Portiuncula University Hospital has announced the appointment of Leanne Norton as a Bereavement Support Midwife for the hospital.
Leanne, who has extensive clinical expertise and has experience of counselling with regard to non-complex bereavement issues, obtained her Nursing degree in 2008 from the Technological University of the Shannon.
She gained valuable experience as a Staff Nurse in St James Hospital Dublin and it was during this time that Leanne honed her informal counselling skills and decided to dedicate her career to bereavement care.
In 2012 she commenced a Higher Diploma in Midwifery in The Rotunda Hospital in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin. After a number of years working in the Rotunda Hospital, Leanne returned to work as a Midwife in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar before taking up her new post as Bereavement Support Midwife at Portiuncula University Hospital.
Speaking of her new role Leanne said, “I feel very privileged to take up this new and extremely important role. As the Bereavement Support Midwife I am in a position to care and support women and families experiencing the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth or neonatal death. The loss of any baby is a devastating and overwhelming grief with every individual experiencing loss differently. I want to be able to provide my patients and their families with the compassionate, individualised and culturally sensitive support they need.
The opportunity to also work closely with the Pastoral Care team here in the hospital will allow me to contribute to a comprehensive, holistic experience for each grieving family.”
Deirdre Naughton, Director of Midwifery at the hospital said, “Leanne is a very passionate and caring member of staff who will work closely with her colleagues to ensure parents receive care which is clinically skilled, compassionate, consistent, kind and respectful.”
“We are delighted to welcome Leanne to Portiuncula and to the role of Bereavement Support Midwife. This role will provide extra support and guidance to ensure that in the midst of the most difficult situation, women and their families will have that dedicated support available to them,” James Keane Hospital Manager said.
