Panel of Experienced Clinicians
Our panel of experienced clinicians is here to answer questions that can’t be addressed using the research literature.
Physiotherapy
Edel McDaid
Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in older adults and rehabilitation
Edel is the current Chairperson of the Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology and Gerontology Clinical Interest Group of the ISCP. She works as a Senior Physiotherapist in Post-Acute Rehabilitation in the Royal Hospital Donnybrook. Edel was the lead author of the ISCP document “Guide for treating older people post COVID-19 in hospital, post-acute care and the community” published in June 2020. Edel is currently completing an MSc in Ageing Health and Disease at Cardiff University.
Dr Gráinne Sheill
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in cardio-thoracics and rehabilitation
Dr Gráinne Sheill is a clinical specialist physiotherapist in St. James’s Hospital and a post-doctorate research fellow in Trinity College Dublin. She has a master’s degree from University College Dublin and completed her PhD in exercise oncology in Trinity College Dublin in 2019 in the area of cancer survivorship. In her clinical role Dr Sheill was a part of the physiotherapy team on the COVID Critical Care response unit in St James’s Hospital. There she oversaw the acute and sub-acute rehabilitation of patients recovering from the virus, as well as a hospital-wide audit of the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients.
Human Nutrition and Dietetics
Dr Cathy Breen
Registered Dietitian specialising in diabetes and weight management
Cathy holds a PhD in Nutrition (UCD, 2016) and has worked as a Registered Dietitian in St Columcille’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland since 2003. In this time she has represented INDI in the development of guidelines and resources for the management of obesity, including the Irish National Obesity Taskforce Treatment Algorithm- and Nutrition-sub groups, the RCPI Policy Group on Obesity and currently the National Obesity Management Clinical Programme. She led the EFAD Diabetes Specialist Network from 2011-2013 and more recently sat on the NCEC National Clinical Guideline for Type 1 diabetes, and the DUK Nutrition Guideline Committee, writing the ‘weight management / bariatric’ section of the 2018 Evidence Based Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes.
Lisa Shanahan
Clinical Specialist Dietitian in Critical Care
Lisa Shanahan is a Clinical Specialist Dietitian in Critical Care. She graduated from Dublin Institute Technology/Trinity College Dublin in 2003 and has worked in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital throughout her career. She has led the nutrition service in the Mater ICU and HDU, Irelands largest ICU, for 12 years and is passionate about providing high quality evidence based nutritional care in and beyond the ICU. She has a higher diploma in Quality in Healthcare from RCSI and chairs ICU Dietitians Ireland a network for Irish dietitian working or interested in critical care. Lisa is a member of the INDI and is CORU registered.
Nursing
Mary Flavin
Clinical Nurse Manager, Critical Care, University Hospital Limerick
Mary Flavin took up the post as the Clinical Nurse Manager 3 in Critical Care UHL in July 2006. Having completed her Nurse training in Whipps Cross Hospital London, Mary spent the next 26 years working in clinical and management roles in Ireland, UK and Australia of which the last 24 years were in Critical Care. During her career Mary completed a Diploma of Higher Education in Professional Nursing Practice (Critical Care Pathway) in South Bank University London. Diploma in Management in Health Services in University Limerick. BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies in Trinity University Dublin and a Masters in Advanced Nurse Practice (with prescribing) in National University Galway.
Dr Liz Kingston
Lecturer with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control
Liz is Course Director of the MSc in Infection Prevention and Control Leadership programme, and lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Limerick. Liz is a member of the Infection Prevention Society and currently serves as Education Officer, Ireland branch. Research interests include infection prevention and control, hand hygiene, simulation, and research utilization among nurses. She has many peer reviewed publications and conference proceedings. She is a member of the International Editorial Board of the Journal of Hospital Infection.
Speech and Language Therapy
Jenny Kirwan
Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Acute and Emergency Medicine, specialising in the area of Frailty
Jenny graduated from the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2010 with a BSc. in Speech and Language Therapy, and recently gained a Higher Diploma in Counseling and Psychotherapy from the Dublin Business School in 2019. Jenny is a member of the IASLT and is CORÚ registered. Jenny has worked with adults across acute, sub-acute, community, and residential settings throughout her career. She has worked in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for the past 5 years, working within the Acute Medicine team, as well as gaining substantial experience in Critical Care. Recently, Jenny was one of the senior members of the SLT team who delivered a responsive communication and dysphagia service to patients who became acutely unwell with COVID-19 in the Mater Hospital earlier this year.
Occupational Therapy
Fiona Haughey
Occupational Therapist, specialising in the area of Neurological Rehabilitation
Fiona is a Clinical Tutor and Senior Occupational Therapist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dublin. She completed her undergraduate occupational therapy degree at Trinity College and her Master’s Degree in Advanced Professional Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation at Plymouth University. Her thesis explored the rehabilitation of the non-functional upper limb post-stroke. She has over 14 years clinical experience in neurological rehabilitation in areas including acquired brain injury, spinal injury and vocational assessment. Fiona has extensive experience working with individuals with a prolonged disorder of consciousness. She is an AOTI member and is CORU accredited.
