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DkIT Graduate Launches Book Capturing Experiences of Nursing Students during Covid-19

20 May 2022

Dundalk Institute of Technology were absolutely delighted to support the virtual book launch of ‘Unmasked: Experiences of nursing students during COVID-19’ which is a unique and heartfelt insight into the experiences of nursing students during such unpredictable and unprecedented times. This publication demonstrates the unbelievable resilience of nursing students during their placements, and this book has allowed their phenomenal empathy to be captured in the written word.



The collection was created and curated by Lucy Bolger, a final year General Nursing student. Lucy graduated from DkIT in October 2021 and is now a staff nurse at Beaumont Hospital. During the pandemic, Lucy was inspired to gather the stories of her fellow students to encapsulate individual student nurses’ work experiences in this exceptional moment in time. Lucy contacted her classmates and put out several calls on social media, she got an amazing response and receive extraordinary stories from nursing students across Ireland and beyond. With the help of Head of Department, Dr Myles Hackett and the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Lucy has edited an ebook that brings together 17 stories, poems and experiences, written by nursing students.

The collection includes a foreword by Grainne Gallenagh, nurse, model and former Miss Universe Ireland. This initiative was supported by funding from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning’s 2019 Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) fund.

As Dr Myles Hackett remarks

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing and midwifery education has been immense. This collection of student reflections and poetry captures the challenges students faced, the contribution they made to patient care and health care delivery and the learning they took from very difficult situations during the pandemic.

The book was launched during a virtual ceremony at lunchtime on Monday, 28th of March. This launch was opened by DkIT Vice President for Academic Affairs and Registrar, Dr Sheila Flanagan and was addressed by Head of School of Health and Science, Dr Edel Healy. The contributors, their family, friends, DkIT staff and students came together to celebrate this remarkable achievement. You can read the collection here https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/786

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