The Scholarship of Service Learning

This research in progress is an example of the integration of service learning in a baccalaureate nursing curriculum, and how it creates a meaningful partnership with the community. Nursing faculty worked with regional staff of Special Olympics (SO) to coordinate and perform the required physical examinations for the athletes. Nursing students, under the guidance of faculty, performed the exams on the athletes which included children in a wide range of age, physical, social, and intellectual levels. This activity has had tremendous value for both students and the community. Approximately 300 athletes have been able to participate in the SO Games, who otherwise would not have. Nursing students have been able to gain a broader understanding of the diversity in physical and intellectual abilities of children. They have also able to utilize the assessment skills they had learned in a very “hands on” manner as they give back to their community. The purpose of this ongoing research project is to determine the impact of this particular service learning opportunity on nursing students’ cognitive and affective development. An instrument developed by Wang, Jackson, Rodgers, & Jones (2005) has been utilized for data collection. Data is currently being analyzed