The Integration of a Service-Learning Project into a Pre-Licensure Primary Care Nursing Curriculum

Background: To have an impact on population health outcomes, it is essential for pre-licensure nursing students to be educated on knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to effectively deliver primary care nursing across the care continuum. In response to these needs, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) called for integration of primary care competencies. Funded by the FY 2018 nurse education, practice, quality and retention – registered nurses in primary care (NEPQR - RNPC) program, a new post-baccalaureate curriculum focused on interprofessional community based primary care was developed emphasizing an integrated framework for healthcare delivery. Key features of the program incorporated aesthetic knowing and iPad device technology (See P37 - The Crossroads of Art and Technology in a Community-Based Primary Care Nursing Curriculum, AAACN 45th Annual Conference 2020 Poster).

Purpose: There is also a need in pre-licensure nursing education to incorporate service-learning which goes hand in hand with primary care education. According to Kuh (2008), service-learning is a high impact educational practice. Our local community has needs related to literacy and health promotion. Through collaboration with our community partners, it was our goal to improve the literacy and health promotion of the community.

Description: In the wellness and health promotion course, students in teams, drawing on their aesthetic knowledge and digital creativity, crafted health fair educational content digitally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the content was pushed out via a virtual digital platform (Padlet) with QR code technology. In 2021, we were able to incorporate the project with clinical learning objectives while also collaborating with our community partners to deliver the educational content in a face-to-face format in tandem with pre-existing planned outdoor events, while also offering the digital content via QR code technology.

Projected outcomes: We anticipate these service-learning activities will propel community engagement in healthy living practices and have an impact on health self-efficacy. It is also anticipated that student participation in these events will enhance student learning and service in the context of primary care delivery across the lifespan while also building essential primary care competencies.

Participant learner outcomes: Upon completion, participants will be able to
• Describe how service-learning can intentionally be integrated with primary care competencies.
•    Describe how technology can be leveraged in service-learning.
•    Describe how service and community-based learning can be collaboratively and intentionally integrated with pre-existing community programing.

Topics: clinical pre-licensure primary care nursing education

Keywords: clinical, community health, digital innovation, primary care nursing education, service-learning

Student contribution: Students created the educational material delivered during the events.

Level of presentation: advanced beginner