In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in the number of universities offering students opportunities to study abroad. Traditional semester-long programs have been shortened with many new programs ranging anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks in length. The increased number of short-term programs has enabled professional degree programs, such as nursing, to increase student participation in these programs. These changes are supported by growing evidence of the impact of these programs on student learning, personal and professional development, and understanding of self as a global citizen. Utilizing Mezirow’s transformative learning theory to conceptualize critical reflection, this quantitative study examined the impact of six short-term study abroad programs on critical reflection as a core element of transformative learning. A modified version of the Reflection Questionnaire developed by Kember et al. was completed by 20 participants at 6 weeks following the completion of the study abroad experience. Participants were largely female (90%) and minority students (75%). The results showed that mean critical reflection scores across programs were moderately high (3.84/5.00). Nursing students who went to Haiti scored highest on critical reflection (4.70/5.00) compared to students in the other five programs. Reflective journaling and participation in service learning activities were linked to the highest critical reflection scores. Short-term study abroad programs support transformative learning for students representing a minority population and those in professional and traditional degree programs.
The purpose of this project was to evaluate student outcomes before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in an advanced health assessment course that was offered in the summer semesters to nurse practitioner (NP) students as a hybrid course with online didactic and in-person lab components. Due to COVID-19, the summer 2020 course offering transitioned to being 100% online and innovative strategies replaced the in-person labs. Student outcomes from summer 2019, when the course was hybrid, were compared to summer 2020, when the course was changed to being 100% online. The findings of this project showed somewhat similar learning outcomes on both knowledge and skill acquisition in the 100% online course despite the change to 100% online during COVID-19. In teaching advanced health assessment to NP students, use of videography for skills demonstration, the virtual classroom, and unfolding case studies provided a robust and flexible pedagogy approach for 100% online teaching during a pandemic. [ J Contin Educ Nurs . 2022;53(2):83–89.]
In the 21st century, postsecondary education is increasingly shifting its curricular focus to include community engagement through service-learning and study abroad in response to the need to prepare global citizens. This approach is particularly important in the field of nursing and public health because of the challenges of delivering healthcare to underserved communities and diverse patient populations with complex and chronic conditions. At Clayton State University, an HBCU in Morrow, Georgia, courses across disciplines are infused with community engagement activities. One such course was a service-learning study abroad course for nursing students that took place in Guadalajara, Mexico. A pilot study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. Results indicated that students experienced moderate to high perspective transformation through critical reflection, and participants at the health fair showed significant knowledge increase on four of the health topics presented by the students. An analysis of the students’ reflective narratives showed themes of language acquisition competency, nursing skill competency to function in a foreign environment, and change in cultural perspective. This pilot study contributes to the body of knowledge on the impact that community engagement can have on a diverse population of students and the international communities served.
Routine prenatal care in the United States has not been effective in reducing maternal mortality and preterm birth rates, nor addressing disparities among non-Hispanic Black women. Pregnant women from minority groups are more likely to be of low socioeconomic status and uninsured, and lacking resources to obtain preconception and early prenatal care to manage medical conditions. Faith-based pregnancy resource centers can help to fill the gap in maternal health among vulnerable populations. This article presents the development of an evidence-based prenatal education and social support program developed for those working in pregnancy resource centers to address disparities and improve outcomes in maternal mortality and preterm birth.
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