Creating Collaborative Nursing Partnerships in Tribal, Rural and Urban Communities
Funding for this project was provided through a Learning that Lasts program grant from the MnSCU Center for Teaching and Learning with generous funding from the Bush Foundation.
Senior Nursing Students' Capstone Experience
The SCSU Nursing program provides students an opportunity to spend five weeks during their final semester immersed in active, integrated, applied, and reflective clinical learning. Students also enroll in a one credit capstone seminar which prepares them for the experience, allows for web-based discussion with faculty and peers when they are off-campus, and concludes with a synthesis presentation as a final course project.
MnSCU Center for Teaching and Learning, Learning that Lasts grant
Faculty members Joan Wilcox, MS, RN, CS and Patricia Bresser, RN, PhD, received a Learning that Lasts grant entitled: "Creating Collaborative Nursing Partnerships in Tribal, Rural and Urban Communities." Currently the capstone experience focuses on sites in Minnesota but future plans include developing clinical learning options in other parts of the United States and in other countries.
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Douglas
County Hospital Preceptors with SCSU Nursing Student |
Capstone Clinical Sites
This faculty team created new educational partnerships with a variety of health care agencies in tribal, rural and urban communities, providing nursing students at SCSU greater cultural and geographic diversity in clinical learning options. Students completed these experiences in Albany Area Hospital and Medical Center, Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, Mille Lacs Hospital in Onamia, Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria, Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Lakewood Health System in Staples, Monticello-Big Lake Hospital, Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia, St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud Surgical Center, St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd, Unity Hospital in Fridley, and the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud.
Nursing Students Need Meaningful and Diverse Clinical Experiences
The demographics of our state and region are changing and nurses of the future need meaningful and diverse health care experiences in order to be more effective in meeting the health needs of diverse populations, including refugees and immigrants, with sensitivity and competence. Minnesota has the largest population of Hmong refugees from Laos, the largest community of Somali refugees, with growing numbers in St. Cloud, the central Minnesota area, and Willmar. SCSU's mission is to provide rural areas with greater numbers of baccalaureate prepared nurses who provide leadership for health and nursing, and bring a public health approach which promotes healthy communities.
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Mille
Lacs Hospital Preceptors with SCSU Nursing Students |
Integrating Local Agencies and Student Community Service Learning
The capstone experience allows the Department of Nursing Science to strengthen and build community relations and demonstrate a commitment to increasing the meaningful cultural experiences for students. April is National Minority Health Month which promotes the national, state and county goals of eliminating health disparities and improving the health status of people of color. Students joined forces with local community agencies to plan meaningful activities which promote health for people of color and rural communities. This type of in-depth integrated community service learning translates into learning that lasts and stimulates students' on-going commitment and involvement as professionals and concerned citizens.
Health Disparity Projects
Students' health care disparity projects included: collaborating with the public health nurse at Anna Marie's Women's Shelter in St. Cloud to assess health care access for abused women, developing teaching modules on diabetes and HIV/AIDS for African immigrants at Hope International Health and Human Services in Minneapolis, working on the Walk Around the Lake community walking challenge for the Ojibwe on the Mille Lacs reservation in Onamia, providing glucose and cholesterol checks along with education for the Native American community at the American Indian Center in Minneapolis, health screenings and advocacy for the uninsured and underinsured at Mid-Minnesota Family Practice Clinic and Project HEAL in St. Cloud, assisting a Mennonite elder in Alexandria, and locating community resources for frail elders in rural areas.
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| Student Presentation Mercy Hospital |
Charter Class of 2004 Capstone Project Presentation
The conclusion of students' capstone clinical experience involved a synthesis presentation as a final course assignment. On Wednesday, May 5, 2004, the Department of Nursing Science, along with the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence, held a reception for the campus and local community to recognize the accomplishments of the charter nursing class of 2004. Following the reception, students shared their experiences through their Capstone presentations.
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| Student Presentation Monticello-Big Lake Hospital |
Student Comments:
"I wanted to do my Capstone in St. Cloud but I had to go to Mille Lacs and it was the best thing I could have done.
"I gained so much confidence, and after this experience I feel ready to enter nursing practice.
"I never thought I would want to work in a small rural hospital but now I think it would be a wonderful opportunity.
"My preceptor really encourages me to think as independently as possible and that has helped my confidence.
"It was amazing not to have to call in interpreters but to work with staff who spoke so many languages.
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| Student Presentation St. Joseph's Medical Center |
Preceptor Comments:
"I wish I would have had this kind of experience when I was a student.
"It was a great opportunity for students to find out what nursing is like in the real world'.
"It was great doing this. I want to be able to say I had a part in the next generation who is to take care of me!
"I'm very glad you chose our facility as one of your sites. It is great to let student nurses learn the diversity required when working in a rural hospital.
"I'm looking forward to meeting other preceptors and students to see how the experience differed from institution to institution.
Presentations begin at 4:00 pm,
Wednesday May 5, 2004 |
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| North Voyageurs Room | South Voyageurs Room |
| Amanda Lahr, Albany Area Hospital and Medical Center | Melissa Nagorski, St. Joseph's Medical Center |
| Katie Halupczok, Cuyuna Regional Medical Center | Kristin Payne, Douglas County Hospital |
| Amanda Weber, Lakewood Health System | Jared Crotteau, Mercy Hospital |
| Nicole Bloch, Mercy Hospital | Bridget Huber, Mercy Hospital |
| Kari Anderson, Mille Lacs Hospital | Angela Blake, Mille Lacs Hospital |
| Jennifer Gieser, Monticello-Big Lake Hospital | Lisa Bahr, Regions Hospital |
| Karen Webb, Ridgeview Medical Center | Marie Schneider, St. Cloud Hospital |
| Michael Throlson, St. Cloud Hospital | Amy Hopkins, St. Cloud Surgical Center |
| Kelly Leary, United Hospital | Stacy Gall, St. Cloud VAMC |
| Michelle Severson, Regions Hospital | Gloria Simonson, Mercy Hospital |
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Class of 2004 |
