The Dedicated Education Unit: Innovating Within the Regulatory Framework

The dedicated education unit (DEU) is an innovative clinical-education model developed to address current issues facing nurse educators: the need to prepare graduates for effective nursing practice in the complex health-care environment of the future; the predicted severe and continuing nursing shortage; and limited faculty and clinical-placement resources. This article addresses factors leading to the development of the DEU and the regulatory issues involved in its development and approval.