Service-learning in prison settings: A qualitative study of nursing students' experiences

To explore nursing students' perceptions of a Service-Learning (SL) experience within a Health Education module in a Spanish prison, focusing on its contribution to the development of non-clinical competencies.

Community care education increasingly recognizes the value of non-traditional learning environments. Prisons represent a complex context where students confront vulnerability and social inequities. While SL integrates academic learning with community engagement, evidence on how it specifically contributes to the development of non-clinical competencies in correctional settings remains limited.

An interpretive descriptive approach.

The study was conducted in a correctional facility in Spain. Participants included twenty second-year nursing students. Data were collected through twenty written reflections and seven semi-structured interviews. Data were inductively analyzed using Krippendorff's content analysis.

Three categories emerged: (1) Students' personal development as mediated by exposure to non-traditional care contexts; (2) Service-Learning as a meaningful approach, which facilitated the development of non-clinical competencies-particularly empathy, cultural competence, social responsibility, teamwork and reflective capacity-through real-world application and reciprocal learning; and (3) understanding the culture of correctional settings, characterized by a trajectory from transformative insecurity to the humanization of incarcerated individuals, supported by key relational and institutional factors.

SL in prison settings fosters non-clinical competencies through structured reflection and community engagement, transforming students' initial insecurity into meaningful learning. This innovative approach challenges assumptions about incarcerated individuals while requiring pedagogical support for emotional safety and maximum educational impact. SL connects theory with transformative practice, promoting academic excellence and social responsibility in nursing education.