The first session introduces third-year midwifery students to professional practice in Ireland across the full perinatal continuum. Drawing on Ireland’s National Maternity Strategy and the HSE’s Sláintecare reform, it examines antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care in both hospital-based and community settings, including midwifery-led units, the DOMINO model, and Ireland’s homebirth service. Students will compare Irish to German maternity care models through an interactive case study, practising professional communication in English. The second session develops academic writing and reading skills in English, with a focus on midwifery terminology, academic understanding and a supervised writing exercise.
Dr. Susan Kent is a nursing, midwifery, and healthcare innovation leader with experience across acute/community operations, HSE National Corporate, academia, government, and independent clinical practice. Key roles include:
- Former Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health (Ireland)
- First non-American Fellow in Nurse Economics, USA
- WHO Consultant - CNO Office for global nurses and midwives
- National Screening Advisory Committee member
- CEO & Founder, ArrowHealth - community-based independent clinical nursing service
- HSE Corporate lead on many quality and patient safety initiative and development and implementation of the HSE Performance Achievement Policy for 200k employees
- International speaker: China, USA, UAE, Italy, SIDS
- Incumbent Board Member for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), USE May 2026 Dr. Kent is recognised for her future-focused vision, patient-centred values, and her unique "hybrid" expertise spanning practice, policy, leadership, and academia.
