Real people, real impact: Service-learning benefits nursing students and the community

By Jayma Malme and Tim Brouk 

Service-learning is deeply integrated across the Purdue University School of Nursing, extending beyond the classroom to engage students with the community. In many public health and other courses, students engage in clinical rotations at locations such as the Lafayette Transitional Housing Center’s LTHC Homeless Services, the Indiana Veterans’ Home, Tippecanoe Villa and local schools within Greater Lafayette. The experience and hands-on care the students provide serves as a crucial element for both character development and career preparation. 

Jan Tipton, clinical assistant professor of nursing, has been instrumental in incorporating service-learning into the public health nursing course, drawing on her background as a practicing nurse. After transitioning from Ohio to Indiana, she brought her hands-on experience and passion for public health into the classroom. Her previous work with nonprofits followed her to Purdue, where she fostered community partnerships, including a key relationship with LTHC Homeless Services, the entry point for individuals facing homelessness or housing crises in Tippecanoe County.  

In 2022, Tipton served as a Service-Learning Fellow through Purdue’s Office of Engagement, which further enhanced her approach to teaching. A key element of her work involves connecting students with community organizations to address pressing public health issues. Under her guidance, students engage in clinical experiences at LTHC Homeless Services, gaining firsthand experience in working with vulnerable populations. These experiences allow students to assess and address women’s health issues, chronic health conditions, food insecurity and other challenges faced by people without housing.  

Jan Tipton (center) gives guidance to two nursing students.

Alongside Tipton’s efforts, Courtney Henchon, clinical assistant professor of nursing and a 2024 Service-Learning Fellow, also incorporates service-learning into many of her courses.  

“At LTHC, my students are diving in headfirst, heavily focused on wellness screenings, diabetes screening/education and women’s health screenings,” Henchon said. “From our findings, we have connected guests with a multitude of resources that they may not have received at all or as timely if we were not there.”  

Some of the services Henchon and her students have provided include health education, medication review and general care coordination as well as taking vital signs. They have connected guests to primary care providers, specialists, care management and customer services within their respective health plans, as well as pharmacies and smoking cessation resources. 

In Henchon’s NUR 21801 clinical rotation, students work with the Indiana Veterans’ Home, which offers a wide range of services, including long-term skilled nursing care, short-term rehabilitation, independent living and memory care for honorably discharged Indiana veterans and their spouses. Henchon’s students are beginning to support the staff and patients by developing their ability to take vital signs, administer medication, conduct assessments and provide treatment, such as wound care. They provide general support with activities of daily living and enjoy some of the social offerings, such as bingo, crafts and hobbies, and walking the property with residents. Students are also able to help support flu and COVID-19 vaccine administration to help keep residents healthy. 

Many students are also gaining clinical experience and exposure in the local schools. Erin Hoying, clinical assistant professor of nursing and a Service-Learning Fellow in 2017 and 2023, works in schools with her pediatric nursing students. They work closely with Bauer Family Resources’ Head Start program to host Teddy Bear Clinics, which are designed to provide a simple way to familiarize young children with medical providers. In these special clinics, children are encouraged to perform “medical play” or procedures on their own teddy bears to decrease levels of stress and anxiety when visiting the doctor’s office. The clinics also help students learn about growth and development and introduce medical careers/STEM aspects to the preschools.  

“The work Professor Hoying and her students do in our classroom helps reduce the fear for children receiving medical care,” commented Kimberly Ryan, early care and education director at Bauer Family Resources. “She is our bridge to up-and-coming medical providers and our families.” 

Two children engage in medical play at a Teddy Bear Clinic.

Over the last few years, North Central Health Services (NCHS) has awarded multimillion-dollar grants focused on substance use prevention and suicide prevention initiatives within area schools. 

“My goal with my service-learning fellowship project is to conduct sustainability evaluations across some of the schools and ultimately analyze the likelihood of the schools’ ability to sustain the work long term from the grant-funded initiatives,” Henchon explained. “If gaps are noted in the sustainability evaluations, we can help build sustainability plans to ensure the grant funding was well-spent.” 

Rebecca Johnson, clinical assistant professor of nursing and a 2017 Service-Learning Fellow, facilitates an interdisciplinary service-learning project in the NUR 59900 (Water Supply in Developing Countries) course in partnership with a colleague from engineering. Students from several departments, including but not limited to Engineering, Spanish and Nursing, work all semester on designing, implementing and improving access to clean drinking water in small peri-urban communities in the Dominican Republic. Their work also includes water, sanitation and hygiene education within the school where they implement their community-based water treatment systems.  

Other service-learning opportunities include visiting with residents served by the Area IV Agency on Aging and Community Action Programs Inc. with events such as “People and Paws: Happy and Healthy Together.” This collaborative event with community partners helps low-income families take care of their pets and themselves. Nursing students provide wellness assessments, including blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol.  

Service-learning has transformed the way students engage with community partners. Previously, students participated in intervention projects but lacked the skills to create reciprocal relationships with organizations. By cultivating meaningful relationships with community organizations, students not only hone their nursing skills and confidence but also gain valuable experience in assessing community needs and understanding the barriers faced by vulnerable populations. This service-learning approach fosters long-lasting civic engagement and prepares students to be compassionate health care providers after graduation.