186304 Preparing Future Nurses for a Life of Civic Engagement: The Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations Project

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Lynette G. Landry, RN, PhD , School of Nursing, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Harvey Davis, RN, PhD , School of Nursing, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Community service learning has been utilized to teach nursing students how be become actively engaged in the communities they will be serving with varying degrees of success. Aim: The purpose of this report was to describe a collaborative service learning project to prepare seniors, disabled persons and the mentally ill for a disaster. Method: Students were required to write reflective journals about how the service learning experience will influence their future nursing practice. Results: Themes that emerged from the reflective journals included "concern”, “isolation and loneliness”, “neglect and marginalization” “increased awareness of vulnerable populations”, “new sense of civic engagement” and “bio-psycho-social diversity”. Conclusion: Though the project was successful, nursing faculty need to consider new teaching methodologies so that they can adequately mentor students through the community service learning experience

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how service learning can be used to encourage nursing students internalize the importance of civic engagement to their professional development. 2. Identify partnerships within a community that an academic center can made to enhance disaster preparedness in the community. 3. Describe teaching modalities that can be utilized to encourage nursing students participation in disaster preparedness activities.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Disasters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a nurse educator, I had a crucial role in the development and implementation of this community service learning project. I have also been involved in the evaluation of the project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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