Speakers - Valerie Small

Valerie Small RGN, RNT, RNP, RANP
MSc, PG Dip CHSE, Nurse Prescribing Cert, A&E Cert, Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Valerie has spent much of her career in the specialist area of emergency nursing at St James’s Hospital Dublin where she pioneered the first role and post of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Ireland in 1996.

She is a graduate of the School of Nursing, St James’s Hospital, Dublin and a postgraduate of The School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin where she was involved in the development of the first curriculum for Advanced Nursing Practice in Ireland in 1998.

Throughout her career as a lecturer/practitioner she assisted nurses across the public health system to develop their professional career pathways and dedicated patient services.

She has published in peer reviewed journals and contributed to nursing textbooks and has led on strategic national projects within the healthcare system, specifically developing the Report and Strategic Plan to Enhance ANP Nursing Services across Emergency Care Networks in Ireland.

Valerie retired from St James’s Hospital in 2019 but has since provided expert advice to the private healthcare sector where she developed and introduced the first role of advanced nurse practitioner in the acute private healthcare environment in 2021.

She remains passionate about advanced nursing practice and continues to be involved in advocating for improved quality patient care across all sectors of healthcare in Ireland.