Practice education support for students with disabilities

Innovation

The University of Stirling’s innovative practice education support model liberates students with disabilities to become competent practitioners and achieve their potential as nurses. It was introduced to enrich and ease learning for students and mentors while ensuring patient safety.

Our innovative Disability Disclosure and Agreement of Reasonable Adjustments in Practice (DDARAP) model supports nursing students with medical, mental and learning disabilities to become competent practitioners when on clinical placement. This project is significantly helping 123 students with a declared disability to achieve their potential and practice as an equal amongst their peers. It has exceeded its targets and is being rolled out as a model of good practice.

The School believes this is the only model of its kind in the UK. The success of the support method can be demonstrated by the significant increase in the degree completion rate for students with medical, mental and learning disabilities: there has been an increase from 50% to 98% completion in the current final year cohort.

Students identifying themselves as having a disability meet with a team of School, Student Support and clinical partners and a set of reasonable adjustments and support methods is agreed.

It is managed in placement by Practice Education Facilitators, a joint University and NHS post. The model is being used on all our campuses (Stirling, Highland and Western Isles) in partnership with NHS colleagues

What prompted innovation?

• The model was introduced as part of our ongoing work to provide students with a safe, successful and enjoyable learning experience whilst at the University. It supports inclusivity and equal opportunities and follows enhancements of support for students’ academic and clinical work.
• This development built on the successful introduction of new practices determined in the academic setting and is being used on all campuses after development in partnership with practice partners.
• The University of Stirling is committed to the wider participation agenda and balances this aim against the intention to recruit the best candidates for the nursing profession. Our inclusive curriculum values all students and removes disabling barriers. This innovation has received acclaim both from students and clinical staff.

What makes innovation different?

• Our innovation is a straightforward, sensible and workable system identifying potential challenges and offering support and solutions to ensure best possible education and patient care. It reduces time in placement spent struggling to agree reasonable adjustment solutions.
• The process and documentation were designed to be as simple as possible to use and to be both time- and cost-effective. The anticipatory nature of the project helps to release time to care on the wards by minimising the likelihood of misunderstandings and confusion and quickly establishing specific learning needs of individual students.
• Students are provided with an approved document that details learning needs to share, in confidence, with their mentor at the start of placement.

Changes in practice

• The outcomes of the Disability Disclosure project have been to enhance students’ clinical skills, facilitate understanding and trust and to achieve maximum time for patient care.
• Students settle into placements more quickly with the support they receive. The DDARAP minimises the risk of misunderstandings and maximises time spent learning. This in turn builds their confidence in their skills and reduces stress as they are supported to become qualified skilled practitioners.

Impact

• The success of the support method can be demonstrated by the significant increase in the degree completion rate for students with medical, mental and learning disabilities: there has been an increase from 50% to 98% completion in the 2012/13 final year cohort.
• Feedback from students and academic staff to date has been excellent. Our clinical partners are also feeding back extremely positive comments.
• Both students and clinical staff appreciate that this model has been introduced as it has tremendous advantages for both student and mentor.
• This project is being evaluated by an on-going process of qualitative and quantitative methods by a range of people including students, mentors and NHS colleagues. This feedback indicates the success of the innovation.
• The School was the Winner of the Teaching Innovation category of the UK-wide Student Nursing Times Awards 2013. The winner of this award was decided by the students supporting the application, whose academic work, university experience and quality of life has benefitted from our student support model. http://www.studentnursingtimesawards.co.uk/676574
• The University has had this support for students formally commended by the Scottish Parliament. The Sports and Health Committee tabled a motion, supported by a cross-party selection of MSPs from across Scotland, commending the University and its students for their success in the Student Nursing Times Awards 2013.

Dissemination

• The University is exploring rolling out this model to other Schools within the University whose degree programmes include placements.
• In addition to the awareness of our work raised by the award of the Student Nursing Times Award and the Scottish Parliament’s Parliamentary Motion, the School has notified disability charities of this innovation and of the University’s commitment to equality and diversity.
• The dissemination of this work within the School, both formally and through word of mouth, has led to an increased number of students coming forward to use this support model, demonstrating confidence in the University’s support to help them achieve their potential and practice as an equal among their peers.