New teaching model trialled in Christchurch.

A new way of providing support and clinical Learning opportunities to undergraduate nursing students is being trialled in Christchurch. Based on the concept of a dedicated education unit (DEU), it involves a range of clinical and academic staff, as opposed to the preceptorship model of one-on-one support.

The DEU concept was developed ten years ago at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. It also operates in Canberra, Queensland and Portland in the United States. The project team from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) visited Canberra last year to see the model in practice and were convinced it offered real benefits to students, teaching and nursing staff. The trial of the model began last month in five areas of three CDHB hospitals and will run until the end of November. It is expected 60 students in total will be involved. "The DEU model incorporates the best aspects of hospital-based training, such as student peer teaching," said project team member and CPIT senior nursing lecturer Isabel Jamieson. "Rather than individual preceptors being responsible for facilitating the students' Learning, DEU staff take joint responsibility. DEUs expose students to more experiences, yet also provide much needed continuity.

"Over the last few years, we have found the preceptor model difficult to maintain, given the demands of the current clinical environment. We needed to find an alternative way of supporting nursing students on clinical placements.

The DEU environment encourages collegial relationships between students, nursing staff and lecturers."

Key roles include a clinical liaison nurse (CLN) who supports the clinical area when students are on clinical placement and an academic liaison nurse who provides consistent support to the CLN, DEU, staff and students. Student peer teaching is also encouraged.

"The DEUs are taking up to ten students where previously they would only take one or two students," said Jamieson. "We are really excited about the project and quietly confident it will prove a good way to support student learning." An evaluation of the trial will be held at the end of each five-week clinical block, based on focus groups of students and DEU staff.