UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

systems were commissioned for full use, capital purchasing continued to provide for year 3 and 4 of the undergraduate programme, policies and procedures were developed and clinical skills, information technology and audio-visual staff recruited. In 2006 two rooms were redesigned to provide specific clinical skills facilities to accommodate the requirements of the direct entry midwifery programme and the integrated children’s and general nursing programme. Specialised equipment and furnishing were concurrently obtained. From a pedagogical perspective, the teaching and learning approach was initially orientated towards the development of essential psycho-motor skills. It was envisaged that the initial acquisition of clinical skills in a controlled environment would facilitate the transition and development of such skills during supervised clinical placements. The CSSRC team and faculty quickly embraced and incorporated experiential learning strategies to facilitate lifelong learning and foster the integration of theory and practice. An emphasis was placed on blended learning approaches with pre-learning through the use of various on-line resources in order to minimise demonstration time and maximise active facilitated practice time. Sessions were expanded to include other foci such as relaxation techniques, art therapy, yoga and complementary therapies. The importance of non-technical skills in particular communication skills was recognised.

In 2006 a standardised patient programme was established. Standardised patients/role- players are trained to portray clinical scenarios in a replicable manner and provide feedback to students. An experienced standardised patient co-ordinator and faculty from the University of Birmingham were engaged to provide an initial weeks training. Standardised patients quickly became an integral part of the landscape providing innovative experiential learning opportunities for students in a diverse range of courses.

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