Understanding Student-Run Health Initiatives in the Context of Community-Based Services: A Concept Analysis and Proposed Definitions

Abstract

Background: Student-run health initiatives in the community setting have been utilized to provide practical experience for undergraduate students to develop professional competencies, gain exposure to diverse populations, and to engage in activities of social accountability. There is much literature on student-run health initiatives; however, there is no consensus on a definition of this concept or a comprehensive synthesis of the literature that describes student-run health initiatives offered by students in pre-licensure healthcare education programs. Purpose: To provide a concept analysis of, and propose a definition for, student-run health initiatives that provide community-based services for students during pre-licensure health discipline education. Methods: A systematic literature search and review process was used to identify and synthesize peer-reviewed articles from 7 academic databases covering a range of pre-licensure health disciplines and education. Walker and Avant’s framework for concept analysis was used to guide exploration of attributes, antecedents and consequences of student-run initiatives, and to inform development of a definition for this concept. Results: The review yielded 222 articles for data extraction and represented 17 distinct pre-licensure health disciplines, 18 health-related disciplines, and a range of other baccalaureate and graduate programs. Our analysis revealed 16 definitions, 5 attributes, 6 antecedents, and consequences identified for student-run health initiatives. Attributes were Provision of Service, Service is Free, Target Clientele, Volunteerism, and Student Governance. Antecedents included Purpose/Rationale, Affiliation with Academic Unit, Location and Partnerships, Funding and Resources, Professional Oversight, and Preparation for Student Role. Consequences were improved access to services and outcomes for clients; competency development, personal gains and interprofessional learning for students; and positive outcomes for broader systems, such as decrease of service utilization and cost/benefit. Conclusions: There was no clear conceptual definition for student-run health initiatives, but many defining characteristics and well-described exemplars in the literature. Given the variations in purpose and scope of these initiatives, particularly to distinguish degree of students’ roles in operations and the involvement of academic institutions, we propose 3 distinct conceptual definitions: student-run, student-led, and student-infused health initiatives.

Nursing privilege: A concept analysis

“…Identifying the antecedents and consequences of a concept helps us understand the factors that precede or contribute to the concept's existence and the outcomes or effects that result from it (Nagel et al., 2022 ). In the case of nursing privilege, examining its antecedents and consequences provides valuable insights into the underlying conditions and impacts associated with this concept.…”

Exploring experiential learning within interprofessional practice education initiatives for pre-licensure healthcare students: a scoping review

“…This is due to barriers such as variations in class schedules, lack of formal collaborative leadership training in IPE champions (e.g., faculty and placement clinicians), challenges with finding clinical placements that support IPP, and inadequate administrative support [ 15 , 20 , 21 ]. While practical experience in IPP often can be gained by undergraduate students volunteering for extracurricular activities in student-led or student-run health initiatives in the community, many of these initiatives are outside of the formal curriculum without consistent professional mentorship, a guiding educational framework, or credit towards pre-licensure education [ 22 ]. Practical application and EL learning initiatives through IPP can help to consolidate knowledge gained through IPE and development of discipline-specific competencies [ 23 ].…”

“…Our interest in understanding the use of EL as an educational approach to developing IPP competencies originated from foundational work to plan and implement student-infused community health initiatives as a formal component of curricula for students in healthcare disciplines [ 22 ]. Student-infused initiatives are requisite learning initiatives developed and offered by academic programs as part of curricula for students to meet entry-to-practice competencies through EL and/or service learning [ 22 ].…”

Learning Outcomes from Participation in Student-Run Health Clinics: A Systematic Review

“…Experiences outside the traditional classroom and placement settings in student-run clinics (SRCs), also referred to as student-led and/or student-assisted clinics, offer students the opportunity to gain early clinical and leadership experience via direct engagement in healthcare delivery. 1 Some argue that such student-led service-learning should be a required component of health professional’s education. 2 …”