Using group peer reflection to support learning disability nursing students during placements

Nursing students tend to experience high levels of stress and anxiety, particularly in relation to clinical placements, and may require additional support to manage challenging aspects of practice learning. One way of providing additional support to students is to offer group reflection sessions. This article discusses the use of facilitated group peer reflection sessions for learning disability nursing students from Queen’s University Belfast on placements in one trust area in Northern Ireland. The sessions, part of the Connecting Peers in Learning Disability (CoPe-LD) project, had high attendance rates and low logistical and labour requirements. Students gave overwhelmingly positive feedback, explaining that the sessions had supported them with knowledge development and clinical decision-making and had given them a sense of support and safety, which may have helped them to discuss difficulties experienced during their placements.