A NURSING ATTACHMENT FOR MEDICAL-STUDENTS AT FLINDERS-UNIVERSITY

Objective: To determine medical student response to the set objectives for a one-week nursing attachment, completed before their major clini cal training, in a teaching hospital. Design: Linear ordinal scale ass essments of the objectives, encompassing familiarisation with ward and hospital practice, appreciation of the roles of nurses in patient car e, the interaction between nursing and medical professions, and the ac quisition of basic skills related to patient care and focus group disc ussions with students and with their nurse supervisors. Participants: One hundred and sixty-four medical students at Flinders University who completed their nursing attachments in 1986 and 1990-1992. Results: S tudents thought there had been a uniformly high level of achievement o f objectives. A number of suggestions were made by both students and s upervisors to improve the program. Conclusions: A period of nursing at tachment for medical students, before their major clinical training, h elps them to fit into usual ward routine, provides them with some basi c patient care skills, and helps them gain greater understanding of an d respect for the roles and responsibilities of nurses.