Student and Community Outcomes in Service-Learning: Part 1—Student Perceptions

ABSTRACT Service-learning has a long and distinguished history of providing valuable experiences to students across all academic levels. Professional disciplines are well situated to provide students with opportunities related to service-learning while also providing needed health care services to communities. This article and Part 2 describe a service-learning initiative implemented in a bachelor of science in nursing program. Part 1 details students’ perceptions of outcomes realized from the program, and Part 2 describes community outcomes. The purposes of the program were to enhance students’ skills in history-taking, blood pressure and heart rate assessment skills, and beginning counseling skills, as well as provide the university community with blood pressure screening and counseling in a convenient and accessible location. Data on students’ perceptions were collected for each semester of the program and for 1 year after students’ participation in the program. Students perceived gains in blood pressure and heart rate skill performance, beginning counseling skills, their understanding of tailored client action plans, and their professional commitment to the health of the community. Student and Community Outcomes in Service-Learning: Part 2—Community Outcomes AUTHORS Received: July 2, 2004 Accepted: June 30, 2005 Dr. Reising is Associate Professor, Ms. Allen is Clinical Assistant Professor, and at the time this article was written, Ms. Hall was a BSN student, Indiana University School of Nursing, Bloomington, Indiana. Address correspondence to Deanna L. Reising, PhD, APRN-BC, Associate Professor, Indiana University School of Nursing, 1033 East Third Street/Sycamore 405, Bloomington, IN 47405; e-mail: dreising@indiana.edu.