Students and senior citizens learning from each other

A service learning experience in a senior citizen center was planned for first-quarter associate-degree nursing students at a university. Activities were planned that would benefit both student learning and senior citizen health and well-being. Students had the opportunity to interact with well elderly adults before dealing with ill or frail elderly adults, thus preventing the formation of some negative attitudes about elderly individuals. Students practiced interviewing, using observational skills and taking blood pressures in a relaxed environment. Benefits to the senior citizens included having their blood pressure checked and learning about home safety and nutrition. Interactions made the senior citizens feel valued. Evaluation of the experience was positive from the students', senior citizens', faculty's, and center director's perspective. As a result, this service learning experience has been incorporated into the nursing curriculum for the university.