The RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have today announced a new agreement for the delivery of high quality education, training and professional development by the Faculty to the members of the PNA.

Under the new Service Level Agreement, PNA and the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery will work in partnership, to collaborate and cooperate in supporting the education, training, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and professional competence needs and requirements of the members of the union.

It is intended for the partnership to provide a model of excellence in ongoing professional education, and CPD including: 

• Establishing and regularly identifying national learning needs for the members of the PNA
• Accreditation of the programmes provided to the PNA members 
• Supporting members of the PNA maintain their professional competence
• Continuing to enhance the role of the PNA as a strategic leader in the provision of CE/CPD
• Prioritising the patient safety agenda; supporting the delivery of safe, high quality evidence based nursing care.
• Utilising continuing education/CPD support to become a central component of local and national agreements for the PNA 
• Utilising continuing education/CPD support to become a central component of dealings with the revised PPC and FTP procedures within NMBI

Welcoming the new agreement, PNA General Secretary Des Kavanagh said: “Since its establishment 46 years ago, the PNA has continuously pioneered professional standards for nurses, in their education, practice, and their working condition. The Union has always believed that a valued component of nurses' practice is life-long learning and continuous professional development, advancing tools and resources to support the effectiveness of nurses/nursing to transform care is critical in our support of the profession.”

“It is therefore timely for the PNA to enter into a strategic relationship with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI to build on our long track record of working with members to develop, understand, promote and contribute to the knowledge required to underpin high quality nursing practice. The specialised issues which were particular to nurses forty six years ago handled by professional nurses who recognised the issues and solutions still holds firm to this day. The proposed PNA / RCSI service level agreement is another vibrant step in the Association's history towards a cohesive and dynamic nursing community,” Kavanagh concluded. 

Welcoming the new agreement the Dean of the Faculty Professor Marie Carney said: “As Dean of the Faculty, and on behalf of the Executive Director, Faculty Board, and Faculty staff, I am delighted to be signing this Service Level Agreement. I wish to thank the PNA National Chairman Mr Leahy, the Officer Board, the Secretary General Mr Kavanagh, and the Research and Development Advisor Ms Aisling Culhane and I look forward to a successful and lengthy collaborative relationship between our two organisations.”