Addressing Challenges in Undergraduate Community Health Nursing Clinical: Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Community Health Nursing
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Undergraduate nursing students face challenges linking community health clinical experiences to course objectives.
• Assessing vulnerable populations and developing evidence-based interventions are key course requirements.
• Students often struggle to connect real-world practice with academic learning goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the application of Kolb's experiential learning theory in undergraduate community health nursing clinical courses.
• To enhance student learning by bridging the gap between clinical experience and educational objectives.
• To provide a framework for improving community-based nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Kolb's experiential learning theory was implemented.
• A guided self-reflection process was used post-clinical experience.
• The study involved undergraduate nursing students in their final semester.

Main Results:

• Guided reflection facilitated the translation of clinical experiences into conceptual understanding.
• Students successfully associated community-based experiences with learning objectives.
• The approach improved the connection between practice and academic requirements.

Conclusions:

• Kolb's experiential learning theory significantly enhances student learning in community health nursing clinical education.
• Evolving teaching and practice environments necessitate adaptive pedagogical methods.
• This approach offers a transformative model for nursing education.