Service-Based Learning and Interdisciplinary Education: Meeting Needs of Students and Community

Using transformational leadership principles, a serviced-based, interdisciplinary learning opportunity was created for undergraduate and graduate nursing and health care students from a private university in Phoenix, Az to donate sports physicals to Special Olympics athletes from title 1 schools. Service-based learning is an educational experience where students are learning valuable skills and lessons while performing an act of community service (Morin Fraile et al., 2017). Interdisciplinary education is an educational intervention that involves multiple sub-specialties that work together to address a need. For the purposes of this project we utilized students from the graduate nurse practitioner programs, undergraduate nursing, athletic training students, and members from the campus health care club. By providing sports physicals to Special Olympics athletes, an environment was created for interdisciplinary education to occur. As the medical director for the MedFest events in Phoenix, AZ, there were some hurdles to overcome to provide this transformative opportunity including event location and coordination of volunteers and participants.

The transformational leader according to Burns is a leader who moves the follower from immediate self-interest through idealized influence, inspiration, intellectual stimulation or individualized consideration (Bass, 1999). Additionally the transformational leader increases the followers level of maturity and ideals as well as concerns for achievement, self-actualization and the well-being of others, the organization, and society (Bass, 1999). It was the medical directors goal that by providing students with the opportunity to work with the Special Olympics athletes that participants would be transformed personally and professionally. Additionally, participants would have a better understanding of how to apply the concepts that they are learning in class in a unique setting. This allows the participants to see how their skills are utilized in various outpatient settings.

Service based learning provides opportunities to meet the needs of the students with faculty participation to ensure patient safety and promote student confidence (Kurowski- Burt et al., 2017; Morin Fraile et al., 2017). Students who participate in service based learning projects have reported increased cultural awareness and compassion to vulnerable populations (Brown & Bright, 2017; Weiss, Hajjar, Giordano & Joseph, 2016). The Special Olympics MedFest events provided students with an opportunity to work with those less fortunate and professionals of various health care fields to create interdisciplinary relationships and a better understanding of the health care team. The MedFest events that were conducted in 2018 provided 374 physicals to low income athletes that might not have had the opportunity to see a health care provider without this event. Additionally, these physicals provided the athletes with the clearance needed to participate in the Special Olympics events (Special Olympics, 2018).

As the MedFest director there were many challenges to overcome when conducting an event of this size. In 2018 two different events were conducted to accommodate all the athletes who needed these screenings. The used the gym for the vital signs screenings and conducted the physicals in an extra room. Privacy was provided to patients with the use of drapes separators. Previous years we conducted the physicals on the gym stage. By having the physicals in a separate room this helped with some of the stimulation issues we had the previous year. The second event was conducted on the university NP simulation space, which allowed for private rooms for the students. This allowed for a more in-depth assessment and provided another layer of comfort for the participants with sensory issues.

Coordination of volunteers occurred with sign-up genius. Volunteers had to identify if they had vital sign training, if they were a provider or something else so organizers had an idea of who was coming. In July and August Title one schools had to provide the Special Olympics MedFest team with information on how many athletes were going to be coming to the event. Event coordinators set a maximum of 300 athletes, as in previous years there was a high no-show rate. The day of the event we had nearly 400 athletes arrive, as schools brought with them more atheletes then they originally registered. Due to time and physical constraints, we turned away 90 athletes and provided opportunity for 70 of these athletes to have a second physical day. Future recommendations for MedFest events is to have schools register participants by name of each athlete to clearly identify who was registered and conducting two separate events. Each event would be capped at 150 athletes, as this would allow for a better flow of participants and volunteers. Additionally, continued used of the universities NP simulation space is recommended to provide patient and provider privacy.

Service based learning combine’s academic principles with civic service in order to meet the needs of the community (Morin Fraile et al., 2017). Interdisciplinary education is an educational experience that uses multiple professions working together to achieve a common goal (Isibel et al., 2018; Jones et al., 2018; Kurowski-Burt et al., 2017). By providing physicals for low income, athletes participants were combining principles of service based learning and interdisciplinary education while participating in the Special Olympics MedFest events. Transformational leadership was employed to help overcome experienced hurdles to provide a valuable learning experience for all participants.