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| Prof. Cecily Begley holds the Chair of Nursing and Midwifery in Trinity College Dublin. She was awarded MA, MSc and PhD degrees from Trinity College, and the Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She was a Fellow of the European Academy of Nursing Science and is an elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. Following four years’ experience in general nursing, and 12 years in midwifery, she spent 8 years as a lecturer/senior lecturer at the Faculty of Nursing in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In 1996, she took up the post of Director of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Trinity College, charged with the task of developing the new School. Sixteen years later, this School now runs 16 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with 1400 students and over 100 staff, and has a strong staff development programme.
Prof. Begley is active in developing educational initiatives at undergraduate, postgraduate and post-registration level in Ireland. She was appointed a member of the Nursing Education Forum set up by the Minister for Health and Children to plan and implement the 4-year BSc Nursing degree programme. She subsequently served on the National Implementation Committee that oversaw the introduction of the degree throughout Ireland in October 2002. She also served as a member of the Expert Group on Midwifery and Children’s Nurse Education set up to plan the two direct-entry degree programmes, and on the National Implementation Group that ensured their commencement nation-wide in October 2006. Prof Begley was a member of the National Council for Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland for the first five years of its existence, and worked on the sub-group for Educational Standards for Advanced Nurse and Advanced Midwife Practitioners.
In terms of educational development overseas, Prof Begley led a team from the School, in collaboration with Queen's University, Belfast, in providing academic consultancy services to Jordan University of Science and Technology to assist them in developing and modernising their MScs in Adult Health Nursing and Critical Care Nursing, and in developing a new MSc in Maternal and Child Health. This partnership was awarded €487,000 from the EU TEMPUS project to support the initiative.
Prof. Begley has led many research teams to successful completion of diverse projects, focusing mainly on physiological childbirth, women-centred maternity care, care of women with disabilities, advanced and specialist practice and self-esteem and assertiveness in student nurses and midwives. Her research-based commitments include the supervision of 6 PhD students at present, 22 PhD and 4 MSc by research students to successful completion in the past 8 years, and external examining of 15 research MSc/PhD theses from diverse countries. She has been successful in obtaining over €7,000,000 in research funding, as PI or collaborator, and holds/has held a total of 26 grants from the HRB, NDA, HSE Western Area, HSE North-Eastern Area, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland, the European Science Foundation and the EU Commission (FP7 Framework). She is a member of the Meath Foundation Research Review Committee, previously served for 8 years on a research review committee for the Health Research Board, is an invited member of the International Confederation of Midwives’ Research Advisory Network and is a member of the ESF Pool of Reviewers for the period of 01 May 2010 to date. She is a Section Editor for the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth journal, has editorial and/or reviewing commitments for 4 other medical, nursing, or midwifery journals and has published widely on nursing and midwifery clinical and education issues.
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| Project title |
Improving the organisation of maternal health service delivery, and optimising childbirth, by increasing vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) through enhanced women-centred care (OptiBIRTH) |
| Summary |
This study addresses the widespread concern over rising Caesarean section rates throughout Europe, particularly routine CS following a previous CS, despite calls for increased vaginal births after Caesarean (VBAC). VBAC is associated with lower maternal mortality than repeat CS, less overall morbidity for mothers and babies, and is the preferred option for the majority of women. VBAC rates in Ireland, Germany, and Italy are significantly lower (29-36%) than those in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden (45-55%).
The OptiBIRTH project will use a cluster randomised trial in Ireland, Germany, and Italy, with 15 clusters of 94 women in each, to increase VBAC rates from 33% to 53% through a complex intervention designed to increase women-centred care and women's involvement in their care.
The multi-national, multi-disciplinary research team for this project developed from the ESF-funded workshop: "Promoting Normality in Childbirth" held in the School in March 2010, and from the COST Action, (IS0907: Childbirth Cultures, Concerns, and Consequences: Creating a Dynamic EU Framework for Optimal Maternity Care), which started in June 2010.
The team is composed of 11 partner institutions from 8 countries, and includes service users, midwives, obstetricians, neonatologist, epidemiologist, sociologist, psychologist, bioethicist, health economist and a 'high-tech' small industry.
Lead institution: Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Lead investigator: Prof Cecily Begley, and team: Valerie Smith, Deirdre Daly, Joan Lalor, Janine Stockdale, David Prendergast, including the Coombe Hospital: Chris Fitzpatrick, Michael Turner, Jan Miletin, Patricia Hughes, and Beverley Beech, Association for Improvements in Maternity Services, UK
Co-applicant institutions and lead investigators:
Prof Ingela Lundgren, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Marianne Nieuwenhuijze, Zuyd University, The Netherlands
Prof Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
Prof Marlene Sinclair, University of Ulster, UK
Hugh Wiseman, Entando, UK
Prof Mike Clarke, Queen's University of Belfast, UK
Prof Mechthild Gross, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany
Prof Declan Devane, National University Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Prof Sandra Morano, Universita Degli Studi Di Genova, Italy
Prof Koen Putman, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
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| Funding Agency |
EU Commission FP7 Framework Programme (€3,000,000) |
| Programme |
HEALTH 2012 3.2-1 call |
| Type of Project |
Cluster randomised trial |
| Date from |
September 2012 |
| Date to |
August 2016 |
| Person Months |
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| Project title |
Maternal Health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland: Phase 2 (MAMMI 2) |
| Summary |
The aim of this project is to extend the MAMMI study to Phase 2. The MAMMI study is designed to identify the existence, extent and prevalence of maternal morbidity (urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, domestic violence, sexual and mental health problems) in primiparous women antenatally and up to 12 months postpartum. Phase 1, being undertaken by PhD student D Daly, focuses on urinary incontinence up to 6 months postpartum, initially at a single site. Phase 2 will extend the MAMMI study to a second clinical site and analyse the collected data on other morbidities and at other times. The objective of Phase 2 is to identify morbidities and risk factors that may be amenable to intervention. This will be achieved through a cohort study of 2000 primiparous women recruited in early pregnancy from two sites. Data will be collected from self-completion surveys antenatally and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. In-depth interviews with a sample of women affected by morbidities will identify health-service seeking behaviour and barriers encountered. The study outcomes will provide a reliable estimate of maternal morbidities in this population, enabling the identification of modifiable factors and health problems, which may be amenable to interventions and future research. |
| Funding Agency |
Health Research Board (€334,797) |
| Programme |
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| Type of Project |
Longitudinal, cohort study |
| Date from |
Jan 2013 |
| Date to |
Dec 2016 |
| Person Months |
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| Project title |
Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland (MAMMI) (urinary incontinence strand). With Deirdre Daly, PhD student, and M. Clarke. |
| Summary |
Aim
To identify the existence, extent, prevalence and associated risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI), one marker of maternal morbidity, in 1600 primiparous women antenatally and at 3 and 6 months postpartum.
Objective (i): To identify the existence, extent and prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) up to 6 months postpartum for women having their first baby.
Objective (ii): To identify associated factors for UI including but not limited to: age, BMI, infant birth weight and perineal trauma.
Objective (iii): To identify the health service-seeking behaviour of a sub-sample of women experiencing UI.
Objective (iv): To identify risk factors for UI that may be amenable to intervention.
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| Funding Agency |
Health Research Board (€ 222,646 ) |
| Programme |
Clinical Research Training Fellowship |
| Type of Project |
Longitudinal cohort study |
| Date from |
Sept 2011 |
| Date to |
Aug 2014 |
| Person Months |
36 |
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| Project title |
The concept, provision and promotion of woman-centred care during pregnancy and birth in Ireland |
| Summary |
PI Declan Devane, plus team
Aim
To describe the concept, provision and promotion of woman-centred care during pregnancy and birth in Ireland.
This mixed-method study will be conducted within the framework of 2 distinct phases.
Phase I
Phase I will use a descriptive qualitative study to describe the concept of woman-centred care during pregnancy and birth and will do so in collaboration with key maternity care stakeholders. Findings will inform the development of a conceptual framework describing the principles of women-centred care and facilitate the documentation of indicators for how those principles are expected to work, and thus be promoted, in practice.
Phase II
Phase II will use a descriptive survey design to provide the first national profile of the provision and promotion of woman-centred care during pregnancy and birth in Ireland by mapping maternity care services against the conceptual framework developed in Phase I. All maternity units in the Republic of Ireland (n=20) will be invited to participate in the survey. Data will be collected by means of a self-administered, postal questionnaire.
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| Funding Agency |
€ 25,000 from HRB/DOHC, € 25,000 from NUIG |
| Programme |
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| Type of Project |
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| Date from |
2011 |
| Date to |
2012 |
| Person Months |
12 |
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| Project title |
Childbirth Cultures, Concerns, and Consequences |
| Summary |
This is a COST Action (number: IS0907), involving researchers from 17 countries, led by Prof Soo Downe of UCLAN. I am one of two representatives from Ireland on the Management Committee. The main objectives are:
Main/primary objectives
The main objective of the Action is to advance scientific knowledge about ways of improving maternity care
provision and outcomes for mothers, babies and families across Europe by understanding what works, for
who, in what circumstances 2, and by identifying and learning from the best. Once the Action is complete, the network will continue a programme of work in this area in the long-term.
C.2 Secondary objectives
1. To describe and analyse provision, cultures and clinical, psychological, and socio-cultural outcomes of
first trimester prenatal diagnosis (FTPD) in Europe..
2. To describe and analyse cultures and clinical, psychological, and socio-cultural outcomes of varying
systems of routine intrapartum care in Europe
3. To describe and analyse the impact of varying systems of maternity care on the clinical, psychological and
socio-cultural wellbeing of migrant women in Europe, with particular reference to prematurity and low birth
weight
4. Using complex systems theory, to identify the key elements of systems of maternity care that deliver the
best outcomes while ensuring the wellbeing of service users (including migrant women) and of maternity care
staff,
5. To design, develop, and test innovative knowledge transfer strategies to enable policy makers, strategists,
managers, clinicians, and service users to learn from the best.
The success of the Action will be measured by:
• the number of publications in high-impact journals,
• the formation of effective CoPs with clinical, strategic, and policy making contributors, and with
maternity service users.
• levels of usage of the Action website and dissemination vehicles by clinical, strategic, and policy making
staff, and maternity service users.
• the number of new funded studies generated as a result of the collaborations built through the Action
• the continuation of the European Coalition for Childbirth Research (ECCR) after the end of the Action
• the ability to attract and develop the capacity of young researchers in this field.
Expected deliverables: An interactive website providing a platform for scientists to collaborate and for
strategists, policy makers and service users to learn from and collaborate with on-going research. Publication
of a state of the art report and articles, a final book, training packages, and externally funded bids. The CoPs
as change agents in their countries. A Learning from the Best Toolkit and European Maternity Services
Framework. A longitudinal database to track maternity care outcomes, linked with the work of the successful
applicant(s) for the current EU FP7 call for ‘Birth/Mother - Child Cohorts co-ordination’ . Ongoing EECR
activity after the end of the Action. A mentoring programme for pre and post doctoral students and young
scientists. |
| Funding Agency |
400,000 from European Science Foundation |
| Programme |
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| Type of Project |
European research networking |
| Date from |
June 2010 |
| Date to |
May 2014 |
| Person Months |
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| More Research Projects>>> |
Vincenzo Z, Gambina I, Begley C, Litta P, Cosmi E, Giustardi A, Trevisanuto D. , (2011) Psychological distress and early lactation performance in mothers of late preterm infants , Early Human Development, 87 , (4), 2011, p321 - 323
DOI |
Cecily Begley, Declan Devane, Mike Clarke, Colette McCann, Patricia Hughes, Mary Reilly, Roisin Maguire, Shane Higgins, Alan Finan, Siobhan Gormally, Miriam Doyle, Comparison of midwife-led and consultant-led care of healthy women at low risk of childbirth complications in the Republic of Ireland: a randomised trial, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 11, (85), 2011, p1-6
Url TARA - Full Text
DOI |
| Macgregor, C., Griffiths, C., Byrne, G., Horan, P., Brady, A-M. & Begley, C. , The fundamental nature of the Irish Public Health Nurse, 10th Annual Qualitative Health Research Conference, Bamff, Alberta, Canada., Apr 2004, 2004 |
Begley, C.M., Brady, A., "Irish Diploma in Nursing students' first clinical allocation: the views of nurse managers", Journal of Nursing Management, 10, 2002, p339 - 347
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McCarron, M., Gill, M., Lawlor, B., Begley, C.M., "A pilot study of reliability and validity of the caregive activity survey - intellectual disability (CAS-ID).", International Journal of Learning Disabilities Research, 46, (8), 2002, p605 - 612
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