Intellectual disability nursing assessment: student reflections

Nursing students, Paula and Lynda, reflect on their first academic assessment of their 4-year intellectual disability nursing course. The reflection is conducted by the second and third authors of this article and is guided by Gibbs’ (1998) cycle, highlighting the positive and negative aspects of their ‘workbook’ assignment during their first academic semester. Overall, the use of the workbook as an assessment method enabled the students to discover the importance of time management, attendance at lectures, database searching, referencing and academic writing. The assignment enabled the students to be more prepared for clinical practice placement and develop a basis for future learning and knowledge of intellectual disability.