Head of Nursing and Healthcare at ATU Donegal is new NMBI President

ATU Donegal’s Head of Nursing and Healthcare has been elected Board President of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

This follows a Board meeting which took place on January 25.

Originally from Duleek, Co Meath and living in Co Donegal, Dr Louise Kavanagh McBride is a registered general nurse and nurse tutor, specialising in Orthopaedics and Emergency Nursing. 

She was appointed to the NMBI in 2015 by the Minister for Health as the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) Institutes of Technology representative. She has been Vice President of the Board since 2017.

During her time on the Board, Dr Kavanagh McBride served as Chair of the Education, Training and Standards Committee, and has also served as a member of the Business, Strategy and Finance Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee.

Dr Louise Kavanagh McBride said: “I am privileged and honoured to become President of NMBI. 

“As I step into this role, from Vice President, I recognise both the opportunities and challenges that exist within the nursing and midwifery professions and look forward to working with the Board, NMBI's executive and key stakeholders as we promote and protect the integrity of the professions. 

In her current role as Head of the Department of Nursing and Healthcare at ATU Donegal she is involved in providing undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and healthcare-related studies in the north west. 

She is also involved in funded research projects in the area of mental health and wellbeing of Third Level students in partnership with University of Ulster.

In her new role, Dr Kavanagh McBride will oversee the implementation of NMBI’s new Statement of Strategy 2023 to2025.

She said: “I look forward to using my knowledge of the Board and my professional, academic experience and practice to further NMBI’s mission to protect the public and uphold the highest standards of nursing and midwifery education and practice.”

Dr Kavanagh McBride thanked her former colleague and outgoing President, Essene Cassidy, for her leadership over the past seven years.”

NMBI CEO Sheila McClelland congratulated Dr Kavanagh McBride on her election as Board.

She added: “I have worked closely with Louise over the past number of years and I know that she is strongly committed to furthering our work to support registered midwives and nurses to provide patient care to the highest standard. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our Board to achieve our new strategic objectives.”