A bright future in healthcare
St James’s Hospital is committed to investing in its healthcare services, meaning career prospects within the hospital are vibrant
Over a period of three centuries, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, has evolved to become the largest Academic and Acute Teaching Hospital in the Republic of Ireland. The hospital has exceptional resources, including 1,020 beds, approximately 4,000 staff, and an annual turnover of circa €420m. It also enjoys strong linkages and a formal affiliation to Ireland’s highest-ranked university, Trinity College, Dublin.
St James’s profile is not related purely to scale however; the visibility of its services and expertise is recognised at national and international level. The hospital provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services, many with a regional and national patient base. Occupying a prominent position in the public eye, St James’s places a high emphasis on innovation, quality and excellence of delivery.
TEAM VALUES
Central to realising St James’s vision and values is its committed staff. Their drive, passion and dedication to the hospital and its patients is second to none. The hospital believes that quality and safety are enabled by front-line teams, working seamlessly together to provide the best possible care for every patient, every time. It is also enabled by investing in staff development.
“St James’s recognises that the development of the workforce contributes to the delivery of a high-quality service to our patients and the achievement of organisational objectives,” explains Hugh Duggan, Director of HR at St James’s Hospital. “We strongly encourage an ongoing culture of collaboration and partnership within a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care. We believe this provides excellent and diverse career opportunities for health professionals.”
Duggan continues, “We are committed to encouraging and supporting all staff in their continuous professional development and providing them with the education and training they need. As an academic teaching hospital, we have a very well-developed Learning and Development function, a close relationship with Trinity College Dublin, and a strong policy of actively promoting staff development.
“We have internal courses which are developed, facilitated and coordinated by a team of high calibre and experienced educational staff, which offer excellent academic teaching combined with practical applications. We also provide financial support to staff who wish to supplement their learning by pursuing post graduate qualifications. These can range from master’s degree programmes to role-specific short courses, study days and staff wellness programmes.”
The hospital also has developed a contemporary e-Learning strategy underpinned by ‘Learn Path’, its Learning Management System, which provides staff with the added flexibility of undertaking programmes at a time and location of their choosing on a 24/7 basis.
Duggan adds, “As a large complex healthcare organisation, sitting on a diverse campus of over 50 acres, we rely on a wide range of experienced staff to deliver the best care for our patients, so we invest heavily in developing the healthcare, managerial, technical, laboratory, support and administrative staff across the hospital.”
AMBITIOUS GOALS
The co-location of the National Children’s Hospital on the St James’s site, coupled with plans for maternity services and its own ambitious capital development programme, will position the campus at the forefront of healthcare delivery nationally and internationally long into the future. St James’s will soon extend a range of services to support the needs of its patients from infancy to old age.
“One of the consistent commentaries on the Irish Health Services is the increased volume and complexity of patient care as a consequence of higher life expectancies. Increased life expectancy reflects real improvements in Irish society and requires that we, as a hospital, continuously innovate and collaborate if we are to proactively manage the evolving nature of healthcare delivery. St James’s recognises this and the need to also embrace modern technologies and sub-specialisation within medicine.
“Mercers Institute for Successful Ageing, (MISA), is a prime example of this model of integrated care, staff development and innovation in practice. This is why we consider it crucial to invest in staff development and the necessary skills to support organisational needs. To enable this, we are striving to become be the employer of choice within the health service, which is why this features as one of the key strategic pillars within our Corporate Plan.”
There will be enormous scope for clinical innovation, job creation, economic and business opportunities with integration of diverse specialties and expertise. St James’s Hospital is actively recruiting across all disciplines in the new year.
“Christmas and New Year is a time for home,” says Duggan. “It’s a time for being with those we love and for taking some time out to rest, reflect on the year that’s been with all its trials and challenges, joys and successes, and to think about the year ahead. The new year can, for some, evoke a desire for change in all its forms such as seeking new beginnings, new challenges and opportunities, and developing more connection and meaning in our lives.
“We share and understand this desire, and are very much seeking like-minded people to join us in what we hope will be some very exciting times ahead as we prepare for major capital development projects on our hospital site, most notably the National Children’s Hospital and the Cancer Institute.”
While there are many career opportunities and roles available at St Jame’s Hospital, they can be categorised broadly into nursing, medical, allied health professions, management/administration and support services. Not only are the roles diverse, but St James’s are also looking for a diverse workforce.
“The multiple nationalities which make up of our workforce epitomise St James’s commitment to diversity in the workplace and a welcoming culture,”says Duggan. “Those who have joined us from international locations comment favourably upon this aspect of their experience, and the high level of collegiality across the hospital and its departments.
“What members most like about working here will be very much dependent upon their personal values and aspirations. Overwhelmingly, and regardless of their role, staff feel that making a contribution to the care provided to patients, who are at a vulnerable and sometimes very emotionally challenging stage of their lives, is the most rewarding aspect to their work. In terms of their own personal development, our staff speak very positively in relation to career progression and a willing mentorship from line management.”
Duggan adds, “Reflective of our role as a large teaching hospital, we normally recruit over 740 people each year. Regardless of your area of interest, teamwork communication and quality are core skills and competencies which are common to all roles. In short, we’re looking for driven self-starters who can identify with our vision and values and are interested in furthering their career development whilst making a valuable and meaningful contribution to the delivery of safe, quality and effective care to our patients.”
For more information, visit www.stjames.ie