Application as scholarship: a community client experience

Area of Science:

• Community Health Nursing
• Public Health Interventions
• Aggregate Client Assessment

Background:

• Developed a community health nursing experience for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) students.
• Focused on a complex aggregate client within a private university setting.
• Emphasized collaboration with a neighborhood group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a community health nursing experience for B.S.N. completion students.
• To assess neighborhood concerns through direct student engagement and data collection.
• To facilitate knowledge transfer and collaboration between students, the community, and service providers.

Main Methods:

• A survey was developed based on established theories of healthy neighborhoods and community competence.
• Community health nursing students conducted interviews with a representative sample of neighborhood dwellers.
• Data analysis involved summarizing findings, drawing inferences, and prioritizing problems for nursing intervention.

Main Results:

• Identified and prioritized community concerns amenable to nursing intervention.
• Successfully presented findings to the neighborhood group, city service providers, and volunteer agencies.
• Demonstrated the value of student-led community assessment.

Conclusions:

• The experience provided valuable service to the community client.
• Offered public service opportunities for faculty involved in the program.
• Created an exceptional learning opportunity for B.S.N. students in community health nursing.