Dyslexic students on placement: strategies and guidelines
Spelling and writing
1.	When writing care plans, asking people to check spelling without saying why.
2.	Using a notebook to write down words that are difficult to spell.
3.	Looking for a word already written on a page, when completing a report, or a form.
4.	Using block capitals to make it easier to read
Knowing yourself
1.	Try to find out how you prefer to learn, for example reading about something, or watching someone carry out a task.
2.	Try to identify tasks where you think you may have problems
3.	If you have disclosed to your mentor, try and work together through ways of dealing with tasks you find difficult
4.	Try to adapt strategies you have learned in the classroom, for example when writing reports, drug calculations
Taking time
1.	Taking time with things that are important.
Asking others for help
2.	Asking others for help, including other students.
3.	Checking with staff that the medication is correct.
4.	Making up your own support group with other students.
5.	Asking people to double check work.
Documentation, e.g. writing reports, care plans, patient notes
1.	Using a general or specialist dictionary.
2.	Using a different word, if a word is hard to spell.
3.	Writing without worrying about spelling, going back and correcting with the help of a dictionary (possibly not relevant to patient notes where crossings out are not encouraged).
4.	Using computers to produce documentation, where possible
5.	Writing something on a piece of paper first, before transferring to patient notes, which you can ask people to proof-read first
6.	To help in writing, you could say your thoughts out loud
7.	Become familiar with forms so you know what to fill in
8.	If you lose concentration when writing a report, leave it and come back to it later
9.	Use set phrases, taking care with accuracy
10.	If crossing out in patient notes, draw one line and initial the mistake
Handovers
1.	Copying a nurse’s notes.
2.	Getting relevant information from patients’ notes.
3.	Putting handover information on the computer and printing it out, if possible
4.	Making a list of the patients’ names.
5.	Using abbreviations, made-up or existing ones
6.	Making a list of tasks and ticking them off when they are complete.
7.	Making a template for handovers.
8.	In wards where patient turnaround is not quick, keeping handover sheets from the day before, and updating them (for reasons of patient confidentiality, keep the sheets safe).
Drug charts, obs, medication
1.	Using a coloured filter.
2.	Using a pen as a ruler.
3.	Supplying all first-year students with a BNF.
4.	Having a lot of paper for working out drug calculations.
5.	Having a calculator.
6.	Don’t administer unless absolutely sure.
Instructions and procedures 
1.	Writing down lists of instructions, and ticking them off when you have carried them out
2.	Remembering the number of things to do, for example, “I’ve got five things to do in the next hour”.
3.	Reading up policy on carrying out a procedure.
4.	Repeat instructions to avoid any misunderstanding
5.	Developing priority lists to help organise care and ensure everything is completed
6.	Ensure that you have a pen and paper with you all the time, to write things down so that you don’t forget them
Telephone messages
1.	Ask caller to speak slowly
2.	Read messages back over the phone to double check
3.	Keep all messages in one place
General strategies 
1.	Picking out key words when reading.
2.	Using a ring on a finger to tell the difference between left and right, if hospital policy allows you to wear rings.
3.	Learning things by rote.
4.	Disclosing, if that is what you want to do
Things that mentors can do
1.	Asking students if they have special support needs before the placement begins
2.	Treating students as individuals, with different needs
3.	Visualisation eg in carrying out a task.
4.	mind mapping
5.	using all the senses in learning
6.	Giving a general overview of a topic before going into detail
7.	Using as many concrete examples as possible when explaining ideas
8.	Accept that students may need to approach some tasks differently
9.	Try to encourage an accepting and understanding atmosphere
10.	Keep messages and blood results in one place
Things that Schools of Nursing can do
1.	Consider having longer clinical placements, if necessary
2.	Consider matching students with dyslexia and other learning needs to mentors with aptitude in supporting such students.

Taken from Reusable Learning Object entitled "Dyslexia and workplace learning", online at www.nottingham.ac.uk/nursing/sonet/rlos/placs/dyslexia2
Author: Jo Sanderson-Mann (J.Sanderson-Mann@open.ac.uk), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK 
Document updated: 19/02/2007