Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
The accreditation process was taken very seriously in the
Department, and caused a certain amount of trepidation amongst
the stakeholders. “We were so stressed. . . . We had a couple of
meetings about how to respond to the people who were asking
questions about it, we had these special orange sheets printed up
with all the little tips about them, and having to swot them
overnight. I almost could see that department staff in frenzy and so
worried and when we came to the day of presenting it, we did so
well, we almost did over well. And we got through it and we just sat
there like a pair of wrung out dummies“(FGR: 737-752). One of the
Stakeholders was involved in accrediting processes and previously
represented the Nursing Council of New Zealand. “. . . and was also
involved in the nursing council and around the accreditation of that
programme” (Participant 7: 26-28). This participant specifically
knew how much work went into the preparation of the programme,
and how easily the process could get off track.
However, the process was successful, and “There was an email
saying ‘thank you for your input’. Honestly you were just exhausted
and you still had to pick up the next day and just go on with it”
(FGR: 760-763).
Lawson (2004: 227-228) stated that: “Collaboration is in evidence
when interdependent, autonomous stakeholders with their
respective competency domains mobilize resources, and both
harmonize and synchronize their operations to solve shared
problems, meet common needs, capitalize on important
opportunities, and obtain prized benefits.” This defines the need to
work together as a team in order to meet a common goal. To this
idea of working as a team, one of the Stakeholders indicated “No, I
think that it was very collegial. We had the opportunity for feedback
all the time. I am in a privileged position, because my relationship is
ongoing, with the advisory board” (Participant 2: 150-154). The
importance of involving the stakeholders and even their employees
was also demonstrated. “Also what was good was that nurses on
the Ward were consulted too. There were lots of people, everybody
could have a say. I think it could only grow, the way we are doing
it” (Participant 2: 162-165). Not only were the stakeholders
involved, some of the Educational Institutions were also involved,
and information passed on to them. “And recently Norman 6 came
and gave a lecture to some post graduate students, which I will talk
about later, about how they went about setting up the curriculum,
and that curriculum development and the component parts and all
the rest of it. Rich stuff that he is now sharing at South Coast
University 7 . So even that relationship between MIT and this
6 = Name changed
7 = Name of Educational Institution changed.
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