Carmel Mcinerney

Carmel is the Respiratory Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) within the University Hospital Limerick Group (UHLG), Ennis Hospital, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland. She worked as a CNS in the Respiratory Department at this hospital since 2006 initially seeing general respiratory patients. This was the first respiratory CNS post in the hospital so she set up the service for Non-Invasive Ventilation, COPD, Asthma and Interstitial Lung Disease. The respiratory service has grown over the years and Carmel manages a caseload of respiratory patients with symptoms suggestive of Asthma, COPD and ILD in her role. Running three nurse –led clinics a week seeing new and review patients.
Clinical work – Carmel originally qualified as an RGN/RCN in Temple Street Paediatric Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital Dublin. She then went on to complete her Midwifery Studies in St Munchins Maternity Hospital, Limerick.
From an education aspect she has undertaken her Post Graduate Diploma in Respiratory Care, her Masters in Advanced Practice Nursing where she got an Honours Degree, her Nurse Prescribing in Medicinal Products and her nurse prescribing of medicinal Ionising Radiation.

Patients are referred to Carmel through the respiratory service and general practitioners that may have asthma or COPD and all diagnosed ILD patients. Limerick is one of the six expert ILD centres in Ireland and Carmel has setup a satellite clinic for the ILD patients in the Clare area. She manages this service with her respiratory nurse colleagues in Limerick seeing a large number of patients monthly. Patients are pleased to have good links with the respiratory nurse team including pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen services.

Public Service: Carmel is a member of ANAIL (the Irish Respiratory Nurse Group) She is an active member of the ANP national group also.

Teaching – Carmel provides ILD support for respiratory nurses and health care professionals within the UHLG through local training sessions. Carmel has spoken at many national conferences on ILD and the impact of ILD on patients. She spoke recently at the patient information day organised by Irish Lung Foundation Association (ILFA) talking to patients about symptom management.

Carmel has recently been appointed as adjunct clinical lecturer at the University of Limerick which is the academic partner of UHLG, providing education to the undergraduate nursing programme and the Masters Programme.