Service Learning Blog Entry 2 - Final Entry Spring 2012

Well "Hello" to everyone who has been following my service learning blog for the past year! I can't believe that my DNP educational program is almost to completion. I have learned so much over the past months, and my experiences in service learning at Good Samaritan Clinic have made a great impact on my life.  I am so blessed to be a member of the DNP 2010 cohort and share my experiences with my classmates and follow their service learning experiences as well. I have had many opportunities to reflect on my educational experiences throughout the DNP curriculum, and have recently begun to reflect on how my future will be impacted by my past experiences especially in service of others. I would like to share some of the reflections that I wrote in a recent essay for Alpha Sigma Nu, as I answer the following questions that we as a class have been asked to address in the final blog entry.

As an educated, privileged citizen in our society, what is your role in creating a society rooted in equality and justice? Do you feel you have a responsibility and why or why not?

The Jesuit vision of producing graduates who are “men and women in service to others” through offering a “value-oriented education” was emphasized throughout the doctoral curriculum (Callahan, 1997, p. 7). This emphasis on service to others caused me to reflect on the issues of social justice, equality, and disparities in health care services for underserved and vulnerable populations. As an advanced practice nurse (APN), I have a responsibility to make a difference and to use my doctoral education in the service of others.

As a nurse, I have considered it a privilege to offer and provide care for others in need. As a result of my Jesuit education, I have learned to actively engage in leadership in the service of others and to serve as a role model for my undergraduate nursing students and other healthcare professionals. I consider it a privilege to have the education that I now utilize in my current practice and hope to utilize my DNP credentials upon graduation to continue in the pursuit of excellence in nursing practice for the care of those in need.

 
What have you learned about yourself and what are your future plans?

By integrating the Jesuit educational principles, philosophy, and mission that I have learned during my doctoral education at Regis University, I have transformed myself, my clinical nursing practice, and my nurse educator practice. I have developed a leadership philosophy based upon servant leadership. My value system has been strengthened by my commitment to the service of others.

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm has also allowed me to explore a more meaningful learning experience as a practitioner. Nursing has been described as “the art of caring” or “delivering care to others”. The Ignatian concepts strive for an increased awareness from the practitioner in their service to others. I began to integrate the principles of service learning during the first application to practice course in the doctoral curriculum. I was able to establish a service learning contract at the Good Samaritan Clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I choose this service learning site because of their chosen mission of “providing compassionate healthcare to the medically underserved” (Good Samaritan Clinic, 2003). The clinic is a faith-based healthcare ministry that provides healthcare for the homeless and uninsured low-income working persons and their families. No person is turned away due to inability to pay for services. This philosophy and mission touched my heart, and I knew that I could contribute by offering educational services focused on wellness and disease prevention for the clients at the clinic.

According to Regis University (n.d.),

            Advantages of a longitudinal service commitment include:

·        Depth of relationship between student, agency and people served

·        Opportunity to explore issues related to the population served over a long period of time and with greater depth

·        Long-term commitment to community agency

·        Better opportunity to plan well in advance and schedule service hours

·        Opportunity to move from direct service to advocacy over the course of the program       (“A Self-Selected Longitudinal Service Commitment”, para. 3)

As I continued offering diabetic education classes at the clinic along with the students, my role evolved into advocacy for the clients and outreach in the community at large. I have planned and implemented a health fair at the clinic, and am planning another one in fall 2012. I hope to continue my service at Good Samaritan Clinic for many years to come, and advocate for equal access to healthcare in my community and in society at large. The Ignatian principles learned at Regis University will assist me to remain in service for others, to continue the pursuit of lifelong learning, and to strive for excellence in all that I accomplish in my service of others.

Take care and God Bless!

Felicia P.

References:

Callahan, J.J. (1997). The Jesuit tradition at Regis University. Retrieved from             http://www.regis.edu/content/ars/pdf/ars.asn.FoundationsJackCal.pdf

Good Samaritan Clinic. (2003). Good Samaritan Clinic.  Retrieved from

            http://www.good-sam-clinic.net/good-samaritan-clinic/mission-statement/

Regis University. (n.d.). Service learning overview. Retrieved from https://worldclass.regis.edu/section/default.asp?id=SH%5FXIN%5FDN%5FNR715C%5FXH01%5F12SPV