Evaluating a co-facilitation approach to service user and carer involvement in undergraduate nurse education.

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of a co-facilitation approach on nursing students' classroom learning. In this approach, service users and carers co-facilitated small seminar group activities with lecturers. The co-facilitation approach was introduced concurrently in 14 groups of first-year nursing students across adult, child, mental health and learning disabilities fields of nursing in one higher education institution. The approach was evaluated using a questionnaire comprised of open-ended questions, which was distributed to the nursing students after they had participated in the facilitated group sessions. A total of 198 nursing students completed the questionnaire. Their feedback was positive, indicating that they found the participation of service users and carers in the facilitation of group activities a stimulating and inspiring way to learn, and it improved their understanding of person-centred approaches to care. The involvement of service users and carers in classroom learning is meaningful and relevant to nursing students' education. The co-facilitation approach enabled them to understand the person rather than only the patient, which is essential in providing person-centred care. However, it is necessary to identify the means to support students to build resilience and maintain their learning in challenging healthcare environments.