Meet Deirdre Crosskill - Clinical Nurse Manager 3

Deirdre Crosskill, Clinical Nurse Manager 3 (CNM3) in the Theatre Department in Mater Private Network Dublin, is among them. This year, Deirdre is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of her nursing career. She has held nursing roles in South Africa, southwest Africa, England, and Ireland in that time. Deirdre recently met with us to speak about nursing and to share memories from her career.

Tell us about yourself and your nursing role.

I was born and raised in South Africa. My parents were Irish, and they emigrated to South Africa after the Second World War.

I did my nursing training in a private hospital in South Africa from 1974 to 1977. When I began my training, it was a unique experience that cannot be compared to the modern training experience. We had reusable items. We were just moving away from reusable glass syringes to plastic syringes. I have seen many changes in the nursing field. The technologies we have now are vastly improved. The care provided to patients, the surgical interventions and investigations that are now available are also far superior. You can specialise in nursing now, which is an opportunity I never had when I was training.

I trained in different areas including infection control and health and safety. I also had the opportunity to complete management courses, an operating theatre course, and even a course in labour law for managers. That background and the great mentors that I had during my training were beneficial for me. One programme I completed, called Total Quality Management, stood out to me. During this programme I trained as a facilitator, and it was brilliant for bringing everybody on board for ownership of an organisation. The programme helped me to develop the motto of “there is a better way to do everything, you just have to find it”. I have used that motto to guide me throughout my career. 

When I completed training, I travelled to work in the bush just outside of a game park in southwest Africa. I spent a year there and gained a lot of experience. The facilities available at that hospital are not comparable to the facilities we have now. While working there, I learned from situations that many nurses never experience. I treated people who had been trampled by elephants and I treated people with leprosy. It was an incredible experience working with the different tribes and cultures.

After a year in that hospital, I returned to the same hospital I trained at, and I secured a position as an assistant on the orthopaedic ward. I worked there for nearly ten years. I then moved to the theatre department, but it took me approximately one year to adapt to the role of a theatre nurse. After leaving South Africa, I spent a year in England as a carer and then I came to Ireland, and I worked as a scrub nurse for a year. I held nursing positions at other hospitals for five years before I joined Mater Private Network in 2013 as a CNM2 for orthopaedics. This is the role I enjoyed most in my career, and it is the role I was best at. 

When I came Mater Private Network, there were several managers and other CNM2s who were very welcoming. It was the first time I felt at home in a hospital in Ireland. When I experienced tough situations, they were the most supportive colleagues I have had in my career. They were fantastic at having my back in difficult situations.

There were many throughout my career. I was 17 when I started training as a nurse. I spent a lot of time on a children's ward when I started. 

One case from this time stands out. It involved a young man who was 18. He lost both of his arms in a motorbike accident. He was extremely ill, and he was struggling with his injuries. He would not allow other nurses to care for him. I came into work on my day off on many occasions to change his dressings. 

Another case from later in my career that also stands out involves a family member. My cousin’s child had a heart transplant at 16 years old and I was involved in ensuring that he was on the transplant list. This was rewarding because he recently celebrated 21 years with his new heart.

What inspires you to keep going when you are working in difficult situations?

I understand that difficult situations will pass. This is the circle of life. You have ups and downs. If we are having a ‘down’ moment now, always remember that the ‘up’ moment will come.

What are some of the qualities you think make a good nurse?

Honesty and integrity are important qualities in a good nurse. Integrity, to me, is doing the right thing all the time even though nobody is watching. That is a definition given for surgical conscience for theatre nurses. To be a nurse, empathy for your patients and your patients’ families is key. With what we do in theatre every day in preparation, planning, moving and the constant changes in our environment, it is necessary to also have common sense and great problem-solving skills.

This year you are celebrating the 50 years of your career. Do you see yourself retiring soon or are there are still things you would like to achieve?