Lessons learned: integrating a service learning community-based partnership into the curriculum

Area of Science:

• Community Health Nursing
• Service-Learning in Nursing Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Auburn University School of Nursing (AUSON) partnered with Auburn Housing Authority (AHA) to provide weekly nursing clinics.
• The partnership aimed to expand services to a low-income public housing community.
• The initiative sought to integrate service-learning into the nursing curriculum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process and lessons learned in expanding a community-based nursing partnership.
• To integrate a service-learning experience into the nursing curriculum.
• To evaluate the impact of the expanded partnership on students, residents, and faculty.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive case study of partnership expansion.
• Integration of service-learning into nursing curriculum.
• Qualitative data collection through student journaling.

Main Results:

• Student journaling indicated shifts in cultural perceptions due to sustained interactions.
• Residents reported increased empowerment in managing their health.
• The partnership fostered mutual benefits for residents, students, and faculty.

Conclusions:

• Community partnerships require persistence, perseverance, and consistency for success.
• Expanded nursing clinics positively impacted health outcomes and student development.
• The initiative exemplified the university's land-grant mission of service and access.