Department
School of Nursing
Position
Chair, School of Nursing
Presentation Type
Poster and Video
Description
Background: Andrews University’s administration acknowledges the university’s obligation to seek higher levels of community engagement. The relatively recent adoption of the motto—Seek knowledge, Affirm faith, Change the world—speaks to the intent of the organization to become an agent for positive change. Consequently, educators are encouraged to understand and support community engagement efforts to mold students into World Changers. It is with this backdrop that Andrews University embarked on a pilot project with the School of Nursing to see the effect of empathy development on a service-learning program at Benton Harbor High School.
Aim of Project: To determine the level of empathy among selected nursing students; evaluate the effectiveness of community engagement activities on nursing students’ level of empathy, and to evaluate the effect of Andrews University’s nursing students’ community engagement activities on the community’s perception of empathy or readiness to engage.
Method: Andrews University School of Nursing sought partnership with Benton Harbor High School (BHHS) through Andrews University Community Engagement Office. With the approval of the BHHS and parents of BHHS students, School of Nursing Students (NS) completed 5 visits to BHHS for the service-learning project. The project consisted of Ice breaker sessions, Hands-only CPR training; one to one bonding experiences; First Aid Training; and project completion celebration event. NS completed cultural competency, mentoring, and applicable health training before the start of the project implementation. They also completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ) questionnaire pre and post-project implementation. BHHS student volunteers completed pre and post knowledge questions related to first aid and hands-only CPR. Both groups had focus group interviews pre and post-project. Pre and post-test scores for EQ and knowledge questions were compared by the t-test. Focus groups interviews manually analyzed by themes. The project was completed during 1-hour sessions on 5 Fridays in the Fall 2018 semester.
Results: 15 NS participated in the project and 13 successfully complete the project. Though 23 BHHS students volunteered for the project, only three completed the project. Initial analysis revealed no significant difference in the NS EQ scores for empathy. The number of BHHS students who completed the project (3) versus 15 made knowledge scores comparison difficult. There was an observed increase in scores from pre to post knowledge tests for the three students that completed the project. NS and BHHS students made positive and encouraging comments about the service-learning project via the focus interviews.
Limitations and plans: Empathy is part of the nursing profession, so this may account for the lack of increase in NS EQ scores observed in the project. There were competing activities during the project implementation at BHHS, and this may account for decreased participation. The number of interactions may not be sufficient to see tangible results. We plan to conduct a needs assessment at BHHS, increase the number of NS-BHHS Students’ interactions, and utilize a more sensitive indicator to measure the effect in future projects.
Start Date
24-10-2019 6:30 PM
06 Effect of Empathy Development on Service-Learning - Andrews University Nursing School/Community Partnership – Benton Harbor Program.
Background: Andrews University’s administration acknowledges the university’s obligation to seek higher levels of community engagement. The relatively recent adoption of the motto—Seek knowledge, Affirm faith, Change the world—speaks to the intent of the organization to become an agent for positive change. Consequently, educators are encouraged to understand and support community engagement efforts to mold students into World Changers. It is with this backdrop that Andrews University embarked on a pilot project with the School of Nursing to see the effect of empathy development on a service-learning program at Benton Harbor High School.
Aim of Project: To determine the level of empathy among selected nursing students; evaluate the effectiveness of community engagement activities on nursing students’ level of empathy, and to evaluate the effect of Andrews University’s nursing students’ community engagement activities on the community’s perception of empathy or readiness to engage.
Method: Andrews University School of Nursing sought partnership with Benton Harbor High School (BHHS) through Andrews University Community Engagement Office. With the approval of the BHHS and parents of BHHS students, School of Nursing Students (NS) completed 5 visits to BHHS for the service-learning project. The project consisted of Ice breaker sessions, Hands-only CPR training; one to one bonding experiences; First Aid Training; and project completion celebration event. NS completed cultural competency, mentoring, and applicable health training before the start of the project implementation. They also completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ) questionnaire pre and post-project implementation. BHHS student volunteers completed pre and post knowledge questions related to first aid and hands-only CPR. Both groups had focus group interviews pre and post-project. Pre and post-test scores for EQ and knowledge questions were compared by the t-test. Focus groups interviews manually analyzed by themes. The project was completed during 1-hour sessions on 5 Fridays in the Fall 2018 semester.
Results: 15 NS participated in the project and 13 successfully complete the project. Though 23 BHHS students volunteered for the project, only three completed the project. Initial analysis revealed no significant difference in the NS EQ scores for empathy. The number of BHHS students who completed the project (3) versus 15 made knowledge scores comparison difficult. There was an observed increase in scores from pre to post knowledge tests for the three students that completed the project. NS and BHHS students made positive and encouraging comments about the service-learning project via the focus interviews.
Limitations and plans: Empathy is part of the nursing profession, so this may account for the lack of increase in NS EQ scores observed in the project. There were competing activities during the project implementation at BHHS, and this may account for decreased participation. The number of interactions may not be sufficient to see tangible results. We plan to conduct a needs assessment at BHHS, increase the number of NS-BHHS Students’ interactions, and utilize a more sensitive indicator to measure the effect in future projects.
Acknowledgements
Andrews University Community Engagement Office
Andrews University School of Nursing