The concept of the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) as an innovative clinical teaching model for undergraduate nursing students arose from an identified need for more responsive approaches to facilitating nursing students’ clinical learning. Since its inception in 1996 at Flinders University School of Nursing and Midwifery, the DEU has become an accepted model of clinical teaching and learning in several other Australian and international Schools of Nursing. It has continued to evolve in response to ongoing research and changes in the clinical learning environment. A collaborative development by experienced clinicians and university academics, the DEU model emphasizes the importance of; incidental and intentional learning; the development of peer teaching and learning; clinicians’ clinical educational role; nursing students recognized as members of the nursing profession; clinical facilitation by academics;  continued authentic collaboration between University and clinical staff; the creation of a safe, non-judgmental and supportive clinical learning environment and active involvement by clinical staff in the development and evaluation of their DEU.

This paper will report a triangulated mixed method study comparing traditional and DEU models of placement. A clinical learning environment scale was used to survey 108 second and third year under graduate students of nursing, coinciding with six focus group interviews of 43 participants. The was no significant statistical difference from the survey data between the two model, however the interview data demonstrated considerable advantages for students in DEUs regarding skills development, professional competence, preparation for graduation and a sense of “belonging” as a member of the nursing profession. The DEUs are delivering recognized measurable gains for the School of Nursing & Midwifery, the participating health units and students, with the upshot that the school is frequently approached by health care units to establish new DEUs at their venues.

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