The 26th annual Nursing and Midwifery Research Conference at RCSI was officially opened today by legendary sports commentator Micheál O’Muircheartaigh.

Entitled 'Information and Quality in Healthcare: Challenges for Nursing and Midwifery Research, Practice and Education into the Future’, it is expected to be attended by over 150 professionals in the field. Some of the many topics that will be discussed include nurse prescribing, whistleblowing and MRSA.

Examples of the findings from some of the many papers and posters that will be presented at the conference include:

• Link between mattress and pillow contamination and MRSA
• Survey reveals over 80% of nurses are concerned about the prescribing, duration and route of administration of antimicrobials
• More than 50% of women believe that more information should be provided prior to elective caesarean sections

The RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery was established on 30 October 1974. As one of the earliest and longest serving providers of nurse education in Ireland, the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery has ensured wide ranging and relevant programmes of education for nurses from a variety of clinical nursing specialties.