Description:
Skills and attributes
Leadership Skills
Professional Knowledge & Experience
building and maintaining relationships
Strategic and System Thinking
Purpose of the Post
The Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery (RDONM) is the most senior nursing and midwifery leadership role within the Health Region and is an Expert Review Body–recommended post.
The primary purpose of the role is to provide strategic professional leadership, governance, and accountability for nursing and midwifery services across the full continuum of care, including hospital, community, public health, and Section 38 services, ensuring safe, high-quality, integrated care aligned with Sláintecare objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) and working as a core member of the Executive Management Team, the RDONM will:
Strategic and Executive Leadership
Lead the nursing and midwifery contribution to Sláintecare reform, shaping the future regional health and social care system.
Provide overarching professional governance and leadership for nursing and midwifery practice across the Health Region.
Establish and oversee regional nursing and midwifery governance structures to support integrated, safe, and high-quality care.
Act as a key executive leader in driving integration, Networks of Care, and population health approaches.
Clinical Governance and Integrated Care
Lead clinical care coordination and the implementation and scale-up of integrated care programmes and modernised care pathways.
Work in partnership with the Regional Clinical Director to deliver clinically led, multidisciplinary models of care.
Ensure regional consistency in quality, safety, standards, and regulatory compliance across all care settings.
Oversee patient experience and service user engagement, ensuring patients are central to decision-making and service design.
Workforce and Professional Leadership
Provide oversight of workforce planning, safe staffing, and skill-mix, aligned with national policy.
Support the advancement of clinical practice, innovation, education, research, and digital enablement.
Collaborate with the National Nursing & Midwifery Advisor, ONMSD, regulators, academic partners, and the Department of Health.
Policy, Performance and Accountability
Lead implementation of key national strategies and programmes, including:
National Cancer, Stroke, Dementia, Maternity and Trauma Strategies
Mental Health policy Sharing the Vision
Digital Health Framework and Digital Roadmap for Nursing & Midwifery
Safe Nurse Staffing and Advanced Practice policies
Be accountable for achieving performance targets in scheduled and unscheduled care.
Hold executive accountability for designated statutory and non-statutory functions.
Provide direct line management for region-wide nursing and midwifery posts where assigned.
Professional Accountability
As a registered professional, the RDONM is accountable for their own professional practice and conduct, and for ensuring that nursing and midwifery services across the region comply with clinical, regulatory, ethical, and professional standards.