Louth County Hospital, who opened their Sensory Cubicle today. Huge thanks to Helen Byrne, who brought this to fruition using her Clinical Bursary awarded by the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery RCSI and the staff of the minor injury unit, a very special Space!

@MrPitbull07 What an amazing story 💕

"My name's Raymond. I'm 73. I work the parking lot at St. Joseph's Hospital. Minimum wage, orange vest, a whistle I barely use. Most people don't even look at me. I'm just the old man waving cars into spaces. But I see everything. Like the black sedan that circled the lot every morning at 6 a.m. for three weeks. Young man driving, grandmother in the passenger seat. Chemotherapy, I figured. He'd drop her at the entrance, then spend 20 minutes hunting for parking, missing her appointments. One morning, I stopped him. "What time tomorrow?" "6:15," he said, confused. "Space A-7 will be empty. I'll save it." He blinked. "You... you can do that?" "I can now," I said. Next morning, I stood in A-7, holding my ground as cars circled angrily. When his sedan pulled up, I moved. He rolled down his window, speechless. "Why?" "Because she needs you in there with her," I said. "Not out here stressing." He cried. Right there in the parking lot. Word spread quietly. A father with a sick baby asked if I could help. A woman visiting her dying husband. I started arriving at 5 a.m., notebook in hand, tracking who needed what. Saved spots became sacred. People stopped honking. They waited. Because they knew someone else was fighting something bigger than traffic. But here's what changed everything, A businessman in a Mercedes screamed at me one morning. "I'm not sick! I need that spot for a meeting!" "Then walk," I said calmly. "That space is for someone whose hands are shaking too hard to grip a steering wheel." He sped off, furious. But a woman behind him got out of her car and hugged me. "My son has leukemia," she sobbed. "Thank you for seeing us." The hospital tried to stop me. "Liability issues," they said. But then families started writing letters. Dozens. "Raymond made the worst days bearable." "He gave us one less thing to break over." Last month, they made it official. "Reserved Parking for Families in Crisis." Ten spots, marked with blue signs. And they asked me to manage it. But the best part? A man I'd helped two years ago, his mother survived, came back. He's a carpenter. Built a small wooden box, mounted it by the reserved spaces. Inside? Prayer cards, tissues, breath mints, and a note, "Take what you need. You're not alone. -Raymond & Friends" People leave things now. Granola bars. Phone chargers. Yesterday, someone left a hand-knitted blanket. I'm 73. I direct traffic in a hospital parking lot. But I've learned this: Healing doesn't just happen in operating rooms. Sometimes it starts in a parking space. When someone says, "I see your crisis. Let me carry this one small piece." So pay attention. At the grocery checkout, the coffee line, wherever you are. Someone's drowning in the little things while fighting the big ones. Hold a door. Save a spot. Carry the weight no one else sees. It's not glamorous. But it's everything." Let this story reach more hearts.... Credit: Mary Nelson

Kindness in leadership: Moving the dialogue from productivity to engagement. By Anna Baverstock and Paul Molyneux - go.shr.lc/4r90rZN via @Shareaholic

The #Hypertension Essentials Masterclass is ideal for Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists & HCPs working in primary, secondary, and community care. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your practice Register for free at bit.ly/43wIxWL

'Cast on the Brain' is an analogy our MSW Kim devised with @patient_my to help our patients understand some of the invisible signs of stroke @kirrabrean @WeHSCPs

This was a brilliant illustration of how a specialist stroke ESD team is making very real impact on patient recovery.

Natonal HSCP lead for stroke, @kirrabrean talking about the impact of increased ESD teams nationally on bed days and cost savings @SineadAColeman @FionaConnaught3 @ronancollins7 @WeHSCPs

@Sarah_Physio_ @ClairePrenderg6 @WeHSCPs @SineadAColeman @FionaConnaught3 It was a super presentation. Really showcased clinical expertise, patient centred care delivery and amazing teamwork. Fab job and thank you for sharing your work 👏👏👏

Happy to present our case series reflecting on Stroke ESD Rehab for patients post lateral medullary stroke at the National ESD Study Day today. Great learning from clinical sites across the country! @kirrabrean @ClairePrenderg6 @WeHSCPs @SineadAColeman @FionaConnaught3

Some fantastic presentations underway at the annual HSE Early Supported Discharge (ESD) Study Day. Topics for the mid-morning include return to work after stroke, and the impact of stroke on mothers. Thank you Phil, Libby and Helena @NRH_Ireland @MaterHSCPs @Irishheart_ie

A fantastic video created by our ANP family explaining and promoting their role. This easy to understand explanatory video will help our patients understand the importance & benefits of being cared for by an ANP. #AdvancedPracticeWeek #LivingPathway @AdrianCleary101

One week to go until our Stroke ESD Study Day which is on Thursday 20th November from 9.30 until 1.00. The programme for the morning is really excellent and all with an interest in life after stroke and understanding the impact of ESD are welcome! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 - 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 In November 2017, national radio DJ Gerry Stevens suffered a life-altering brain haemorrhage caused by undiagnosed high blood pressure, leaving him unable to move the left side of his body or speak properly, an especially devastating blow for someone whose life revolved around communication. His recovery was long and challenging, involving months of rehabilitation, as well as emotional healing, during which he rebuilt his independence and confidence step by step. Determined to help others, Gerry launched The Strokecast podcast to raise awareness about stroke and inspire survivors, ultimately returning to the airwaves and continuing to be a voice for hope and resilience. Watch his story here: vimeo.com/noca/gerryssto… #StrokeAudit2025 #ClinicalAudit #QualityImprovement @strokecastirl

𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 Professor Joe Harbison has officially launched the Irish National Audit of Stroke Summary Report 2024 and Organisational Audit Report 2025 this morning. The report provides a comprehensive overview of how stroke care is organised and delivered across Ireland. Since 2021, the number of annual stroke admissions has increased by 13%, while the number of stroke unit beds has risen by just 2%. All 24 hospitals that provide acute stroke care have a designated stroke unit, and in 2024, 73% of patients with a stroke were admitted to one, an increase from 70% in 2021 but below the national target of 90%. Key findings: • 92% of hospitals have a consultant physician with specialist stroke knowledge. • 96% of hospitals provide a 24/7 thrombolysis services, and 2 hospitals provide a national 24/7 endovascular thrombectomy service. • 22 hospitals receive an ambulance service pre-alert for all FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) calls, which is an increase from 17 hospitals in 2021. • Access to Early Supported Discharge (ESD) increased from 10 to 14 hospitals. You can access the report and associated documents here: noca.ie/documents/iris… #StrokeAudit2025 #ClinicalAudit #QualityImprovement

Positive progress in our emergency management of stroke through collaborative working between Acute Stroke Team, @NationalAmbula1 @AssocEmergMedIE & Radiology.But not enough stroke unit beds.We must implement National Stroke Strategy 2022-2027 @HSELive rte.ie/news/2025/1105…