UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Report 2019

Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC

Don’t Mention the Diet! A health promotion initiative to support healthy diet and lifestyle decision-making by people with an intellectual disability

Outcomes: Students who completed this module enjoyed its interactive approach and were amazed at how their bodies work. They look forward to undertaking more work and art projects to consolidate their learning. Equipped with information about the benefits of diet, exercise and other health related behaviours, students were empowered to make informed decisions on whether or not to adopt a healthy lifestyle, thus asserting more control in their lives. The Team: Ms Síle Divane RNID, CNS (Communication), COPE Foundation; Ms Anne-Marie Martin, RNID, Programme Leader and Lecturer (Intellectual Disability Nursing), School of Nursing and Midwifery.

This health promotion initiative was developed collaboratively between students with an intellectual disability and a Clinical Nurse Specialist (Communication) in response to the students expressed annoyance at being excluded from decisions about their lifestyle. They were frustrated at being advised what to eat or to go on a diet and wanted to assert more choice and control in their lives. The students did not understand the concept of dieting or its impact on their overall wellbeing. This module aims to address this issue and increase student awareness of how lifestyle choices effect how the body works. To meet this aim, an eight-month module with a double helix structure intertwining educational and personal development elements was designed. The content is scaffolded advancing through stages as learning and understanding is achieved. An important element threaded through the eight months is supporting the personal development of each student. Specific emphasis is placed on self-awareness, self-identity, self-confidence and decision-making. A teaching for understanding approach is adopted that recognises multiple intelligences. There is a particular effort to integrate sensory elements in activities to support understanding through experience.

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