| Learning Objective #1: Identify skills for building community through partnerships on service learning projects | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe benefits to students, community partners and community members from working together on community-based assessment and intervention service learning projects using measurable outcomes |
Design: A descriptive design was used.
Sample: Traditional (n= 61) and accelerated (second degree, n=55) community health nursing students and 23 agency partners participated.
Variables Studied: cultural awareness; competence in assessment and interventions; collaboration with culturally diverse professionals; leadership; Internet abilities; interest in community nursing; usefulness of project findings; benefits to students and community partners.
Methods: Students selected a topic from a list developed by partners and faculty for projects and received mentoring. Topics included: asthma; homeless; nutrition, prenatal mothers, immunizations, alcohol, smoking; obesity, lead poisoning; safety; teenager healthy relationships; chronic and communicable diseases;polypharmacy; bioterrorism. Students and partners completed evaluations measuring project outcomes.
Findings: Skills in developing and sustaining partnerships include: mutuality; trust;respect;commitment;identifying strengths;working on areas needing improvement;decision-making; communication, acknowledgement of partnership accomplishments. Evaluations from 2002 indicated 100% of traditional and accelerated students agreed experiences promoted cultural awareness; 96.88% of both groups had worked with diverse professionals; 100% traditional and 96.88% accelerated reported increased competence in assessing and planning community interventions and increased leadership skills; 93.8% traditional and 100% accelerated had improved Internet abilities. Interest in working in communities increased. Student' benefits included: expertise in caring for high-risk populations, identifying barriers to healthcare; applying critical thinking skills. Partner evaluations: 100% agreed assessments and interventions met community needs,findings were useful in program planning,writing grants. Partner benefits: new health programs; increased knowledge about health and resources.
Conclusions: Service learning helps meet health needs of high-risk populations and increases community-based knowledge of students.
Implications: Important to educate nurses and students about skills for building community and benefits of partnerships for meeting assessment and intervention needs of high-risk communities.
Back to Building Community
Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004