Waterford Nurse Elected President Of Inmo

Claire, pictured right receiving the chain of office from out-going president Sheila Dickson, has 30 years experience as a nurse, and has served on the INMO’s Executive Council for the last four years and will now serve as President for the 2012-2014 period.

Claire has been a member of the Organisation since her student years and has a tremendous record of local representation and action on behalf of the Organisation’s members in the South East. In 2001 she received the prestigious Gobnait O’Connell Award for her outstanding service to the Organisation in a manner which sought to enhance the interests and welfare of her local colleagues. (The award is presented annually in memory of Gobnait who died tragically and is in recognition of her contribution to nursing and midwifery in Ireland.)

Claire is currently Chairperson of the Waterford Branch and this involves a wide range of duties including representing members locally, developing other local representatives, recruiting new members and generally organising the Organisation’s activities in Waterford city and county.

Claire takes over the helm at the most critical time ever faced by the Irish public health service in the wake of the high number of recent retirements and the non-filling of other vacant posts. Following her election Claire has already prioritised her key objectives, during her Presidency, as being a strong and vocal advocate, on behalf of members and patients, demanding a clinical environment where safe practice and safe care can always be maintained.

Speaking following her election Claire said:

"I am extremely honoured to have been elected President of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation by my colleagues and am delighted to take up the baton for the next two years.

I am proud to be a nurse as my mother was before me. There is no doubt the challenge ahead of us for the provision of safe care for our patients, and safe practice for nurses and midwives is huge. However, we are a resilient and dedicated group of professionals.

Safe practice and safe care will be my priorities, during the coming two years, as will the protection of pay, and other conditions of employment, currently held by our members.

The recent conference clearly identified our agenda, for the next year, and I will begin immediately, in conjunction with the incoming Executive Council, implementing the agenda given to us by the 300 plus delegates at our recent Annual Conference."

Ms. Claire Mahon, a Clinical Nurse Manager at Waterford Regional Hospital, was elected President of the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation last Friday during the recent Annual Conference in Killarney.