The idea behind the session came from the students personal experiences in people with learning disabilities being treated significantly different in acute settings to patients without a learning disability.
Ample literature and recent media coverage also highlighted this issue and the students came together to try and come up with a solution to the problem.
Early research completed by the students identified that fellow student nurses (across all fields) lacked confidence when caring for patients with a learning disability and felt like there were time constraints involved in the management of their care.
The students developed an interactive session aimed to generate discussion, evoke emotions and feelings and to encourage students and HCP's to understand how their actions can make a huge difference to the quality of care delivered, ensuring that it is compassionate, caring and person centered.
Upon completion of the session, everyone is given a pocket sized communication guide to aid students in the communication process, as well as a badge to wear on their lanyard.
The communication guides are made of plastic so are durable and wipe clean for infection control purposes.
Since the creation of the project, the students were shortlisted for Student Nursing Times Award, innovation of the year and have been awarded Valedictory at the University of Chester.
Three of the four students in Powwow have also granduated this year.
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