Running head: SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 1

Summative Service Learning Reflection

Aida D. Zuniga

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

NUR 4144: Professional Role Development-Servant Leadership

March 17, 2017

I pledge
SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 2

Noticing and Interpreting

At the very beginning of this nursing program, I had never heard the term service-

learning before. As such, I did not have any initial expectations surrounding the idea of

service-learning. However, upon hearing the term, I assumed it would entail some sort of

community service, and the lessons that can be learned from doing volunteer work. Throughout

my nursing foundations classes, I came to understand that service-learning is not just about

volunteer work, but about how it can teach you the importance of being a servant leader (serving

others), as opposed to being a self-serving leader.

When doing my clinicals, it became apparent to me that if there were to be a shift in

focus from tertiary prevention to primary prevention, the community could see a great reduction

in hospitalizations related to disease processes such as diabetes, heart disease, pneumonia

(especially in the elderly), etc. With that being said, a positive asset in the Richmond area as

well as a potential solution is that steps are being taken to raise awareness about primary

prevention strategies patients can take to improve their overall health and reduce the risk of

developing certain diseases. Nurses (and healthcare providers in general) in the

Richmond/Central Virginia area are now being trained and educated on the importance of

primary prevention, and thus, are going on to teach their patients.

Being raised primarily by a Mexican-American single mother with a large extended,

devoutly religious family on my fathers side has granted me a unique perspective on life, and

has helped to shape my values and beliefs. My life experiences have made me hyperaware to the

struggles faced by single parents and their children. While I make every effort to treat all my

patients with the same level of respect and compassion, I will admit that I have felt especially

drawn to helping single-parent families. As such, after graduating from this nursing program, I
SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 3

hope to work with families/children on some type of family-focused unit (L&D, Peds, NICU,

PICU, etc.). I believe that by helping the single-parent community be proactive in good health

practices, we can expect to see a healthier generation of children.

Responding

In regards to the surrounding community, I have learned that different populations will

have different needs. However, one thing that is universal is the need to be treated with respect

and compassion. Respect and compassion fosters trust, and once trust has been established,

nurses can perform holistic assessments to accurately determine the needs of their patients.

The service-learning activities that I have been involved in throughout my time in this

nursing program have allowed me to interact with several different populations (public school

educators, special needs/sick children, and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds who

lacked health insurance). Working with these groups allowed me to gain a new appreciation for

the great variation of people that call central Virginia home. It taught me that people come from

all different walks of life in search of healthcare, and as a future nurse, it is my job listen to their

needs and advocate on their behalf. With that in mind, I would definitely say that my service-

learning activities were truly relevant to the community of Richmond, as well as to my learning

experience.

Reflection on Service Learning

My service-learning experiences have influenced my perception of my call to serve by

highlighting the vast need for healthcare professionals, specifically nurses, throughout my

community. For me personally, it has confirmed that I am on the right path; I am on the path to

helping others and serving God.

SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 4

Considering that I had no idea what service learning was prior to entering nursing school,

I would say that my concept of the term has not changed, so much as it has expanded. During my

first semester of nursing classes, in NUR 1100, I was first introduced to the term service-

learning. I had my first chance to interact with my community by serving public educators at

my former high school. As I proceeded on into NUR 3113 and NUR 3114, I had the opportunity

to work with the special-needs children of St. Josephs Villa. This particular experience brought

to light how important it is to provide affordable resources for lower socioeconomic status

families, as childcare especially for special-needs children can be incredibly expensive. In

NUR 4144, I once again had the opportunity to work with children. My group visited Rainbow

Stations Get Well Place. There we interacted with sick children, and provided cognitive and

sensory stimulation through arts and crafts. Together, these activities helped prepare me for

service learning as a future nurse by opening my eyes to the various needs of different

populations throughout my community.

Reflecting on Civic Engagement

According to the American Psychological Association (2017) civic engagement is,

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. To

further explain the concept of civic engagement as it relates to service learning (at least as I

understand it), service learning is a type of civic engagement, in which nursing students (in the

case of Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing) go into their surrounding community to

assess its needs, as well as discuss possible ways to meet those needs.

After graduating from this nursing program, I plan to stay engaged with my community

by participating in events that raise awareness for health-related causes (ex: Relay for Life, Susan

G. Komen Race for a Cure, etc.). Furthermore, I plan to be a lifelong student and continue the
SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 5

pursuit of knowledge, so that I can provide the best high-quality care possible for the people of

my community (ex: HealthStream online modules, academic journals, etc.). At some point in my

nursing career, I would like to participate in mission work, so that I can provide healthcare and

health-related education for underserved and underprivileged communities in need.

SUMMATIVE SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION 6

References

Civic Engagement. (2017). http://www.apa.org. Retrieved 17 March 2017, from

http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-engagement.aspx