Improving Confidence in Clinical Assessment Skills Through Service-Learning Experiences Among Nursing Students

Background: Service-learning (SL) was incorporated into a nonclinical undergraduate nursing course. This study examined the effects of SL on nursing students' confidence in performing patient health assessments. Method: Nursing students completed an experiential SL vital signs assessment and a subsequent reflective journal. Of 112 reflective journals, 30 journals were randomly selected for qualitative analysis to understand the experiences of SL for nursing students. A rapid analytic framework was used for data analysis. Results: The following domains were identified: overcoming initial fear, building confidence in clinical assessment skills, practicing therapeutic communication and patient education, and developing problem solving skills. Conclusion: This project highlights that SL experiences are not limited only to clinical settings but also are appropriate for nontraditional preclinical settings as well. Such experiences introduce nursing students to patient care and critical reasoning prior to transitioning to subsequent clinical nursing courses.