Engaging Nursing Students in Community Partnerships: Development of a Health Promotion Program.

Area of Science:

• Community Health Nursing
• Experiential Learning
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• National League of Nursing emphasizes experiential learning for underserved populations.
• Community partnerships enhance nursing students' interprofessional and leadership skills.
• Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) is crucial in nursing education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an experiential learning program for undergraduate community health nursing students.
• To assess student engagement in developing and implementing a health promotion program.
• To understand the impact of community partnerships on nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Undergraduate nursing students developed a youth health promotion program.
• The program targeted an underserved community with a predominantly Hispanic population.
• Students participated in program development, implementation, and evaluation, collaborating with community partners.

Main Results:

• Students found the program a unique opportunity to serve an underserved community with limited resources.
• Culturally congruent interventions tailored to the specific population were identified as critical.
• The experience provided practical insights into community health challenges.

Conclusions:

• Academic-community partnerships are vital for preparing nursing students to address SDOH.
• Experiential learning fosters skills in leading, developing, and implementing community health interventions.
• This model enhances nursing education by connecting theory to practice in diverse settings.