Service-learning: an eye-opening experience that provokes emotion and challenges stereotypes

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Social Determinants of Health
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Service-learning offers unique clinical experiences for nursing students.
• Understanding the impact of homelessness on families is crucial for holistic care.
• Previous research has not fully explored the lived experiences of nursing students in this specific context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of nursing students during service-learning clinical placements with families experiencing homelessness.
• To identify key themes and insights gained by students from this service-learning engagement.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive phenomenology was employed to capture the essence of the students' experiences.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen nursing students.
• Thematic analysis was used to identify constituent descriptions from the interview data.

Main Results:

• Students reported an "eye-opening" realization of homelessness's effects on families.
• Participants experienced intense, sometimes inexpressible emotions.
• Students recognized both differences and similarities between families experiencing homelessness and those with housing.
• Assumptions and stereotypes were challenged and transformed.
• The importance of reflection and discovering new aspects of the nursing role were highlighted.

Conclusions:

• Service-learning with homeless families promotes emotional, cross-cultural, and transformational learning.
• The experience cultivates caring as a fundamental aspect of nursing practice.
• Findings offer valuable insights for enhancing service-learning curricula and clinical placements in nursing education.