From left: Alison McCaffrey, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Paediatric Diabetes; with Dr Orla Neylon, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist; and Prof Clodagh O’Gorman, Consultant Paediatrician.
Young people with diabetes are being supported in transitioning to adult services through the appointment of the first paediatric advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) at University Hospital Limerick.
The new ANP in children’s diabetes is Alison McCaffrey.
The role is primarily designed to help young people to self-manage their Diabetes, to become able to make their own healthcare decisions.
The paediatric diabetes service at UHL currently manages 220 young patients. Every year, between 20 and 30 patients will transfer to the adult service. The aim is to educate the child with the condition, to make them aware of risk-taking behaviours so that as they are leaving the paediatric service they are able to mind their own diabetes in a safe way and that they live life to the full in terms of lifestyle, exercise, travel and all the next experiences as part of growing up.
Research has shown that young people who disengage from the adult service following an unsuccessful move to adult services will present with significant complications at young ages.
There are now 49 Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Advanced Midwife Practitioners (AMPs) currently working in UL Hospitals Group.
