Dr. Siobhán O'Halloran:

The nursing degree programme introduced in 2001 set the baseline for registration as a nurse. All of our nurses and midwives now undergo a four-year degree programme, on completion of which they are eligible to register with An Bord Altranais. Once they register with the board they are nurses. They can practice within the full scope of practice of a nurse and are held accountable to the full code of conduct. There is no difference between any nurse who registers in Ireland in terms of what he or she can practice or for what he or she can be held accountable.

The graduate nurse programme was introduced as a separate employment initiative. In stringent times, it was designed to give opportunities to up to 1,000 nurses and midwives to gain experience. It includes two additional elements, namely, the capacity for nurses undertaking this programme to get a variety of clinical experience to add to their portfolio and access to three modules of an educational programme approved by An Bord Altranais. It is entirely separate from the programme for registration and it does not in any way undermine the programme. It can also be offset against higher and future educational qualification, such as at masters level. Where substantive vacancies arise the HSE may chose to recruit to fill a vacancy and in such instances graduate nurses may apply in the same way as any other nurse. There are currently 358 graduates on the programme, with a further 305 in process. Overall, there are 1,049 applicants for the programme.