Tutors think it is an important part of a nurse's training to be on the receiving end of the care they will be giving. "This way, they get a better idea of how it feels." says Shirley Bach, head of the university's School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Inserting naso-gastric tubes into your fellow students may not be the first thing you imagine doing when you get to university but, for those studying nursing, it is an essential part of the course. Students practise their techniques on models to begin with, in this and other nursing investigative procedures such as taking blood pressures, in simulated clinical classroom settings. Then, if they agree, they practise on each other. The idea is that students understand what it feels like to undergo sometimes uncomfortable investigative procedures. There is no risk of harm from procedures and this form of experiential learning is a powerful way to help students learn and care for their patients and clients.
People who have been patients also come in to teach nursing students about their own experiences, and one module is taught entirely by ex service users. The module is called "Better than the Book" and deals with mental health nursing. The innovation has been presented nationally at conferences as an example of creative and excellent practice. The school started using this approach in mental health nursing education, but now uses it in all areas of nursing and midwifery courses as well as on some of their masters degree programmes.
