Paper
Monday, November 5, 2007
436
Efforts of Nursing Students in Developing an Educational Prenatal Clinic to Enhance Clinical Placements for Themselves and Future Students
Mary Louise Drake, EdD, RN, MA, NsgEd, SCM, DPHN, BScN, BA (French), Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| Learning Objective #1: 1.) identify the steps invovled in developing a successful programme |
| Learning Objective #2: 2.)utilize the basic steps of the nursing process to develop a community programme. |
Hospital restructuring in this southwestern Ontario city reduced the availability of clinical placements for nursing students. During a presentation about community services available for mothers an educational prenatal clinic for students was suggested. Under the direction of a faculty member a group of students began the process of developing the clinic.
Using SOAPIE as the format the students met weekly to develop the clinic. Forming groups based on the steps, each identified what they thought was involved in the process and reported back on their progress. With each step the students realized the work involved in making the project successful and also the barriers that appear. The VON and Public Health Department were contacted to see if the idea was workable ,did it conflict with the services they offered and would they support it. The idea was endorsed by both agencies .VON offered space in their premises for the weekly clinic . The clinic is an adjunct to existing prenatal care. It is also a means of providing clinical education for nursing students, nurse practionners and has potential for the Faculty of Nursing to establish a population research base addressing the needs of women and children locally.