Promoting Self-Efficacy in Senior BSN Students in the Community Setting

Fortier, Mary E.

Thursday, 25 July 2013: 9:10 AM

Mary E. Fortier, EdD, RN, CNL
College of Nursing, Seton Hall University South Orange New Jersey, South Orange, NJ

Learning Objective 1: Identify creative ways to meet clinical competencies in non-traditional community settings for senior BSN students.

Learning Objective 2: Understand how this non-traditional setting increased the senior BSN student’s self-efficacy as future professional nurses through collaborative partnerships.

Facts are: Clinical sites are harder to secure for our baccalaureate prepared nursing students, challenging colleges to look for creative solutions, while providing sound clinical learning. Patients are discharged from the hospital to their homes with little or no healthcare supports in place. Education and follow-up are needed for clients in the environment where the healthcare system expects them to function and live.

Solution: As a creative solution our baccalaureate nursing program looked to the community in which we are located and partnered with a group of community buildings. These buildings, a total of 8, had in place a registered nurse, who over sees the general health of the community and a social worker assigned to each building. Assigning 8 senior BSN nursing students to 4 of the buildings under the guidance of 1 clinical faculty, the students completed a needs assessment on assigned buildings, creating education programs.

Sample schedule: 8am: BSN students: set up the office space in which they would conduct interviews, assessments and client specific education. 8:30am: BSN students met with the Social Worker to review and follow-up on any client needs. 9:00am to 11:00am: BSN students open the office. Records were kept in locked cabinets. Collaboration and communication was constant and consistent among students, instructor, RN, and social workers. 11:00am to 12pm: Education Sessions were presented in the community rooms, based on the needs assessment of the buildings’ population. 12pm to 1pm: Apartments visits. 1pm to 2pm: Students met with Clinical Instructor, Registered Nurse, and Social Workers. Care Plans were updated, referrals made, and needed follow-ups were identified.

The experience provided the students with a first-hand experience of working as leaders in a collaborative setting: increasing their self-efficacy as future registered nurses. The experience provided the students and the college to give back to the community.

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