Rachel Kenna

The Chief Nursing Officer at Assistant Secretary level has a full policy brief integrating several policy areas. Responsibilities include:

development and support for implementation of Nursing and Midwifery policy solutions in line with patient and service need. Oversight of NMB including preparation of required legislation
the development of regulatory policy and to prepare regulatory legislation for certain health professions, coordinate DOH policy position and integrate into regulatory policy. Provides for governance of CORU and the Medical Council and carries out a Vetting role
to provide policy leadership for the Population Health Screening Unit for new, and changes to existing, organised population-based screening programme. Provides oversight of National Screening Service (NSS) and the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). CNO also provides support for the National Cardiac Services review and implementation of the stroke strategy
to provide leadership through the National Patient Safety Office for national patient safety policy and legislation, identification of patient safety priorities and initiatives and acts as a liaison with the HSE in relation to patient safety incidents. NPSO also supports the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee, the Independent Patient Safety Council and provides oversight of HIQA
to provide leadership for strategic workforce planning across the entire health sector, developing and supporting implementation of an integrated health workforce planning strategy and workforce planning projection model

The CNO is also provides expert nursing and midwifery professional advice to the department, government, and broader health system. The CNO co-chairs the women’s health taskforce, the women’s health executive and the policy committee.

Roles

Chief Nursing Officer