Community Health Nursing Practice Education: Preparing the Next Generation

Abstract

Undergraduate nursing practice rotations today are quite different from what many practicing nurses experienced during their own education. This is especially true of community health practice rotations. Increasingly, non-traditional community health sites are being used as practice sites-sites such as schools, homeless shelters, non-profit agencies, and even churches. Increasingly, non-traditional practice experiences are eclipsing traditional practice experiences involving home care and public health. Why has this shift occurred, and what do these experiences offer students? Do these experiences actually prepare nursing students for clinical practice once they graduate? What does preparing the next generation of community health nurses entail?KEYWORDS: community health nursing, baccalaureate nursing education, entry to practice, service learningOver the past few years many registered nurses (RNs), particularly community and public health nurses, have noticed that most baccalaureate schools of nursing are using non-traditional placements for undergraduate practice rotations in community health. These placements might include the use of schools, homeless shelters, workplaces, correctional centers, shopping malls, police stations and even churches and synagogues. Such practice experiences are by far eclipsing traditional preceptored placements in homecare and public health. Community health nurses (CHNs), public health nurses (PHNs), managers, nursing students and nursing faculty hold diverse opinions about this shift. In this article, the term 'community health' is used to encompass all areas of practice, including homecare, public health, and other nursing roles within the community setting.The reasons this shift has occurred internationally are explained, using Canada as an example, and what these non-traditional experiences offer students. Also explored, is whether or not this model prepares students for practice in community health nursing and how academia, community/public health organizations and practice areas might proceed. COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTICE EDUCATION:CURRENT REALITIES

Application of an innovative, autonomous, creative teaching modality through service-learning in a community-health nursing course

“…It is our responsibility to take the economic and nursing shortage issues our country is currently facing into consideration when trying to solve problems for creative clinical experiences [15] . As we work to this end, we must encourage students of nursing to become agents of change while learning to collaborate and incorporating health promotion, illness prevention and primary health care to individuals residing in their chosen communities.…”

Leveling the core competencies of public health nursing to evaluate senior baccalaureate nursing students

“…Many nursing programs have turned to non‐traditional clinical settings as opportunities for clinical placement in traditional public health clinical sites have continued to shrink. Other authors have identified the need to provide enhanced student support and public health role modeling as well as improved faculty development opportunities in public health to ensure students have optimal clinical experiences in non‐traditional clinical settings (Joyce et al, ; Leurer et al, ; Pijl‐Zieber, Barton, Awosoga, & Konkin, ; Pijl‐Zieber & Kalischuk, ; Wade & Hayes, ). It is imperative to continue to work with our traditional clinical settings in county and governmental public health agencies to provide clinical placements to as many students as possible.…”

Host Agency Perspectives on Facilitating Community-Based Clinical Experiences for Nursing Students

“…The survey reported that Canadian nurse educators rely upon student placements such as correctional facilities, Aboriginal communities, international placements, rural and parish settings; reports that are corroborated in other regions (Sloan, Keely, & Groves, 2008;Stewart, 2007). Student learning in these community-based settings has been described as transformative, with students gaining enhanced critical thinking competencies (Pijl-Zieber & Kalischuk, 2011;ReimerKirkham et al, 2005;Reimer-Kirkham, Van Hofwegen, & Pankratz, 2009). Despite this widespread reliance on alternative placements and the reports of transformative learning, few studies have reported the host agency perspective.…”

“…Benefits to students included the development of skills in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Students are also reported as gaining a community perspective and commitment to health promotion in the community, and an awareness of diversity and cultural dynamics (Keller et al, 2011;Pijl-Zieber & Kalischuk, 2011). Plowfield, Wheeler, and Raymond (2005) and Leurer et al (2011) described benefits for students that included the opportunity to identify new health care needs, attend to more complex client needs, and opportunities to practice broader health promotion strategies.…”