EXCERPT
When nursing faculty are introduced to service-learning, they often are puzzled. They may say, “Isn’t this just another name for what we do already? We have always involved our students in patient care, in providing service.” However, service-learning has a somewhat different goal than clinical training. Service-learning is designed to help students develop an understanding of the context in which clinical skills are used. Students should complete a service-learning experience with a better understanding of the policy context of health care; the cultural differences in health-related beliefs, nutrition, and hygiene practices; and barriers confronted by some patients in obtaining health care and following medical advice. Exposure alone to diverse patients in a clinical setting does not guarantee better understanding of their situations or points of view and may simply reinforce prejudice and stereotypes. It is in the quality of reflection, of thinking about these complex health care issues and using experience to suggest questions for further exploration, that service is transformed into service-learning.
AUTHOR
Dr. Eyler is Professor of the Practice of Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health would like to acknowledge the generous support from the Helene Fuld Health Trust, HSBC, Trustee, which made possible the creation of the Partners in Caring and Community program and the projects described in this article.
The author thanks Elisabeth Howard, MSN, RN, CNM, Nursing Instructor, Vanderbilt University, for her help with this article.
Address correspondence to Janet Eyler, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Education, Peabody College, GPC 514, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203; e-mail: janet.s.eyler@vanderbilt.edu.
