The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #41049

Ann G. Hershberger, RN, PhD, Department of Nursing, Eastern Mennonite University, 1200 Smith Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22802, 540-432-4192, hershbea@emu.edu

Community health nursing education at a Mennonite university includes attention to Christian approaches to health and health care. These approaches are not unique to Christians but undergird a distinctive perspective. The approaches include the concepts of service, agape love, justice, empowerment, advocacy reconciliation, partnership, and grace.

This faith based approach to community health nursing education models not only the content but also the process of working for the health of communities. This implies learning and working with the community, not just in or for the community. Thus, student experiences must be driven by the communities' needs as defined by the community, not primarily the student needs or faculty research or interests. The definition of community may be geographical as in a county or city, or a community of need such as teenagers in family planning clinics, or face-to-face such as those working in the same location. Defining community needs must include input from community leaders and a wide variety of residents. The clinical experiences are set up for mutual benefit. Student involvement in these projects contributes toward agency or community health goals and provide them with meaningful, practical experiences.

Relationships are created with community groups and agencies with the intent of forming partnerships. A typology of relationship dimensions is utilized to provide for consideration of various aspects of the relationships. The typology includes affective, functional, and goal correspondence dimensions. Partnerships include public health departments, mental disabilities groups, eating disorder programs, low income housing, after school programs, and senior centers.

Learning Objectives: