On Wednesday 11th of May, the South East Technological University Team, with the support of UPMC Whitfield, held a SSTeMM workshop for  over 20 local Clinical Placement Coordinators in the School of Health Sciences’ Board Room. The event aimed to introduce the project to local CPCs and to elicit local feedback. SSTeMM team members and CPCs also benefited from SSTeMM cookies baked by Ms. Lorraine Kelly (UPMC Whitfield) (pictured below).

Cookies baked by Lorraine Higgins (UPMC Whitfield)

Professor John Wells (Dean of the School of Health Sciences) introduced the project by discussing the  historical and current stressors  of nurses and nursing students. He highlighted that the significant stress experienced by nurses had been identified almost 100 years in The Lancet report. He  identified the profound impact and changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic which occured during the SSTeMM project’s lifetime. He also discussed some Irish findings from the SSTeMM Survey tool.  Ms. Marie Carey followed with a presentation and group exercises on the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based approach underlying the SSTeMM project and conducted some group exercises focussing on the practical application of CBT in everyday life and in the clinical environment. Dr. Mary Reidy introduced the SSTeMM Manual and concentrated specifically on current stressors and the role of CPCs in supporting student nurses placement and the various levels of stress and support experienced by student nurses.  She also identified and discussed some of the feedback the SSTeMM team has received from students using SSTeMM tools. Mr. Florian Scheibein introduced the SSTeMM mobile application , its use of CBT-based principles, the self-reflection component and the link to resources which were then explored with the CPCs.  Ms. Lorraine Higgins (UPMC Whitfield) discussed their piloting of the organisational SSTeMM self-assessment tool which is currently being piloted in UPMC Whitfield.  An Open Discussion followed where CPCs provided invalueable feedback and support for the project.