Embedding Inclusion Within the Nursing and Midwifery Placement
Embedding Inclusion within the Nursing and Midwifery Placement.
Aim of this session
- Explain the term ‘inclusion’ within the placement context,
- Describe the issues arising regarding placements from data collated from staff and students during TIC pilots, and examples of good practice,
- Demonstrate the TIC tool and resources supporting placements.
Background:
In 09/10 the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum Strategy (TIC) conducted a pilot involving four programmes from the school of Nursing and Midwifery in TCD. These pilots, designed to test and further develop a self-evaluation tool for enhancing inclusion, involved meetings with placement officers and students regarding inclusion within the placement environment, and a review of placement processes and resources. The feedback was used to develop the placement segment of the TIC self-evaluation tool.
TIC Objective
TIC aims to embed inclusive principles within the mainstream academic environment to enable all students, particularly those from non-traditional learning backgrounds, to engage more fully in academic life (including placements and other off-campus activities).
What is inclusion?
Inclusive practices are good practices that benefit all students, allowing them to engage and participate more fully in their programmes of study. While inclusion benefits all students, it is of particular value to students from non-traditional backgrounds, who generally experience more obstacles within traditional placement settings.
Inclusive placement:
Pre-placement
-Students are clearly informed on expectations, and aims
-Placement officers meet with students to discuss any anticipated needs and to discuss any concerns,
During placement
-Students have the ability to access support quickly and easily if needed both onsite and within the programme,
-Students are monitored and any difficulties are addressed in a supportive environment,
Following placements:
-Students are given time and space to debrief,
-Placement officers and providers consider what can be done to enhance inclusion moving forward.
Further resources:
TIC has developed resources to enable staff to enhance inclusion. Resources include website to guide and support staff seeking to create a more inclusive learning environment ( and a self-evaluation tool to evaluate the inclusivity of curriculum ( Both include sections on placements.
A note on collaboration between the TCD Disability Service and School of Nursing and Midwifery
The Disability Service, academic staff and clinical placement co-ordinators collaborate on strategies to facilitate the needs of nursing students with disabilities. Such collaboration includesthe creation of a placement handbook for nursing students with disabilities. A hard copy is provided to each nursing student registered with the Disability Service. An electronic copy is available from the website. Most recently the Service conducted a study examining student perceptions of support during clinical placements, which indicated concerns around disclosure and attitudes towards disability. For more information contact Alison Doyle: , Disability Officer.