Dedicated Education Unit: Enhancing clinical teaching and learning

Project Description

This project examined the benefits to learners achieved by implementing a new approach to nursing placements – Dedicated Education Units (DEUs). The DEU model departs from the ‘one-on-one’ approach of traditional preceptor-based models by creating a collaborative teaching and learning environment across the ward. DEUs foster interaction and sharing of knowledge amongst learners and clinical staff, as well as having the practical benefit of reducing the workload on individual practitioners.

Following the trial’s success, the DEU model has become strongly embedded in practice. A total of 9 units have now been established on other wards, with 2 more planned for 2012. The initiative has also attracted significant external interest, including from the Nursing Council of New Zealand, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Waikato District Health Board.

Two outputs are available that describe the project.

Enhancing Nursing Education through Dedicated Education Units

This report from June 2011 considers the benefits of a DEU model, including the following key findings:

The quality of the planning, welcome and orientation are key factors influencing student learning experiences.
The roles of the Clinical Liaison Nurse, the Academic Liaison Nurse and the Charge Nurse Managers significantly impact on the success of a DEU
Peer support and teamwork are key contributors to the success of a DEU, including student and staff interactions

Download the project report (883 KB PDF)

A practical guide to developing a Dedicated Education Unit

Download the DEU practical guide (1.03 MB PDF)

Target Audience

Nursing educators
Health educators and professionals
Practitioners interested in workplace learning/practicum placements

Project Team

Dr Willem Fourie (Project Leader), Manukau Institute of Technology
Beverley McClelland (Project Leader), Counties Manukau District Health Board
Doreen Mak, Counties Manukau District Health Board
Derlys Jones, Counties Manukau Health Board
Denise Kivell, Counties Manukau District Health Board
Allison Lovelock, Manukau Institute of Technology
Debbie Penlington, Manukau Institute of Technology
Sheona Watson, Manukau Institute of Technology

Project Funding

$94,044 GST exc.

Project Outputs

	Presentation about the project at the Ako Aotearoa Research in Progress Colloquium 2010 (clink on ppt image to left)
	Presentation about the project at the Ako Aotearoa Research in Progress Colloquium 2009 (clink on image to left)

More information about the project

Both MIT and CMDHB are committed to providing the best possible educational outcomes for nursing students through high quality teaching and clinical learning experiences. The primary focus of the DEU is on quality education through the appointment of a Clinical Liaison Nurse, and an Academic Liaison Nurse and the commitment of staff to facilitate and enhance learning in an environment conducive to teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are interactive components of the educational activities in a DEU as students will be actively engaged in real life learning while the staff of a DEU constantly extend and improve their practice as a result of their interaction with active nursing students. A DEU by nature requires very close cooperation between the educational provider and the clinical provider which n turn will promote educational outcomes in a partnership characterised by deeper understanding and commitment to education for nurses.

The following structures have been created to develop, oversee and manage the project.

CNDU Governance Group

The project will be overseen by a governance group consisting of key MIT and CMDHB personnel. The role of the Governance Group is to develop roles/processes/ evaluation criteria; oversee day to day implementation and report to the Collaborative Nursing Development Unit (CNDU).

Research Management Team

Willem Fourie (MIT) and Bev McClelland (CMDHB) will form the Research Management Team. This team will oversee the action research and its various cycles by liaising closely with the Action Group, the Governance Group and Rose Whittle from CPIT.

Action Group

The Action Group facilitated by the MIT Clinical Coordinator will meet weekly and are primarily concerned with:

Co-ordinating day-to-day operational issues within the two DEU’s
Monitor student/staff satisfaction
Facilitate staff communication
Provide feedback and support to pilot areas
Participate in the action research.

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology:

CPIT is the only New Zealand based nursing school with first hand experience of a DEU. As a form of triangulation, CPIT will act as an independent evaluator of the integrity of the action research project and will provide feedback for consideration by the team.

The following objectives have been identified for this project:

Document the process of implementing the DEU's
Evaluate the model’s potential ability to support undergraduate nursing students within CMDHB
Make recommendations to the CNDU on completion of the project as to the model’s suitability for use as an ongoing undergraduate nursing clinical education
Build research capacity through team research between MIT and CMDHB.

The report from this project is published under the Creative Commons 3.0 New Zealand Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence (BY-NC-SA). Under this licence you are free to copy, distribute, display and perform the work as well as to remix, tweak, and build upon this work noncommercially, as long as you credit the author/s and license your new creations under the identical terms.