All Ireland Society for Higher Education
| Name: | Sheila Counihan |
|---|---|
| Email: | sheila.counihan@nuigalway.ie |
| Institution: | NUI Galway |
Rita Bourke, ritabourke@mailn.hse.ie
The Clinical Practice coordinator (CPC) and Link Lecturer (LL) are working together to bridge the gap between academic and clinical settings towards the provision of holistic support for mental health nursing students during their clinical experiences. Because of the geographical distances between sites we are seeking ways of working more collaboratively to ensure consistency for students as well as helping clinical staff to feel more involved in the education process. Through the commitment of CPC and LL staff are aware that they have access to support within an identified timescale. CPC and LL meet and work with clinicians in clarifying any concerns and gaining input/feedback in relation to any new developments across a variety of sites. In response to requests from clinical staff the main focus of discussions is competency assessment of student nurses.
The LL and CPC use the meetings to provide information and education in relation to the competency assessment booklet and it's use in practice. In addition staff are given the opportunity to explore any queries they may have around Clinical Supervision and Reflective Practice in an effort to de-mystify and gain clarification on what they are and how they can help in developing and improving practice.
The programme has been running over the past six months and clinical staff have evaluated it very positively. They feel the need for support in a wide variety of issues ranging from dress code to failing a student and are pleased to be able to discuss matters of concern and gain support where necessary. Benefits so far have included improved communication between clinical areas and college. Staff and students have a better understanding of the roles of the Link Lecturer and CPC.
A more collaborative approach to programme delivery for example CPC/LL and Clinical Staff are reviewing competency assessment tool. Students who are experiencing difficulties whilst on placement receive more holistic support. The advantages of CPC and LL working together in this way are particularly relevant as each has access to distinct areas of knowledge that together contribute to creating and sustaining an effective learning environment for the students.