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Service Learning toEnhance the Curriculumfor Nursing StudentsRosanne Pruitt, PhD, RN, FNP, ProfessorWanda Taylor, PhD, RN Assistant Professor
Importance of Nursing in the CommunityOver the past decade, the healthcare landscape has changeddrasticallyMajor changes in many of the available public health servicesClosing of rural hospitals (43 since early 2010 )Fewer hospital admissions, shorter stays.The homeless population continues to growThese changes call for more creativity in service learningOur students need to be comfortable promoting health inmultiple settings
Service Learning in the CommunityMost nursing specialties should be involved in someaspect of the community.Community Health Nursing focuses on health careto promote quality of life and health care ofcommunities and populations and is a great fit forservice learning.Service learning also provides opportunity forcultural immersion and value clarification.
Getting startedFaculty need to make initial connections in the community: Reach out to community leaders and healthcare professionals toidentify a population group or aggregate. Identify gatekeepers and key informants Successful community selection dependson:Accessibility & OpennessEstablished partnership
Partnering with the Community Service learning is a partnership. Focus on the mutual benefits for yourstudents and the community Community aggregates can be anyage: Church Preschool, Head Start,Schools, After school program,Senior centers, Groups addressingspecial needs in the community
Community Assessment Assignment Windshield Survey (data collection while drivingthrough the community) Analyze existing data (public documents, healthsurveys, statistical data, health records) Interview key informants Develop a problem/need list Work with faculty and group leaders to determinethe service learning intervention
Community Characteristics(Sample Windshield Survey)LibraryCity HallPoliceDepartmentFire departmentTrain StationBankWeekly News“Moon’s HomeMedical” StoreApple FestivalDot’s SoupKitchenInglesUnited MethodistBaptist ChurchChurchHardee’sSubway
Childhood Obesity Following community interviews & assessment, weidentified childhood obesity as the largest growinghealth concern. With a fallen economy in this rural town, many mothersare working full time. After work, they pick up friedfoods for their children, or quickly cookunhealthy foods at home.
Plan for Sustainability1. Recipes sheets2. Pamphlet on healthychoices at fast foodrestaurants3. Shopping Guide oncoupons and sales4. Price Analysis ofhomemade versusrestaurant foods
Service Learning ProjectIn order to attract people to ourevent, we sent flyers to the townlibrary.We advertised free food,healthy kid-friendly recipes,information on healthyeating habits andlifestyle choices.
In the process of servingothers, they discover what itmeans to provide acommunity service forhundreds of people, teachingthem skills that will equipthem to live happier, healthierlives.Jackie Gillespie, RN, MSSenior Lecturer,Community Health
Junior level Health Promotion Class“I really enjoyed doing thecommunity project. Thisproject helped me to solidifymy confidence in what I havelearned thus far in nursing. Itwas also a greatopportunity to apply whatwe have learned in thecommunity and interact withpeople outside theUniversity.”
Health Fair“I loved the opportunity to brainstorm withthe school administration over needsidentified by students and faculty. It wasvery neat to brainstorm, come up with ideasthen put them into action, and know thatwe could be saving lives.” Nursing student“Thank you for your support of our wellnessfair again this year. The students did agreat job. [We need to value our health.]Everyone learned something, even me.Clemson nursing students are a blessing!”Bishop M.A., Holy Ground Church
Recent service learning projectsProjectPopulationBasic hand washing,hygiene & first aidInternational group in BahamasSex educationSpecial needs groupDevelopment of healtheducation toolsCrisis Pregnancy CenterAuto safety, school wideHigh school with 6 auto deathsassembly focused on riskprior yearbehaviors: texting, alcohol,lack of seat beltsPromotion of Breast feeding Local mall with communitypartners
Head StartI look forward to scheduling vision/hearing screening and physicals forour children know your services are greatly needed. DB, RN, BSNSHARE Head Start
Commitment to ServiceClemson University School of Nursingis committed to the goal of developingnurses who are educated to providenursing care that improves the healthand quality of life for people locally,nationally and internationally.To provide this care, students aretaught how to go to the client’senvironment and work with otherhealth care team members to provideholistic health care.JG, Senior Lecturer
Additional preparation may be required, heresimulation enhances cultural competenceScenarios addressed cultural issues among the Amish, Hindu,and a homeless Latino.
Nursing students, (undergraduate & graduate) pose with faculty &hosts before leaving Dominican Republic.Clemson Nursing faculty also take students to Guatemala and the BahamasInternational ServiceLearning
Graduate Nursing StudentsIn addition to the international trips, graduatestudents are involved in providing history andphysicals for area scout groups, rotating throughclinics for teen pregnancy, Best Chance network,Head Start and a variety of clinics that are offeredin the region.It would also be appropriate for graduate studentsto identify the population, assess the need anddevelop and evaluate an intervention.
EvaluationStudent report should includeProject evaluation by recipients, key informantsstudent experiencewhat went wellhow experience could be improved# servedfollow upFaculty reflection on experience includingevaluation of student performance, ways toimprove experience
Integrating service learning forAccelerated 2nd Degree Nursing StudentsNursing has a long history of working withcommunities to improve healthWe wanted our students to embrace the concepts ofadvocacy and social responsibility early in theireducation
Service learning for Accelerated 2nd DegreeNursing StudentsIn our Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program weimplemented service learning in their first semester.This was a win-win because it met course objectives relatedto advocacy, social responsibility, and self-care.We partnered with Momentum Bike Clubs to provide thisopportunity for middle school aged girls living in anunderserved community
Momentum Bike Club Director, David Taylor,facilitated introductions with key community leaders
Pastor Darian Blue,local communityleader, wasinstrumental in thesuccess of our GIRLPOWER group. Hissupport in the localcommunity helped uswork successfully withthe community.
“I was definitely a little bit nervous. What if we couldn’t find anygirls to join? Would the girls like us and feel like they could talk tous? However, after talking to Pastor Blue and getting our 1st girl tojoin, I knew this bike club was going to be a success.”
Girls who commit to ride for one year are able to earntheir bikes! Many of these kids remain active andcontinue cycling.
Our male nursingstudents were giventhe opportunity toride with groupsthat were notexclusively girls.One of our students,an experiencedcyclist, chose to ridewith the challengegroup
Student Comments“Many of the girls have very differentupbringings than I had, but it has taught me toappreciate every walk of life. Regardless of howwe are raised, everyone wants to be loved andchoosing to love despite the differences hasbeen life changing.”“Before becoming part of the bikeclub, I was completely unaware ofhow important it really is to servein your community.”“Many of them don’t have anybody to talkto.sometimes having someone else to talk to is“In relation to nursing it has madejust what I need. The girls can really beme realize the importance of holisticthemselves and open up to us.”needs with every individual.”
Some of the girls report this is theironly opportunity for exercise all week!
Learning benefits for our studentsSelf-care: All too often, nursing students (andnurses) do not care for themselves. Self-care isimportant so that we are in the best conditionphysically, mentally, and emotionally to care for ourclients.Caring is at the core of nursing. Our students havedeveloped caring relationships built on mutual trustbetween them and the youth they serve.
Learning benefits for our studentsSocial Responsibility. Students were provided anopportunity to give back to their community.Cultural competence. We practiced culturalsensitivity while recruiting and riding with kidswhose cultural backgrounds differed from that ofthe students/mentors.
Service Learning : a WIN-WIN!More opportunities are opening up to ourstudents that benefit the community as well asour studentsPastor Blue has approached nursing faculty withadditional opportunities in service learning suchas local health fairs and nurse practitioner clinics
Service Learning : a WIN-WIN!As a result, we are developing a communityacademic partnership that will supportacademic learning while improving the healthof a local communityStudents were thankful for the opportunitiesand were willing to volunteer above andbeyond the service learning courserequirements
Service Learning impacts us all!“What I didn’t know was how bigof an impact the girls were goingto make on MY life. Each week, Iam so moved by what these girlsare teaching me. It really doesfeel like our own bike clubfamily! I am unbelievablyexcited to continue building myrelationship with each and everyone of them.”
Clemson University School of Nursing is committed to the goal of developing nurses who are educated to pr
