Dr Carole McKenna – Senior Professional Officer
Dr Carole McKenna joined NIPEC as a Senior Professional Officer in January 2009. During this time she has led a number of regional projects and initiatives including the project Managing the development of a Workforce Plan for Nursing and Midwifery (2015 – 2025) on behalf of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and she co-led the Implementation of the Department of Health (DoH) Mental Health Nursing Framework. Carole also hosted the Regional Project to Evidence Care through Key Performance Indicators and the Regional Implementation Group for Practice Development. In addition, Carole represents NIPEC on a range of Regional Strategic Groups including the DoH Research and Development Committee and Regional Mental Health Forum.
Carole began her nurse training in 1987 at Holywell Hospital, Antrim. Working as a Mental Health Nurse and then as a Community Nursing Sister she began to develop a keen interest in Research and Practice Development. She worked at the RCN as a Senior Professional Development Officer between 2000 and 2008 where she was extensively involved in multi-disciplinary research and practice development in primary care. During this time she also held a range of significant positions throughout Northern Ireland including Chair of the NI Multi-disciplinary Primary Care Forum and has been a member of the NI Multi-disciplinary Partnership for Clinical and Social Care Governance and the NI Forum for Health and Social Services Research.
Carole is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and holds a Diploma in Supervisory Management, a Higher Education Diploma in Community Mental Health Nursing, a BSc (Hons) in Nursing, a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary Health Care/General Practice and completed a PhD at the University of Ulster in 2008. She has contributed to over 30 publications, including policy reports, articles and books.