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Significant studies point to to the value of service learning, but the field needs more experimental research to firmly establish the value of this approach.

Students who are very active in service-learning have impressed us with their commitment and their practical knowledge as they apply their insights about social problems to projects in their communities. These students' judgments about community issues seem qualitatively different from those of less experienced students or students analyzing social issues only in the classroom. For example, asked about a solution for the problem of poverty, a student who has participated for two years in a program that integrates community service with his college coursework responded:That's a difficult question. There are so many causes and so many ways of working on the solution, that there's no one clear answer. The way that our organization works is mainly to help families who are already poverty stricken, and so instead of working upstream on stopping the poverty, we're working downstream and helping people get off the streets once they're on the streets. We clearly need programs like ours to help people who are already stuck in the system, but I think I'd get more value and meaning out of it if1 were to work upstream. And to do that, I think we need to revamp a lot of our systems. . . . [wle might as well make it a system that works instead of making people go crazy jumping through hoops that are just going to leave them where they are.

Perioperative nursing care requires unique specialty knowledge, skills, and abilities. National initiatives in nursing education and health care support integrating perioperative nursing content into curricular offerings in nursing schools and health care institutions. We provide an overview of the initiatives affecting nursing education, followed by a case study example and a guide to assist educators with incorporating perioperative case studies into their education plans. These resources may enhance the integration of perioperative nursing concepts in undergraduate curricula, internships, and continuing education offerings. The purpose of this article is to provide resources for nurse educators to systematically create case studies and to encourage increased exposure to perioperative concepts and competencies in a myriad of educational environments.

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