Lessons from quality improvement in practice

In this episode of the Walk and Talk Improvement podcast, we are joined by two special guests – Susan O’Reilly and Dr. Rob Cunney.  Susan is an Assistant Director of Nursing for Dementia Quality Improvement for HSE Dublin and Midlands and Rob is a Consultant Microbiologist and QI/Clinical Audit Lead at Children’s Health Ireland.  

This episode is packed with practical advice that can help you drive meaningful improvements in your own health or social care setting. 

Together we explore:

• how data and storytelling can transform healthcare,
• lessons from engaging staff
• the value of co-designing services with patients and service users, and
• the practical tools that can support your quality improvement efforts.

Join us to hear stories from Susan and Rob’s quality improvement journey.  Whether you’re a seasoned QI professional or just starting out, there’s something here for everyone.  Listen now to the full episode on all major podcast platforms.

Hosted by: Juanita Guidera, National Quality and Patient Safety, Health Service Executive

Produced by: Juanita Guidera, National Quality and Patient Safety, HSE and GKMedia.ie

Dr. Rob Cunney is a Consultant Microbiologist and QI/Clinical Audit Lead at Children’s Health Ireland. He has long had an interest in quality improvement and patient safety, and is an alumnus of the Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship. His interest in the role of complexity in healthcare led him to discover Liberating Structures as a suite of tools to support improvement work and, in addition to regularly using these tools in his work, he teaches the use of Liberating Structures through in-person and online training workshops. 

Susan O’Reilly, FFNMRCSI, is Assistant Director of Nursing for Dementia Quality Improvement for HSE Dublin and Midlands.  From her role as lead nurse for the Genio funded project developing and implementing integrated care pathways for people living with dementia to her leadership of a QI collaborative to reduce harm from falls and pressure ulcers, Susan has a passion for enhancing practice through continuous quality improvement.

After completing her initial mental health nurse education in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, she completed a BNSc degree and MSc Intellectual Disability Nursing (DCU), MSc by Research (RCSI), PG Dip (Dementia) (TCD), PG Dip (Advanced Practice) (UCD), PhD in DCU. Focused on person-centred, holistic care Susan has worked with older persons in a variety of clinical settings across mental health, intellectual disability, community, and acute care where she continues to influence practice through her involvement in several national working groups.