Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
This presentation is part of : In Giving We Receive: Community Engagement of Nursing Students with Culturally Diverse Populations
Challenges of Implementing Evidenced Based Practice with Diverse Populations and Limited Resources: Graduate Nursing Student Experiences in a Migrant Health Clinic
Mieca Valen, MS, RN, FNP, Department of Nursing, Winona State University, Rochester, MN, USA

Design: Participative Action Research Study

 

Population, Sample, Setting: A midwestern master’s nursing program partnered with a migrant health clinic to provide primary care clinical services to an underserved population of primarily Hispanic migrant agricultural workers and their families. Graduate nursing students (n = 26 ) in their final year of a master’s degree program for adult and family nurse practitioners were supervised by nurse practitioner faculty in providing clinical services at a migrant health clinic.

 

Methods: Qualitative data were collected after student clinical experiences with reflection and  evaluation of the services provided.  Clinical debriefing related to the challenges of providing quality care resulted in the evolution of creative strategies for delivering evidenced-based care in the setting of limited resources. Field notes from these sessions were then analyzed for common themes.

 

Findings:  The challenges of delivery of health care to an underserved population, with limited resources, resulted in  frustrations as well as personal and professional growth  for nurse practitioner faculty and students. The health care disparities experienced by the population served became apparent to the students. In addition, reduction in perceived stereotyping and biases were also evident.

 

 

Conclusions: Greater appreciation and understanding by nurse practitioner students of the socioeconomic and health care challenges encountered by this population has the potential to improve health care for diverse and disadvantaged populations served by these students in their future practices.  Our collaborative relationship has resulted in an expansion of services and relocation of the migrant health clinic to an improved clinical facility on the university campus. In this setting, health care will continue to be delivered to this underserved population while providing rich, culturally diverse clinical experiences for faculty and students.