Improving teaching strategies in an undergraduate community health nursing (CHN) program: Implementation of a service-learning preceptor program

SummaryA service-learning component was added to the existing preceptor practicum program at the University of North Carolina Charlotte's School of Nursing (UNCC SON) in the fall of 2007 for nursing students in the community health nursing (CHN) practicum course. Objective: The preceptorship model is commonly used in undergraduate nursing education. The aim of this study was to improve teaching strategies in the existing school health nursing (SHN) preceptor program by the addition of a service-learning community partnership. Adding the service-learning component was based on the Polvika model. Participants: A total of 27 nursing students and 33 preceptors participated in the study. Data Analysis: Percentages, means, standard deviations, and rankings were used to analyze the data. The participants completed a multiple-choice survey and ranked a list of tasks. Results: The students were able to fulfill their task responsibilities, and the service-learning preceptor program was cost effective for the SHN preceptors through hours saved by the nursing students. Conclusion: The preceptor role is associated with many factors, including perceived burden, which affects their willingness to work with students. The findings demonstrated that service learning is an effective teaching strategy in the CHN nursing students' learning by fostering the preceptors' benefits, rewards, support, and commitment to the role.