Pilot study to examine service-learning in disaster nursing education in Japan

Abstract

Aim: There is a growing trend globally to incorporate service-learning (SL) into disaster health education. Schools of nursing and other health professions have increasingly used SL to improve nursing students' knowledge of disaster health while simultaneously bolstering community capacity for disasters. To date, little is known about this topic in Japan, a disaster-prone country. This paper reports on current practices of SL in disaster nursing education in Japan. Methods: An exploratory qualitative pilot study was conducted using key informant interviews. Participants were recruited from a purposive sample of nurse educators in Japan. Five nurse educators were included in the study. Qualitative data collected from informant interviews were analyzed for themes using qualitative thematic analysis techniques. Results: Themes extracted from the data included: specific SL activities performed; faculty involvement; perceived benefits for nursing students and recipient communities; and challenges encountered. Participants described an increase in nursing students' disaster nursing knowledge; skills and abilities; a heightened interest in learning about disaster nursing; and increased awareness of their personal preparedness status and that of their community. Community members also benefitted from students' efforts. Conclusions: Results from this pilot study provide baseline knowledge regarding current practices and potential effect of SL disaster nursing education in Japan. Findings from this study may be used to serve as a foundation for further research on this topic. Information from this study may also be used to plan SL activities related to disaster nursing education.

Service-learning under COVID-19: A scoping review of the challenges and opportunities for practicing service-learning in the ‘New Normal’

“…Among the available literature, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that, despite the hardship, service-learning in times of crisis is capable of encouraging student growth, meeting academic learning outcomes, and promoting community development. These outcomes have been evidenced in service-learning evaluation scholarship in cases of, for example, earthquakes in New Zealand (e.g., see O’Steen and Perry, 2012 ) and Japan (e.g., see Glauberman et al, 2019 ), or droughts in Ethiopia (e.g., see Downes et al, 2007 ). In these studies, service-learning was primarily adopted as a responsive pedagogical strategy to address students’ learning needs and personal growth, needs of community organizations, and the overall disaster response effort.…”

“…The growing popularity of service-learning is evident in its widespread application across academic disciplines and degree programs offered by universities. Beyond the rapid expansion among higher education institutions in North America (Crabtree, 1998), service-learning programs have proliferated in Asia (e.g., Glauberman et al, 2019 ), Central and South America (e.g., Crabtree, 1998), Europe (e.g., Resch and Schrittesser, 2021 ), Africa (e.g., Downes et al, 2007 ), and Oceania (e.g., O’Steen and Perry, 2012 ; Power & Bennett, 2015). In addition, service-learning has been infused into varying academic curricula ( Salam et al, 2019 ), including, but not limited to, medicine, nursing and health sciences (e.g., Downes et al, 2007 ; Hunt et al, 2011 ; Stewart and Wubbena, 2014 ), social work (e.g., Schelbe et al, 2014 ), business (e.g., Schoenherr, 2015 ), and teacher education (e.g., Power & Bennett, 2015; Resch and Schrittesser, 2021 ).…”

“…While challenges vary based on a multitude of factors and at different levels of analysis, one condition that exacerbates any existing or potential difficulty is the condition of a crisis or disaster ( Glauberman et al, 2019 ). Based on the above discussion, as effective service-learning relies heavily on achieving the agreed upon roles and responsibilities shared by each party in the community-academic partnership ( Voss et al, 2015 ), it is tantamount that past agreements (e.g., on decisions made regarding resource distribution or student safety) are resistant to spontaneous change.…”

“…For example, initial commitments planned between students, faculty members, and community agency representatives to collaborate on a service-learning project may break under the stress and pressure of a natural (e.g., earthquake or hurricane) or man-made disaster (e.g., outbreak of mass conflict or terrorism). Students may no longer have the time nor feel safe enough to participate, faculty members may have diminished departmental or institutional support to carry out the project, and community agencies may lack the time, manpower, and resources as a result of greater involvement in disaster response efforts (e.g., Glauberman et al., 2019 ).…”

Service-Learning Experiences Related to Health Support Activities for Residents Who Have Returned Home after Evacuation Due to a Radiation Disaster

“…Outside of Japan, nursing and other health profession students participate in public health emergency training, mass immunizations, vaccination exercises, and outbreak or disease investigations [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. In Japan, activities by volunteer groups in university-affiliated districts have been reported [ 14 ], as have community health activities in public health nursing practice [ 15 ], and the effectiveness of service-learning is becoming evident [ 16 ]. However, there are few reports of service-learning for nursing students in the reconstruction phase in areas affected by a radiation disaster, and thus, student learning and the effects of service-learning among nursing students remain unclear.…”