Dorcas Mafuva works as a Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in the Rheumatic Musculoskeletal Disease Unit, Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services (OLH&CS), Harold’s Cross in Dublin. She qualified as a nurse in 1997 from Parirenyatwa School of Nursing in Zimbabwe. She then moved to Ireland in 2001 and worked as a staff nurse in care of the elderly until 2006. Since joining OLH&CS IN 2006, over the years she has taken up different roles within the rheumatology unit initially as a staff nurse, clinical site manager, clinical nurse manager 1 & 11 and currently clinical nurse specialist. During this time, she completed BSc Nursing Management in 2010, Management of Age-Related Bone and Joint Disorders in 2012, H. Diploma in Rheumatology in 2015, Nurse/Midwife Prescribing in 2018 and MSc Advanced Nursing in 2020. Dorcas was a board member of Arthritis Ireland and IRHPS representative between 2018 and 2019. She is currently a committee member of the Irish Rheumatology Nursing Forum (IRNF). She has recently received an award from RCSI for fellowship of the faculty of nursing & midwifery in RCSI (FFNMRCSI) by examination. Dorcas works closely with rheumatology consultants and healthcare teams in the outpatient clinics set up for managing different rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. In addition, her special interested in fibromyalgia has led to the implementation of a nurse-led fibromyalgia outpatient clinic established following completion of her MSc in Advanced Nurse Practice in 2020. The clinic offers a community-based and person-centred self-management programme for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Ryan started his nursing career 30 years ago in the Cork Voluntary School of Nursing. Shortly after qualification he emigrated to the Middle-East where he worked in various disciplines in nursing across two hospitals in Saudi Arabia where he was team leader and was integral to helping one hospital to achieve JCIA international accreditation. On his return to Ireland he settled in the West of Ireland and began working in a general surgical ward in Mayo University Hospital. He then moved to the orthopaedic unit where he worked for 16 years caring for patients undergoing elective surgery and those who suffered traumatic injuries. During his time there he completed his BSc in Nursing and was the project lead for the Falls prevention programme. He has been involved in a number of change initiatives to improve patient care. For 4 years he worked as CNM 2 for admitted ED patients during the height of the “trolley crisis” and co-managed the Covid Emergency Department at MUH. Recently he embarked on the Rheumatology journey by successfully securing the candidate ANP role in his hospital. He has completed two postgraduate diplomas, one in Rheumatology. He is a member of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI). He currently is undertaking the MSc in Advanced Practice Nursing at Trinity College Dublin and has recently become Mayo’s newest Registered Nurse Prescriber. He has become a strong advocate for the nascent Rheumatology service in Mayo and is working tirelessly to ensure the patients of Mayo get the quality healthcare they deserve.
I completed my nursing training in London and worked there for a year before returning to Ireland in 1999 and came to Our Lady’s Hospice where I worked in a variety of clinical and educational roles across my 17 years there. I was awarded a Higher Diploma in Rheumatology Nursing with the first ever intake of students on the course in 2003 and completed her BSc Nursing in UCD in 2004. I am a registered Nurse Tutor since 2009 following completion of her MSc in Nursing (Education), and saw 10 years’ worth of students through Rheumatology nursing programmes including the Rheumatology Higher/ Graduate Diploma, and various Professional Certificate modules in collaboration with the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems in UCD. Education at all levels remains a keen interest of mine to this day.
After Harolds Cross, I moved to the RCNME Tullamore for over 2 years, working as a Nurse Tutor and returned to Rheumatology MRHT in January 2019 as Rheumatology CNS. I became a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery RCSI (FFNMRCSI) in 2019, completed Nurse Prescribing in 2022, and my PG Cert in Advanced Practice before registration as an ANP in 2023. My specialist interest area is Axial Spondyloarthritis, however at present my role provides care to patients with all types of rheumatic diseases. I hope to support the committee to maintain the established high standards of education, support, collegiality and development that we are known for.
Emma, a qualified General and Children’s nurse has worked in various hospitals over the last 12 years. She has worked in CHI at Crumlin since 2014 and has worked in her current role as a Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Nurse Specialist since 2019. A role she is very passionate about, she has completed research and MSc in the area. Her work has received academic achievements from the School of Nursing and Midwifery – Trinity College Dublin and been disseminated at various international conferences. She is a new member to the IRNF committee and hopes to advocate for the paediatric cohort at national level.
Karen has been a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner since 2022, working in Children’s Rheumatology in CHI at Crumlin. She has worked in paediatric rheumatology as a Rheumatology CNS since 2018 and in CHI Crumlin since 2009. Her Masters in Advanced Practice has provided her with the skills to use complex reasoning, critical thinking, clinical judgement, and decision making in her daily practice. Karen is currently the chairperson of the ANP group in Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin and is serving as a committee member of the Irish Rheumatology Nurses Forum (IRNF). Karen’s current role involves the ongoing assessment, care and treatment of a wide variety of paediatric patients with inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders who have been prescribed disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologic agents. Karen is a registered Nurse Prescriber in both ionising and medicinal products. She works closely with rheumatology consultants and healthcare teams in the outpatient clinics, as well as an autonomous practitioner in the management of different paediatric Rheumatological conditions, and is an integral part of the Rheumatology team, providing a high quality service for patients within the paediatric Rheumatology service, ensuring effective patient outcomes in safe environments.
Sandra Ribeiros earned her degree in Education Studies in 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal. She initially worked in adult education and lifelong learning before pursuing a career in nursing, qualifying as a general nurse in 2016. Sandra has experience in rehabilitation, trauma, and orthopaedics, and is currently working in Rheumatology at Cork University Hospital (CUH). She completed a Postgraduate qualification in Medical and Surgical Nursing at University College Cork (UCC) in 2020, followed by a Diploma in Health Services Management from the College of Commerce in 2023. She is now aiming to specialise in Rheumatology. Sandra is particularly passionate about educating, supporting, and empowering patients to manage their autoimmune conditions independently.
Graduating from St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, India, in 2003, I began my career in a cardiothoracic unit before relocating to Ireland in 2005. There, I contributed to the development of an acute stroke unit integrated with a gerontology ward, where I worked for eight years. Following this, I transitioned to the infusion suite, supporting rheumatology outpatient clinics, which sparked a deeper interest in the specialty.
In 2017, I completed the Rheumatology Graduate Diploma modules and subsequently undertook a two-year Master’s program in Advanced Practice. I became a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in 2019. Currently, I work as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, specializing in rheumatology and committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.