Nursing students can now avail of clinical placements at Sacred Heart School in Mullingar, County Westmeath, thanks to a new partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
Sacred Heart School and TUS formalised the arrangement this week, paving the way for students on the BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing and BSc (Hons) in General Nursing programmes to gain valuable experience engaging with pupils who have additional and complex needs.
Through the partnership, nursing students will gain first-hand insight into the daily lives of children with moderate, severe, and profound general learning disabilities and autism. This experience will support their development as compassionate, skilled healthcare professionals equipped to work in inclusive and community-based settings.
The collaboration builds on recent TUS initiatives to expand community-focused learning, including the introduction of clinical placements in GP surgeries earlier this year. In addition to community based clinical initiatives, nursing students in TUS have had the opportunity to understand how people live in their communities and cope with medical needs as they get older in environments such as Lourdes.
The Sacred Heart School partnership marks another significant step in strengthening TUS’s engagement with healthcare services embedded in local communities.
Recently relocated from Delvin—where it was formerly known as St. Mary’s School—Sacred Heart School is a newly built, purpose-designed facility that caters for pupils aged five to eighteen. The school provides a range of specialist spaces, including a physiotherapy room, clinician room, home economics room, art room, school library, and sensory rooms, as well as outdoor garden spaces and a sensory walk. A nurse attends the school periodically to support pupils’ medical needs, ensuring a holistic approach to care and learning.
Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS, said:
“This partnership reflects TUS’s commitment to practical, community-based education. By learning in environments like Sacred Heart School, our students develop skills that can only be learned in a real community environment, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of inclusive care — all qualities that define excellent nursing practice.”
Anne-Marie Connolly, Principal of Sacred Heart School, welcomed the initiative, saying: “We are delighted to partner with TUS and to play a role in shaping the next generation of nurses. Our pupils benefit from the energy and compassion of the TUS students, while the next generation of nurses gain valuable insight into the work of a school community dedicated to supporting children with additional needs.”
Anne Cooney, Clinical Allocations Manager, Department of Nursing and Healthcare, TUS, stated:
“We are delighted to collaborate with Sacred Heart School, providing our nursing students with the opportunity to learn in such a caring and inclusive environment. This partnership enriches our students’ understanding of how children with additional needs live their daily lives and enhances their capacity to deliver person-centred care.”
This development is in line with the development of new Standards of Nurse Education developed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI, 2025).
