Integrating life /social sciences and citizen trainers in Nurse Education - a N. Ireland initiative

As a result of significant discussion and interdisciplinary negotiation the life, social sciences public health/ health education were drawn together in the one module for the academic year 2012/13. The module provides an... [ view full abstract ]

As a result of significant discussion and interdisciplinary negotiation the life, social sciences public health/ health education were drawn together in the one module for the academic year 2012/13. The module provides an introduction of Life Sciences, psychology, sociology and public health and their contribution within the context of nursing and midwifery. The teaching is developing innovative e-learning approaches, including the use of a virtual community to provide the student with a more integrated understanding and teaching to the individual’s health and to health within a social context. The predominant focus of the module remains on health and reflecting aspects of life and social life within N. Ireland. One of the particular areas of sensitivity is engaging the students to the context of the Northern Ireland civil unrest (the Troubles); this involves a co-educational initiative with service users, represented by WAVE an organisation offering care and support to bereaved, traumatised or injured as a result of the violent civil conflict which over an extended period and apart from the more evident and visual impact of death and injury, the community is marked by a disproportionate level of civil unrest, the extremes of bereavement, imprisonment, displacement antisocial behaviour and family dysfunction.
WAVE deliver a core lecture (augmented by online material), followed by tutorials. The tutorials are led by those who had been involved with and experienced loss and trauma as a result as `citizen trainers’ and provide an opportunity for them to share their experience and their recollection of personal interaction with students; in improving their understanding of the impact of `The Troubles’ on patients and clients affected by the events, and to help better provide a quality of care cognisant of the particular needs of those affected by `the Troubles’. This approach is relatively unique to nursing in N. Ireland in that it involves many of those directly involved and clearly reflects the School’s policy of progressively engaging with users as co-educators to students. Only now could perhaps such a sensitive level of training to students be delivered across communities with potential educative lessons for other communities.