Clinician and student evaluation of a collaborative clinical teaching model

Dedicated Education Units (DEU) are, existing health care units collaboratively developed by clinicians and academics as clinical teaching and learning environments dedicated to students from Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. Throughout each semester students from all year levels work together as peer teachers and learners supported by academics and clinicians. The School of Nursing and Midwifery first introduced the Dedication Education Units in 1997 with the aim of providing optimal and flexible clinical learning environments for undergraduate nursing students. In this evaluative study students (n=121) and clinicians (n=127) perceived the DEU clinical placement configuration to: maintain quality of patient care, foster student relationships, provide an environment where students and academics were accepted as members of the clinical team and increase the collaborative relationship between clinicians, students and academics.