St Lukes General Hospital, Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a small city with a lively night life and very active arts scene. It has rail and bus links to Dublin and Waterford and bus links to other major cities. It is a medieval city with many noted historic sites of interest.

The hospital has an active social club and many sports have hospital teams. The midwifery team are supported by a Project Officer for Practice Development in Midwifery who is located in the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit. We are currently well advanced in the planning process to accept student midwives in to the clinical area in the coming year.

Profile of Maternity Department

Current beds

• 4 Delivery rooms
• 9 Antenatal beds
• 22 Postnatal beds
• 5 Neonatal cots

Staffing establishment

• Midwives = 35.50wte
• Neonatal staff = 6.87wte
• Health care assistants = 2wte
• Midwife staff ratio: Antenatal ward = 1:9 Delivery Suite = 1:1 Postnatal ward = 1:7

Activity 2005

• Deliveries 1521 includes 16 sets twins
• Normal vaginal deliveries = 51%
• Caesarean section rate = 32%
• Vacuum = 14%
• Forceps = 0.6%
• Breastfeeding rate = 43%

Services

• Antenatal
• Obstetric ultrasound department run by Clinical Midwife Specialist in Ultrasound
• Labour
• Postnatal
• Initiative Certificate of Commitment
• Breast feeding on demand
• Breastfeeding support group
• Lactation consultant midwife

Education

• 18hr Breastfeeding course
• S.T.A.B.L.E. course
• Neonatal recusitation course
• Fetal monitoring course
• Perineal suturing update
• IV cannulation course
• Record keeping update
• Obstetric drills up date
• Preceptorship course

Working Patterns

• Working hours = 39hrs per week
• Shift times
  • 11 hour shift - 08.00hrs- 2030hrs
  • 6 hour shift - 08.00hrs - 14.30hrs
  • Night shift - 20.30hrs - 08.00hrs
• Average number of weekends worked per month = 2

Accommodation

Type: Private rental agreement, many locations near to hospital.

Cost: 800-900euros per month for 4 bed roomed house.