Biography

Dr Rita Forde is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at University College Cork. She is a Registered General Nurse, Registered Midwife, Nurse Prescriber and Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Diabetes), and was the first Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Diabetes) in Ireland, developing the role at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.

Dr Forde completed her PhD at King's College London, where she subsequently held postdoctoral research and lecturing positions. Her clinical and academic career has focused on diabetes care, women's health and reproductive healthcare, combining research, education and clinical practice to improve patient care and healthcare delivery.  She is actively involved in national and international professional organisations. Dr Forde serves as the secretary of the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND) and represents nursing on the European Diabetes Forum (EUDF) contributing to initiatives in diabetes policy, education and clinical practice.

Within the School of Nursing and Midwifery, she is the Erasmus co-ordinator for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students, co-Chair of the Global Engagement and Internationalisation Committee, and a member of the Research and Innovation Committee and the Postgraduate Education Committee.

Research

Dr Forde's research focuses on women's reproductive health, with a particular interest in improving outcomes for women living with diabetes. Her work includes pre-pregnancy care, pregnancy, gestational diabetes, menopause, diabetes-related stigma, psychosocial aspects of diabetes, early-onset type 2 diabetes, and healthcare service delivery. She works collaboratively with national and international research teams and has contributed to the development of clinical guidelines, healthcare policy and consensus statements.

Rita supervises MSc and PhD students across a range of topics, including pregnancy, gestational diabetes, menopause, and access to healthcare for underserved populations.

Teaching

Dr Forde teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the areas of leadership, research methods, evidence-based practice, patient safety, communication skills, professional issues, wound care, contemporary healthcare and evidence-based practice.