Community engagement curricular strategies to reduce health disparities

A University Nursing Department revised the undergraduate nursing curriculum to develop student competencies for working with diverse and vulnerable populations. The aim of the Community Engagement curriculum is to prepare nurses who will: 1) contribute to reducing health disparities, 2) be culturally sensitive and competent, and 3) be committed to serving diverse and vulnerable populations. The Nursing Department hosted a community meeting with potential partners to share the vision for the curriculum, generate ideas, and engage community stakeholders. Faculty and graduate students conducted focus groups with potential partner community organizations (schools, service centers, churches, a block nurse program, and a family violence prevention program) to explore community partner perceptions about effective strategies for working with nursing students to develop their ability to improve health status for vulnerable populations. The focus group data revealed seven themes that will contribute to effective curriculum development and implementation for community engagement: (a) agency expectations for students, (b) orientation needs, (c) the challenge of scheduling student experiences, (d) the need to engage students, (e) how to match students with agencies, (f) possible projects, and (g) effective interactions with the population. A Community Engagement Coordinator facilitates communication between faculty and community partners. A Community Engagement Manual summarizes key theoretical approaches, learning strategies, and forms such as contracts and evaluation forms. Faculty liaisons were matched to each partner agency to plan learning experiences that benefit both the community and nursing students. To prepare, faculty participated in a series of Reconciliation Lunches and discussed the DVD series, Unnatural Causes, which focuses on reducing health disparities. Community partners provided placements for 20 groups of nursing students; 4 to 5 nursing students participated in community engagement experiences at the same site over five semesters. Learning experiences include health assessment of a diverse population, a health promotion presentation, a project to manage chronic illness, and a 25-hour project mutually planned with the community partner. The effectiveness of the community engagement curriculum from the perspectives of community partners, students, and faculty members is being determined through surveys and focus groups.