Giving Life to Learning Through Rural Maternal Health Immersion Experiences
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Recruiting, retaining, and educating nursing students is essential to meet the growing need for nurses in rural communities. A nursing school enhanced its prelicensure education in rural and public health nursing, and interprofessional care by expanding experiential learning opportunities. PURPOSE: To describe longitudinal community health-based rural immersion experiences for prelicensure nursing students. METHODS: A prospective, correlational design evaluated students' knowledge and confidence in understanding rural characteristics, confidence in achieving public health nursing, and interprofessional education competencies. RESULTS: Fourteen prelicensure nursing students participated in rural maternal health immersion experiences and reported being more confident (21/27 items) than knowledgeable (18/27) in understanding rural characteristics. Over 85% reported competency in interprofessional interactions, and there was a significant difference in confidence in achieving public health nursing competencies between the beginning and end of the immersion. CONCLUSION: Using immersion experiences may be effective in enhancing students' knowledge, confidence, and competency in rural and public health, and interprofessional care.
Source: Nurse Educator
Authors: Beth Ann Swan, Wendy Gibbons, Lalita Kaligotla
Institution: Emory University
Language: English
Subfield: Research and Theory
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4389074066