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
saying: “So you are really dependent often on the people in jobs
and the processes that work. But once you get people on the job,
trusting each other, it makes it so much easier” (Participant 1:97-
100). Another participant also mentioned this aspect, but added
the aspect of cultural sensitivity to it. “The stakeholders were
saying that it was great, that they had had so much input and that
the relationships had been well established and they felt that they
had a significant role to play in how the curriculum was going to be
developed. In terms of Maori stakeholder, I guess that was area
that I felt a little bit anxious about because that was the part of my
role that I had not quite understood and had not been made clear to
me. I did not even know who some of these stakeholders were”
(Participant 5: 88-98). In a multicultural society, the needs of the
stakeholders representing minority groups, are of equal importance
and must be addressed. The Department did just that, and this fact
was mentioned by one of the stakeholders. “Oh most definitely. I
am very proud that the programme has been through the internal
Mäori consultation processes and has come out on top. Also that it
has been through an external consultation process, with Mäori via
the Iwi Providers. But I am satisfied that consultation with Mäori has
been undertaken and that recommendations made by Mäori on the
programme, have been taken on board” (Participant 9: 52-60).
This reference to Mäori involvement proved that the Department
was committed to incorporate the needs of minority groups in the
new curriculum. It also demonstrates awareness for the cultural
needs of the community utilising the services where the MIT
students were having their clinical placements.
Pardue (2006:57) a true reform in nurse education can only be
achieved once all concerned identify and discuss the needs of the
services, the students and the lecturers. This seemed to have
happened in this curriculum development exercise. “I think the
charge nurses responded really favourably to that engagement as
well, because they wanted what was described to us for a wee
while. So I think the feedback that I got was that they were actually
really quite excited about I think the level of commitment to it”
(Participant 7: 158-163). The cooperation in working towards a
common goal has actually been identified as a pleasant experience.
“It was overwhelming, my goodness was anybody left back over at
the DH. They were all over here having cups of tea. . . I thought
that was really commendable to be honest” (Participant 7: 87-98).
The continuous involvement of the stakeholders throughout the
whole process has been recognised by Lawson (2004:228).
Working together can aid the stakeholders to develop a unity of
purpose and to develop a collective identity. By not attending all
meetings, the stakeholders gave a message of only being interested
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