International Community Engagement: Transforming Students and Residents

Abstract

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.