School nursing in an underserved multiethnic Asian community: experiences and outcomes

Area of Science:

• Community Health Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Cultural Competency in Healthcare

Background:

• An Asian faculty member's prior work informed a community-based nursing project.
• The Helene Fuld Health Trust funded initiatives to demonstrate effective community practice models.
• The project targeted the underserved Asian population in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new nursing curriculum focused on community-based practice.
• To involve nursing students and faculty in delivering health services to an underserved population.
• To provide essential health services and educational programs within the Asian community.

Main Methods:

• Established clinical sites in two Bayou La Batre schools with high Asian student concentrations.
• Integrated nursing students into community practice, health service delivery, and educational program development.
• Utilized Bloom's Taxonomy to evaluate nursing students' learning outcomes in assessment, planning, and intervention evaluation.

Main Results:

• The project successfully provided health services and educational programs, meeting community needs.
• Nursing students demonstrated improved skills in aggregate assessment, intervention planning, and evaluation.
• The initiative complemented existing school health services and addressed gaps in health program areas.

Conclusions:

• The project yielded significant positive outcomes for the targeted Asian population and nursing students.
• Preliminary evaluations indicated strong positive feedback from nursing students and school teachers.
• The study highlights the importance of culturally appropriate services in nursing education, considering globalization and national standards.