Lessons learned from developing, implementing, and evaluating a model of community-driven nursing

The Helene Fuld Health Trust, HSBC Bank USA,Trustee has made generous contributions to the development of community-based nursing education. As a recipient of funds, faculty at the University ofWisconsin-Madison School of Nursing developed, implemented, and evaluated a pilot curriculum for undergraduate nursing students. The first phase of the project changed the landscape of community-based nursing education through faculty development. Unlike traditional approaches to faculty development, a resident expert model of faculty development based on dialogue was used. The second phase changed the landscape of teaching and learning community-based care through curricular and instructional revisions. Noteworthy changes were the creation of a curriculum responsive to both individual student and community needs, and recruitment of a cadre of teachers to enhance the cost-effectiveness of clinical education. The third phase changed the landscape of community-based nursing education through evaluation research. Several strategies were used to assess the project's usefulness, including interpretive phenomenological study of interview data and review of conventional outcome measures. Each phase of the project contributed to a new vision of community-based nursing education, a vision in which nursing as service is taught and learned.