In June 2009, Angela O'Riordan, Ireland's first Down Syndrome Liaison Nurse took up her post - funded by Down Syndrome Centre - in the Dept of Paediatrics in AMNCH. Under the guidance of Professor Hilary Hoey and Joan Murphy, Angela has been finding her feet and will shortly begin hospital visits to new parents of children born with Down syndrome.

Background:

Angela is a qualified Paediatric Nurse with 20 years experience working in paediatrics in Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin, Dublin and paediatric neurosurgery in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. She has spent the last six years working within the community for a disability organisation as part of a Family Support Team, and as Team Leader for 1 1/2 years. Her role here included supporting and providing up-to-date information to parents whose baby had just received a diagnosis of Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus prenatally or at birth. The support and guidance then continued within their community and included liaising with Early Intervention Service-Providers, and members of multidisciplinary teams providing care for individuals with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus. She has a degree in Nurse Management.

The role of the Down Syndrome Liaison Nurse

In her role, Angela will implement her specialised knowledge of five core concepts (Clinical Focus, Patient/Client Advocate, Education and Training, Audit and Research and Consultant) to lead and maintain a holistic, patient/family-centred, high quality service for children with Down Syndrome, their parents/family in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow areas. Through visits to the new parents in the maternity hospital and through home visits on request, Angela will assist these children/parents/families in achieving their maximum potential and receiving timely, holistic and effective healthcare during the first year of life.

Her purpose will be to improve the quality of patient/family care, which requires assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care of a baby with Down syndrome and the family unit, during the child's first year of life. It must be patient, family, outpatient and community focused. The function of the role will include patient and family advocate, which will involve communication, negotiation and representation of patient/family values and decisions in collaboration with other health care workers and community Early Intervention Teams. The DS Liaison Nurse will act as a resource/contact person to provide up to date information, support and advice to parents of children with Down syndrome in a positive and reassuring manner during the first year of life.

A very warm welcome to Angela and if you have any questions pertaining to a child between the ages of 0 - 1, why not avail of Angela's expertise and drop her an email to angela@downsyndromecentre.ie.