Imprint 2022 February/March | Page 19

contributing to an overall increase in unvaccinated individuals . Parents may be losing sight of the importance of childhood immunizations . Vaccinations remain the best way to prevent infectious diseases .
Planning phase . During the planning phase , a plan of action was designed to address the need for information on vaccinations within the community . We chose to create a PowerPoint to present to the Prisma Children ’ s Clinic staff that they could share with parents and families and post on their website for the community to use as a resource . We developed a plan for sustainability by creating a flyer to be distributed around the Prisma Children ’ s Clinic with information about vaccines and places to go to find more information . We advertised the presentation on the Clemson Nursing Instagram page to attract more people to listen to our presentation .
Implementation and evaluation phases . The implementation phase included presenting our project and leaving flyers at the clinic . We created a survey for clinical staff to complete for the evaluation phase . In addition , each student wrote a summary of how this service-learning project influenced his or her lives and their future career as a nurse . If you would like to see our presentation , here is the link : Service-Learning Project PowerPoint “ Everything You Need to Know about Vaccines ”, which highlights the preventable diseases that vaccines protect against , debunks the myths about vaccines , and emphasizes herd immunity as a key factor in keeping our communities safe .
Our clinical group worked as a team to create an impactful and sustainable project that can be used for years to come . Working alongside future nurses to develop this project is something I have learned from and will apply throughout my future career as a nurse . Nursing is and will continue to be a team effort . I think this service-learning project was great practice in working with a team to accomplish a greater goal . This project was an excellent opportunity to grow as a person and as a nurse . It taught me that being a good nurse means more than having good skills , being knowledgeable about medications , and showing up to work on time . Being a good nurse also means getting to know the people you are taking care of and the community in which they live . Community assessment and understanding the community ’ s impact on a patient ’ s illness
and journey to wellness are key factors in being a good nurse . This service-learning project reminded me why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place . I want to make a difference in peoples ’ lives , and I want to use what I have learned to educate others and improve my patients ’ quality of life .
Conclusion Service-learning centered curriculum sets the Clemson School of Nursing apart from many other nursing programs . Service learning creates well-rounded nurses who can perform skills and stay up to date with nursing knowledge , as well as apply culturally sensitive and appropriate knowledge to individualize patient care and provide the most effective care for each patient . Patients who have been cared for by a Clemson Nurse should be confident in the quality of the well-rounded care they are under . n
References Celio , C . I ., Durlak , J ., & Dymnicki , A . ( 2011 ). A meta-analysis of the impact of service-learning on students . Journal of Experiential Education , 34 ( 2 ), 164 – 181 . Retrieved from https :// doi . org / 10.1177 / 105382591103400205
Kohlbry , P . W . ( 2016 ). The impact of International service-learning on nursing students ’ cultural competency . Journal of Nursing Scholarship , 48 ( 3 ), 303 – 311 . Retrieved from https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / jnu . 12209
Moore , M . ( 2018 , January 19 ). Which Upstate counties have the most unvaccinated kids ? WYFF-TV . Retrieved November 2 , 2021 , from https :// www . wyff4 . com / article / which-upstate-countieshave-the-most-unvaccinated-kids / 15697404 .
Morse , R ., & Brooks , E . ( 2021 , September 12 ). 2022 colleges with great service learning programs | US ... Service Learning . Retrieved November 14 , 2021 , from https :// www . usnews . com / best-colleges / rankings / service-learning-programs .
Audrey Robinson is a nurse resident at Novant Health ’ s Emergency Department in Charlotte , North Carolina . She is a recent graduate of Clemson University School of Nursing and Honors College in Clemson , SC .
17