The Committee

How it Works

The affairs of the Irish Association of Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners association shall be managed by a committee consisting of the following:

  • Chairperson

  • Vice Chairperson

  • Treasurer

  • Secretary – Education

  • Secretary – Membership

  • Editorial Officer- IAANMP Supplement and Website

  • PRO/GDPR Officer

  • Committee Officers

A quorum for a committee meeting shall be five of which two must be an officer of the committee. The committee shall have the authority to:

  • Co-opt a member of the association to fill a vacancy, which will be subsequently endorsed at an AGM
  • Establish sub committees the members of which shall be appointed at the discretion of the committee
  • Invite persons who are not members of the Association to attend certain meetings to give expert advice

The Committee 2026

The IAANMP committee are all volunteer members who contribute their expertise in order to advance the mission and vision of the association.

Melissa Hammond
Melissa Hammond
Chairperson
Caroline Fraser
Caroline Fraser
Vice-Chair
Louise1000750
Louise Moore
Treasurer
Theresa Lowry Lehnen
Theresa Lowry Lehnen
Editorial Officer
IAANMP Supplement & Website
claire_kearney
Claire Kearney
PRO & GDPR Officer
Sarah Daly
Sarah Daly
Membership Secretary

Committee Officers

Luke_Sheehan
Luke Sheehan
Committee Officer
Leena Rodrigues800500
Leena Rodrigues
Committee Officer
Fiona Colbert
Fiona Colbert
Committee Officer
Kathleen Canavan
Kathleen Canavan
Committee Officer

Honorary Members

Gabrielle Dunne
Founding member of IAANMP 2004
Committee member 2004 - 2014
cora oconnor
Ms. Cora O'Connor
Founding member and previous Chair of IAANMP
Years of service 2004-2014
Ms. Paula McBrearty
Founding member of IAANMP 2004
Committee member 2004 - 2009
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Melissa Hammond – Chairperson
Melissa qualified as a registered general nurse in 2004 with a bachelor degree in science at Queens University Belfast. She completed a higher diploma in Cardiovascular and Critical Care specialist nursing in Trinity College Dublin and in St James’ Hospital. She specialised in intensive care and cardiology nursing, and moved into a Clinical Nurse Specialist role in Heart Failure. She helped launch the HF Virtual Consultation Clinics between secondary and primary care. This is where she saw the potential impact of an ANP role in General Practice.  In 2018, she progressed on to complete a masters in science at University College Dublin for advanced practice and nurse prescribing. Melissa moved into General Practice in May 2022 where she is now working as a registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner and has a special interest in Chronic Disease Management, Health screening and Preventative Medicine.
Melissa is passionate about the impact of nursing, in particular the ANP role, and she has a vision to promote true understanding of the advanced practice role within healthcare and nationally. She is an active  member in the General Practice ANP Ireland group and is on the steering committee advocating for ANPs in General Practice.  She has vast experience and can offer an understanding of the advanced practice journey in both primary and secondary care, within public and private settings. Melissa is looking forward to the next year to help further enhance the voice of all advanced practitioners in Ireland as chair of the IAANMP.
Caroline Fraser, Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Emergency)

Caroline is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) in the Emergency Department (ED) in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. She is responsible for assessing and treating both adults and children with injuries and minor illnesses. Caroline has worked in the Emergency Directorate both in England and Ireland for 26 years in a variety of roles including Clinical Nurse Manager 2 & 3 and Regional ED Clinical Facilitator. During this time, she completed a post graduate course in emergency nursing and a BSc in nursing. In 2017, she began her career in advanced practice and undertook a Masters in Advanced Practice in Trinity College, Dublin. Caroline is a registered nurse prescriber and is authorised to refer for radiological procedures. In addition to the clinical component, her role also incorporates the provision of leadership and education to staff in the ED. She is an ACLS instructor and a member of the Midlands ED ANP group, Emergency Medicine Programme ANP forum group and the IAANMP. Caroline has lectured in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) on post-graduate courses and has assisted in developing both the Higher Diploma in Emergency Nursing and the Emergency Nursing Foundation programme in AIT. She has a special interest in pain management in the ED and has carried out research in this area. Caroline was recently involved in implementing a virtual fracture clinic into the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise which was the first hospital in Ireland to do so with no orthopaedic speciality. She has carried out a number of audits in this area which she has presented at national conferences.

Louise Moore
Professional qualifications
RGN, RNP, RANP

Academic qualifications
Grad Dip (Clinical Practice), MSc (Research), FFNMRCSI, Adjunct Lecturer/Assistant Professor UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Biography
I have worked in in rheumatology for over 30 years and continue to enjoy the challenge of clinical practice and the opportunity to influence healthcare outcomes for patients. I have been supported through this time by a strong and determined nursing and medical team to pursue further education and training to advance my career. While proud of all my achievements to date, it is my MSc (research) that truly highlighted the importance of research in the advancement of nursing clinical practice as the findings from this work has led to the development of a new clinical service (Rheumatology Obstetric Service) directly impacting on patient care. This service has now been replicated in 2 other clinical sites within the Republic of Ireland. This work has also provided opportunities to be part of national and international multidisciplinary special interest groups, broadened my knowledge on the topic and meet academics and clinicians from all disciplines to spark debate, forge collaboration, and friendships.

Theresa Lowry Lehnen (PhD), FFNMRCSI
RGN, PG Dip Coronary Care, Dip Counselling & Psychotherapy, BSc, RNP, MSc, PG. Dip. Ed (QTS), M. Ed, PhD, FFNMRSCI. Advanced Nurse Practitioner General Practice

Theresa Lowry-Lehnen manages the nurse led medical centre at South East Technological University, Carlow campus. She is qualified as an RGN, Coronary Care Nurse, Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Practice, Registered Nurse Prescriber (RNP) and as a Teacher of Science and Nursing Studies. She holds a PhD, MSc, PGDE (QTS), M.Ed and is a registered Teacher with the Teaching Council of Ireland. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI (FFNMRCSI). Theresa has extensive clinical nursing experience in primary and secondary care, combining her practice with over 20 years in educational, teaching and lecturing roles. She holds a Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy, is an FSRH, BASSH and RCGP certified practitioner in sexual health, and an IUHPE registered health promotion practitioner.
Theresa worked in CCU/ITU for over 15 years, before moving to the primary care sector, where she specialised in General Practice Nursing and has continued to work for 25 years. She has authored published nursing, health and psychology books and is a regular contributor to medical, nursing and pharmaceutical journals and newspapers, with over 300 clinical articles published in recent years. Some of her academic work has been used to create CPD modules for doctors, nurses and pharmacy teams.

Theresa has an editorial role in the Advanced Practice supplement and manages the IAANMP website. She initiated the concept for the IAANMP Advanced Practice supplement in ‘Nursing in Practice Ireland’ journal, collaborating with GreenCross Publications and the IAANMP to establish a national platform for ANPs and AMPs to publish, share, and promote advanced practice and research.

 

Claire Kearney ANP Obesity, St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown Dublin
RANP, MSc, RNP, RM, RN

Claire qualified as a nurse in Beaumont Hospital in 2001 and subsequently trained as a midwife in the Rotunda Hospital where she worked in various areas and worked as a Clinical Midwife Manager in Diabetes until 2019. She then joined the team in the Centre for Obesity Management in Loughlinstown as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and she has been working as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Obesity since July this year. Claire was involved in the development of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity in Adults in Ireland.

Sarah Daly, Respiratory Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Sarah Daly is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner with extensive clinical and academic experience in respiratory care and sleep-related breathing disorders. She completed her undergraduate nursing degree at the University of Galway, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Respiratory Care and Master’s in Nursing at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin.
Sarah began her nursing career as a staff nurse at Portiuncula University Hospital, working on a medical and surgical ward. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her ward was adapted to a dedicated treatment unit—an experience that deepened her interest in respiratory health and guided her future professional development.
In 2022, Sarah was appointed as a Respiratory Candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Roscommon University Hospital. She completed her Nurse Medicinal Prescribing qualification at the RCSI in Dublin, obtained her radiological referral certification from University College Cork, and later completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Practice Nursing at the University of Galway. She has been registered as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner since 2024.
Sarah has a particular clinical interest in sleep-related breathing disorders. She established a sleep diagnostic service at Roscommon University Hospital, supported by her completion of specialist Sleep Medicine and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia courses—both undertaken after she was awarded the Bernie Carpenter Perpetual Bursary by the Irish Association for Advanced Nurse and Midwife Practitioners.
Alongside her clinical work, Sarah has been a casual lecturer at the University of Limerick since 2021, teaching across both undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. She has also been invited to serve as the Module Leader for the Therapeutic Interventions module on the Respiratory Master’s Programme at the University of Limerick in 2026.
Sarah’s professional interests span research, education, respiratory health, and sleep medicine. Her dedication to evidence-informed practice, service development, and multidisciplinary collaboration continues to positively influence patient care and innovation within her field.


Luke Sheehan, RANP, MSc (Advance Practice)

Advanced Nurse Practitioner – Urgent & Emergency Care | Frailty Medicine

Luke Sheehan is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) with extensive clinical experience across urgent care, emergency medicine and frailty services in both the UK and Ireland. His background spans high acuity emergency departments, urgent community response services and front door frailty models, giving him broad exposure to complex, time critical decision making and integrated care of older adults.

He completed his MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice at St George’s, University of London / Kingston University and subsequently transitioned from UK ACP registration to RANP registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). He currently practises in urgent and emergency care, delivering autonomous advanced assessment, diagnostics and treatment across a wide range of presentations, while maintaining a specialist clinical interest in frailty, comprehensive geriatric assessment and admission avoidance.

Luke’s clinical skillset includes advanced clinical assessment, x-ray interpretation, minor injuries and illness management, suturing, plastering and multidisciplinary frailty assessment. He is interested in linking hospital and community services and developing models to improve patient flow, safety, and outcomes for older adults.

Alongside practice, Luke is actively involved in service development, mentorship of trainee ACPs and junior nurses and professional education within urgent and community facing services. He is currently undertaking a postgraduate study in Clinical Geriatrics (in progress) to deepen his specialist academic and clinical expertise in geriatric medicine.

His professional interests include frailty at the front door, urgent and unscheduled care, hospital to community integration, admission avoidance and advancing advanced practice roles within acute and community care systems.



Leena Rodrigues

Leena is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. With over 26 years of international clinical experience spanning India, Oman, and Ireland, she has a strong foundation in intensive care nursing and advanced clinical practice. She qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1998 from the Bombay Nurses Training Institute, Mumbai, and has since pursued extensive postgraduate education in Ireland, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Critical Care Nursing and dual Master’s degrees in Clinical Practice and Advanced Practice Nursing from University College Dublin.

Leena currently serves as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) at St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH), where she led the design and implementation of the ANP-led service. Her role involves autonomous assessment, diagnosis, education, and bone health management for patients aged 50+ with fragility fractures, with a strong focus on falls and secondary fracture prevention. She is actively involved in national performance measurement through the FLS database and is a member of the national FLS Report Writers Committee.

Her previous roles include CNM2 in the DXA department and Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Co-ordinator at SVUH, contributing to service improvement, policy development, and infection prevention. Passionate about innovation in nursing, Leena brings deep expertise in clinical leadership, service design, and interprofessional collaboration. She is proud to support the work of the IAANMP committee, advocating for the visibility and impact of advanced practice roles in Ireland.

Fiona Colbert Donaghey RGN,RNP:

Fiona Colbert Donaghey RGN,RNP, Emergency Cardiology RANP, BSc, MSc Nursing, RNP, FFNMRCSI, Honorary Teaching Associate RCSI, Radiological Nurse Referrer Site Coordinator, Beaumont Hospital. Nurse representative on National Advisory Committee for Nurse and Midwife Referrers of Radiological Procedures and Chair person of Advanced Practice Section INMO. Experienced Provider/ACLS/BLS instructor. I am also part of the ANP/CNS grand rounds team in Beaumont Hospital. I have a special interest in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and currently undertaking a MSc in Preventive Cardiology. I studied in Thames Valley university Slough and then returned to Ireland were I worked in the Mater hospital before joining Beaumont Hospital. I have worked In Beaumont for many years in CCU as a staff nurse, CNM 1 & 2 then for a brief time as an ADON out of hours before embarking on my ANP journey. I registered in 2017 and work as part of the team. My role involves providing a consult service to patients in the emergency department with a wide range of cardiac conditions. We also developed a virtual ANP led clinic since 2016.

Kathleen Canavan Moran MSc RANP RNP Cardiothoracic:

Kathleen is a Chicago Illinois U.S.A. native, born to Irish Immigrants. She moved to Dublin Ireland in April 1999 to open a new Cardiothoracic Surgical Unit in St. James’s Hospital Dublin, and to pioneer the role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Keith Shaw Cardiothoracic Unit in St. James’s Hospital Dublin in 2000. She practiced in St. James’s Hospital until June 2004 when she was headhunted to open the first Cardiothoracic Surgical unit in the West of Ireland. She took up her post at The Galway Clinic in June 2004 and is still actively practicing there today…now known as Blackrock Health The Galway Clinic.

Kathleen bases her practice on providing seamless holistic care to her patients by being actively involved clinically in every aspect of her patient’s care, with a hands-on approach, from the patient’s referral through to their post operative follow up care.

Kathleen is an active member and participant in the patient’s surgical care and the surgical team. She has first assisted cardiothoracic surgical operations for over 24 years. She is an expert in vein and radial artery harvesting and in first assisting the Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeons. She is an expert in first assisting robotic surgical operations and was the first robotic surgical assistant in Ireland. To date, she has performed over 1500 surgical robotic cases as the surgical first assistant.

Kathleen prepared the documentation for submission to NMBI for post approval for Advanced Nurse Practitioners in Cardiothoracic Surgery for the University Hospital Galway and The Galway Clinic and achieved accreditation for both in 2012.

She has a special interest in wound care and management. Her patients are the centre of her daily practice and she is a true patient advocate.

Having worked in both public and private institutions in Ireland, Kathleen is keen to foster and bridge any gaps between both healthcare providing bodies, in order to facilitate better holistic focused care to the people availing of healthcare services in Ireland.

Mr. David Delaney
David is the newly elected Secretary. He currently works in the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick. David graduated from the University of Tasmania in Australia and started his career in cardiac care. From there he worked in the Intensive care units of the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, the Royal Prince Alfred, Sydney, St. James Hospital, Dublin and University Hospital Limerick. He is currently a Clinical Skills Facilitator in the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick. He has previously studied a postgraduate diploma in Intensive Care Nursing with NUI Galway and is currently in his dissertation year of this Masters in Advanced Nursing Care also with NUI Galway. David will be a registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner once his MSc is complete. David also holds a position on the student subgroup of the International Council of Nurses NP/APN network.