Canterbury leads work-based nursing education
Canterbury was applauded as a leader in collaborative work-based nursing education at the launch of a new book titled
Clinical Learning and Teaching Innovation in Nursing – Dedicated Education Units Building a Better Future on Wednesday
18 June at CPIT.
CDHB Nurse Educator Michelle Casey and CPIT Nursing Lecturer Deborah Sims co-authored a chapter of the book, reporting
on Dedicated Education Units (DEUs), which were developed and are run in partnership with the Canterbury District Health
Board (CDHB) and community nursing providers.
The innovative units prepare nursing students for the social, political and cultural complexities of real-world nursing
by integrating learning into clinical practice settings.
CPIT’s Head of the Department of Nursing and Human Services Cathy Andrew acknowledged the contribution of the DEU
working group. She said the Canterbury pilot started with five DEUs and now has 32 across the Canterbury Health System.
“There is nowhere in the world doing this to this extent. It is pretty special,” she said. “You can see the advantages
for nurses who have been through the DEU and gone into employment – they are so much further along in their career.”
Becky Hickmott, representing CDHB Executive Director of Nursing Mary Gordon, said the strong partnership with CPIT had
made the DEU model possible. “It is fantastic that CPIT is responding to our workforce needs.”
Canterbury’s DEUs were the first in New Zealand and subsequently generated a high level of interest from Schools of
Nursing and District Health Boards around the country. The book will provide a valuable resource for exploring both a
national and international perspective about the DEU model and innovations in nursing education.
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