The answer to "no skills new grads." Are you ready for the DEU?

Oceanpacific · Jul 19, 2015

Actually, I think that sounds pretty exciting. I imagine that the nurses on the unit would choose to have that educational role so they are getting paid for it. I guess for evenings, nights and weekends it reverts to traditional staffing?

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2015

Actually, I think that sounds pretty exciting. I imagine that the nurses on the unit would choose to have that educational role so they are getting paid for it. I guess for evenings, nights and weekends it reverts to traditional staffing?

Nope, they aren't paid for it...just regular staff wages. I've googled all over the place about DEUs--found quite a few hits evaluating the nurse and student experience after implementation--and all information I've found is that the DEU nurses are NOT paid. One school actually called them "clinical instructors" who were given adjunct faculty appointments but were NOT compensated by the school nor the facility.

In that same overview article, the school was able to enroll more students without hiring additional faculty due to the DEU set up.

To be completely fair, all evals I've seen have demonstrated that DEU nurse morale increased.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2015

We precept students and new grads regularly on my unit. Every other month, I have a new group of students. Overall, this works out well for everyone including the residents.

However, in order for this model to be safe and effective on a unit, everyone would need to be open to precepting with clearly defined criteria.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2015

We precept students and new grads regularly on my unit. Every other month, I have a new group of students. Overall, this works out well for everyone including the residents.
However, in order for this model to be safe and effective on a unit, everyone would need to be open to precepting with clearly defined criteria.

Is it the usual model where there is a faculty member in charge of 8-10 students, and the nurse helps teach the student?

If so, I also work on units with new student groups every couple of months. However, the nurse isn't responsible for supervising the students' med pass or patient care...the clinical instructor is.

The DEU is a bit different, and a newer model. The staff nurse is completely responsible for teaching the student, and the faculty member acts as a mentor to the staff nurse, not the students.

ETA: In the current model, students in their final clinical placements are usually assigned to a single nurse throughout the placement, and the clinical instructor makes site visits. Right now, I work with a nurse who is precepting a student in her final placement. However, the newer DEU model is all students, all the time, for all nurses, not just one nurse on a unit with one student for final preceptorship.

Surprised1, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2015

I am a preceptor on a DEU and I love it! It's a great way to give the student a more complete picture of what a nurse's day entails. My students pick up on my enthusiasm for my job, and I treat them like a partner in patient care. It really gives these students a sense of investment and involvement in the job, and enhances their learning experience.

It's true that I don't get paid directly for being a DEU preceptor, but it does count toward my clinical ladder raise.

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enuf_already · Jul 19, 2015

If a preceptor is willing to do this for "no pay" and the responsibilities are spelled out and all parties agree, then why not?

No pay would not be a deal breaker for me. Like another poster, we have to meet certain criteria to maintain our clinical ladder status. It would be great experience for all parties involved and a way for young nurses to avoid reality shock and failure during that probationary period.

If you could have a confident new grad from a program like this or someone from Fly-By-Night College that got experience on dummies and each other, who would you choose?

Many people love to teach. I think the resentment comes when you are forced to teach/orient people when you do not want to. This option sounds like a win-win for everyone, given there are people who are willing to participate.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2015

I am a preceptor on a DEU and I love it! It's a great way to give the student a more complete picture of what a nurse's day entails. My students pick up on my enthusiasm for my job, and I treat them like a partner in patient care. It really gives these students a sense of investment and involvement in the job, and enhances their learning experience.
It's true that I don't get paid directly for being a DEU preceptor, but it does count toward my clinical ladder raise.
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I'm so glad someone who is working in a DEU is participating in this thread. Can you tell me more about the transition from a regular unit to a DEU? Aside from getting a student (or two) for every nurse on the unit at all times, what else changed?

Surprised1, MSN, RN · Jul 20, 2015

I'm so glad someone who is working in a DEU is participating in this thread. Can you tell me more about the transition from a regular unit to a DEU? Aside from getting a student (or two) for every nurse on the unit at all times, what else changed?

Dudette,

I wish I could tell you about the transition to DEU, but it occurred before my time.

However it's not quite like you describe. We don't have students at all times, just 2-3 days per week from January through April (or May?) Not every nurse gets a student. Usually it's just nurses who choose to be DEU preceptors.

I was a student about 4 years ago on this very DEU, so of course I'm fond of the model. ðŸ˜€

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arack05 · Jul 20, 2015

This isnt new

My nursing school had it and my job has it

its basically a way to train people to hit the ground running and works fantastic

A student would do all their clinicals on that same unit for two years, and frequently get hired there out of school.

Drastically improving their transition as a new nurse once they graduate

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 20, 2015

This isnt new
My nursing school had it and my job has it
its basically a way to train people to hit the ground running and works fantastic
A student would do all their clinicals on that same unit for two years, and frequently get hired there out of school.
Drastically improving their transition as a new nurse once they graduate

You're right; it's not new. The model was invented about 15 years ago. However, it's not a widely used model. But it will start being used more and more in the near future.