The effect of service-based learning on health education competencies of students in community health nursing internships

AIM

This study investigated the impact of service-based learning on the health education competencies of students in community health nursing internships. community health nursing internship is one of the areas where students acquire health education competencies. Studies have shown that some students have poor health education competencies, and new educational interventions, such as service-based learning, can help improve their competencies.

METHOD

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2021-2022. The participants were final-year nursing students affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences. All participants (n = 72) were selected via the census method and randomly divided into intervention and control groups (36 participants in each group). The students in the intervention group attended a service-based learning program for 20 days. The data were collected before and one month after intervention using a 48-item health education qualification questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS22 software.

RESULTS

The results showed that the mean health education competencies scores were lower before intervention in the intervention and control group (165.75 ± 23.09) (170.16 ± 28.58)(p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of their mean scores on health education competencies(p > 0.05). The health education competencies score increased significantly for the participants in the intervention group (191.58 ± 28.35) compared to the control group (165.97 ± 28.11) after intervention.

CONCLUSION

Nursing administrators and professors need to take effective steps to empower nursing students as much as possible and incorporate service-based learning techniques in clinical education programs for nursing students.

Assessment of Differential Perceptions of Core Nursing Competencies between Nurse Managers and Nursing Graduates: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The literature review on perceptions of nursing competencies shows a critical shortage of studies addressing this topic.

AIM

To examine and compare perceptions of important nursing competencies of nursing graduates, and nurse managers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 148 students, who were recent graduates of the nursing school with RN degrees and had completed advanced training lasting 3 months at the Sheba Academic School of Nursing and the Academic School of Tel Aviv-Yafo, and 183 nurse managers with at least one year of seniority in the position in hospitals and community clinics in Israel. The recruitment and data collection of the nurse managers lasted 12 months, from July 2021 to July 2022, and for nursing graduates, two months, from June 2022 to July 2022. An online questionnaire was constructed and validated by five professional and experienced individuals in the research domains for adequate content validity. The questionnaire consisted of 47 items in total. Domains included: (1) professionalism in research; (2) skills for direct treatment; (3) support and communication; (4) professional knowledge; (5) personal abilities; and (6) critical thinking and innovation.

RESULTS

Overall, 331 valid questionnaires were collected (85% response rate). The difference in the nurse's research professionalism index was found to be statistically significant with a higher rating given by nurse managers, p = 0.003. However, the difference in the direct treatment index of nurses was found to be statistically not significant, p = 0.610, between newly graduated nurses and nurse managers. The independent sample t-test indicated a significant difference with a higher rating among nurse managers in the nurse's support and communication index, p = 0.020; professional knowledge index, p < 0.001; personal abilities index, p < 0.001; and critical thinking index, p = 0.006, between newly graduated nurses and nurse managers.

CONCLUSION

Nursing education programs aimed at training future nurses with core competences should include a curriculum designed to promote the acquisition of these six core competences leading to a congruence between the role expectations of nurse managers and those of newly graduated nurses.

Impact of Service-Learning educational interventions on nursing students: An integrative review

BACKGROUND

Service learning is an innovative educational approach that enables nursing students to directly participate and engage in the community while providing them and the community with benefits.

OBJECTIVES

To summarise the evidence from service learning activities for nursing students, the educational and non-educational benefits derived through implementing this methodology, and the participating students' perceptions.

DESIGN

An integrative review including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs was conducted.

DATA SOURCES

The articles were identified through a systematic search in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library Plus, Scopus, CINAHL Complete (EBSCOHost), and Education Source (EBSCOHost).

REVIEW METHODS

The search for studies was conducted in December 2020 using the following search terms: "Service learning", "Service-learning partnership", "Nursing", "Benefits" and "Intervention".

RESULTS

A total of 22 articles were included. A positive relationship was found between the nursing students participating in service learning programmes and the acquisition of educational benefits, such as theoretical and practical learning, communication skills, and teamwork, and non-educational benefits, such as empathy, questioning prejudices, and commitment. In addition, a wide variety of activities and interventions were found to have been implemented using this academic approach, as well as a positive evaluation by the participating students.

CONCLUSIONS

Service learning programmes with the active participation of nursing students generate benefits for both them and the community. First, these interventions receive positive evaluations from participating students. Furthermore, the interventions developed using service learning are varied and require motivation and creativity to implement them. However, there is a need for more experimental studies and the use of larger samples in service learning programmes.

Nursing students' experiences with service learning: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to synthesize qualitative evidence on nursing students' experiences with service learning (SL).

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Comprehensive searches were performed using databases including PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINHAL (EBSCO), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Web of Science, Wangfang (Chinese), CNKI (Chinese), Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar (Chinese).

REVIEW METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. We conducted a meta-aggregation to synthesize the findings of the included studies. The Confidence in the Output of Qualitative Research Synthesis (ConQual) approach was used to assess confidence in the synthesized findings.

RESULTS

Forty-two studies were identified, and 39 studies were included in the meta-aggregation. One hundred and sixty-seven findings, 16 categories, and 6 synthesized findings were identified. The six synthesized findings identified from the 39 studies concerned the following topics: adaption and emotion shifting, knowledge translation and skills development, leadership and collaboration in multidisciplinary teams, cultural sensitivity, discovery of nursing roles and professional growth, and overall appraisal and suggestions.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend empowering nursing students by developing their self-confidence in their leadership abilities and their identities before they participate in SL programs. During SL, educators should provide sufficient space for students and should not become involved in students' teams to avoid decreasing their self-confidence in their leadership abilities. After SL programs, maintaining long-term relationships between the university and the community is a prerequisite for students working smoothly in the community and is a key factor for program sustainability.

Reflections on a Service-Learning Project: Nutrition Education for Elementary Students

ABSTRACT

This article examines the concept of service-learning (SL) in nursing practice and education as an opportunity to promote service, not only to individuals but also to the community. Nursing students conducted a SL nutrition education project at an elementary school in Alabama, a state in which the frequency of obesity is among the highest in the nation. Results suggest that SL enhances the critical thinking and cultural sensitivity of nursing students while helping to solidify nursing skills and values.

The little things are big: evaluation of a compassionate community approach for promoting the health of vulnerable persons

BACKGROUND

Vulnerable persons are individuals whose life situations create or exacerbate vulnerabilities, such as low income, housing insecurity and social isolation. Vulnerable people often receive a patchwork of health and social care services that does not appropriately address their needs. The cost of health and social care services escalate when these individuals live without appropriate supports. Compassionate Communities apply a population health theory of practice wherein citizens are mobilized along with health and social care supports to holistically address the needs of persons experiencing vulnerabilities.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a compassionate community intervention for vulnerable persons in Windsor Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

This applied qualitative study was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. We collected and analyzed focus group and interview data from 16 program stakeholders: eight program clients, three program coordinators, two case managers from the regional health authority, one administrator from a partnering community program, and two nursing student volunteers in March through June 2018. An iterative analytic process was applied to understand what aspects of the program work where and why.

RESULTS

The findings suggest that the program acts as a safety net that supports people who are falling through the cracks of the formal care system. The 'little things' often had the biggest impact on client well-being and care delivery. The big and little things were achieved through three key processes: taking time, advocating for services and resources, and empowering clients to set personal health goals and make authentic community connections.

CONCLUSION

Compassionate Communities can address the holistic, personalized, and client-centred needs of people experiencing homelessness and/or low income and social isolation. Volunteers are often untapped health and social care capital that can be mobilized to promote the health of vulnerable persons. Student volunteers may benefit from experiencing and responding to the needs of a community's most vulnerable members.

The impact of a service-learning foot soak experience on nursing students' attitudes towards the homeless

BACKGROUND

Opportunities for meaningful engagement with the homeless can alter negative attitudes. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in attitudes towards the homeless among undergraduate nursing students participating in a service-learning foot soak experience.

METHODS

This was a prospective, pretest and posttest interventional study. Student attitudes were measured through: (a) the attitudes toward homelessness inventory and (b) thematic analysis of a guided reflection on the experience.

RESULTS

Mean posttest total scores (mean = 50.06; standard deviation = 7.004) were significantly (P = .001) higher from mean pretest scores (mean = 47.06; standard deviation = 5.455), indicating more positive attitudes towards the homeless (n = 47) after the clinic. Three categories of themes that reflected student experiences are as follows: (a) benefits, (b) context, and, (c) potential consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

A foot soak clinic can increase students' understanding of experiences faced by homeless persons through genuine human interaction, and has benefits to community members and learners.

Service-Learning and Professional Values Development of Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Service-learning has been linked to attributes of professionalism such as integrity, altruism, and social justice in nursing literature. The purpose of this literature review was to determine how local service-learning experiences with vulnerable populations affect the development of professionalism and professional values in baccalaureate nursing students. A summary of the themes, Professionalism and Leadership and Critical Stance on Social Justice, is presented.

From apprehension to advocacy: a qualitative study of undergraduate nursing student experience in clinical placement in residential aged care

Background

Undergraduate nursing placement in aged care is forecast to grow in importance with the increasing aging population, and to help to reverse trends in student lack of interest in gerontology careers. However, there is a need to better understand undergraduate nursing students’ experiences on placement with older adults, as well as key features of quality learning within residential aged care. The aim of this study was to explore how nursing students understand learning within residential aged care.

Methods

This qualitative study used a participatory action research approach, and this paper reports on the thematic analysis of data from one cycle of undergraduate nursing placement in a Canadian residential aged care setting, with two groups of 7–8 students and two university instructors. Staff and residents at the research site were also included. Researchers interviewed both groups of students prior to and after placement. Instructors, staff and residents were interviewed post placement.

Results

Students commenced placement full of apprehension, and progressed in their learning by taking initiative and through self-directed learning pathways. Engagement with residents was key to student learning on person-centred care and increased understanding of older adults. Students faced challenges to their learning through limited exposure to professional nursing roles and healthcare aide/student relationship issues. By placement end, students had gained unique insights on resident care and began to step into advocacy roles.

Conclusions

In learning on placement within residential aged care, students moved from feelings of apprehension to taking on advocacy roles for residents. Better formalizing routes for students to feedback their unique understandings on resident care could ensure their contributions are better integrated and not lost when placements end.

The Use of Phenomenology in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

AIM

The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize research to address two questions about phenomenology in nursing education: How has Husserlian phenomenology been used in nursing education? What is the importance of Husserlian phenomenology in nursing education?

BACKGROUND

Phenomenology is utilized in nursing education to explore the experiences of faculty and students.

METHOD

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative method guided the analysis of the research. Nine articles meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed. Studies addressed faculty student experiences.

RESULTS

The reviewed research revealed that phenomenology is used in nursing education to understand, identify, describe, and explore various phenomena.

CONCLUSION

New knowledge gained from this integrative review about phenomenology is beneficial to nursing education.