Impact of a Service-Learning Program Using Soccer Training on the Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children with Developmental Disabilities

Children with developmental disabilities may develop emotional and behavioral problems that arise from difficulties in social interaction, and therefore, a process of providing and testing intervention activities for emotional and behavioral issues in the early stages of development is required. This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week service-learning exercise program on children with developmental disabilities, contrasting it with a control group not engaged in specific physical activities. The participants included 18 children with developmental disabilities who participated in the service-learning exercise program (SLG) and 18 children with developmental disabilities (Non-SLG) who did not participate. The Korean Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 was used to evaluate children's emotional and behavioral problems. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to verify the interaction effect between the group and period according to program participation. The results showed the positive internalization of problem behaviors in the emotional domain (F = 4.291, p = 0.011), attention deficit/hyperactivity (F = 4.761, p = 0.012), and personal adjustment (F = 4.116, p = 0.023) in the SLG group. These results suggest that participation in a service-learning exercise program positively affected emotional and behavioral problems in children with developmental disabilities. This could provide a basis for future research on service-learning exercise programs for children with developmental disabilities.

Application of case study research and ethnography methods: Lessons learned

While case studies can offer an in-depth investigation of a particular issue in healthcare, cultural context may be overlooked. Researchers may want to consider adding a cultural component to the design aimed at identifying and/or explaining values, beliefs, or traditions influencing the case. The addition of focused ethnography as a supplemental component to the research design is one strategy to examine cultural content. In this article, we provide insights gained from using case study research and focused ethnography in a qualitatively-driven mixed method design. Despite a detailed research plan, there were challenges that hindered the implementation of the design. To help prevent others from experiencing similar methodological challenges, we provide the following lessons learned and recommended strategies: discussion of structured procedures for intentional observations, reflexivity to guide decision-making, and refinement of processes using a pilot study.

Integration of a service-learning component into a course on nursing care for children with developmental disorders: A mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Service-learning provides nursing students with hands-on experience in a real-world setting. Students learn how to care for others and manage their emotions.

AIM

This study examined the effectiveness of integrating service-learning into a nursing course on nursing care for children with developmental disorders.

DESIGN

This was a mixed-methods study with two pretest-posttest quantitative analyses and a qualitative component.

METHODS

Nursing students (N = 74) enrolled in a semester-long course in nursing care for children with developmental disorders participated in the study. Data were collected between February 2017 and June 2021. The service-learning part of the course assigned teams of two to three students to provide nursing care for a child (ages 5-19 years) diagnosed with a developmental disorder. At the conclusion of the course, students presented a short video with reflections of their experiences. Pretest versus post-test scores compared mid-term and final exam scores regarding knowledge of children with developmental disorders and scores on a 9-item self-report instrument on service-learning skills. Self-reflections from the video presentation provided qualitative data about the impact on students' awareness of the caregiving needs of children with developmental disorders.

RESULTS

The mean final exam scores were significantly higher compared with midterm scores (96.12, (SD = 4.63) vs 94.82 (SD = 12.08); F = 6.81, p < .001), indicating knowledge of developmental disabilities had increased. Pretest vs posttest scores for service-learning skills indicated confidence had significantly increased (p < .001). Students' video reports indicated sensitivity to the challenges and needs of these children had increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Service-learning exposed nursing students to the challenges and rewards of caring for children with developmental disorders. Knowledge, as well as confidence, increased. Nurse educators could easily integrate service-learning into courses required as part of the curriculum for pediatric nursing students.

Nursing students' experiences with service learning: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to synthesize qualitative evidence on nursing students' experiences with service learning (SL).

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Comprehensive searches were performed using databases including PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINHAL (EBSCO), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Web of Science, Wangfang (Chinese), CNKI (Chinese), Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar (Chinese).

REVIEW METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. We conducted a meta-aggregation to synthesize the findings of the included studies. The Confidence in the Output of Qualitative Research Synthesis (ConQual) approach was used to assess confidence in the synthesized findings.

RESULTS

Forty-two studies were identified, and 39 studies were included in the meta-aggregation. One hundred and sixty-seven findings, 16 categories, and 6 synthesized findings were identified. The six synthesized findings identified from the 39 studies concerned the following topics: adaption and emotion shifting, knowledge translation and skills development, leadership and collaboration in multidisciplinary teams, cultural sensitivity, discovery of nursing roles and professional growth, and overall appraisal and suggestions.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend empowering nursing students by developing their self-confidence in their leadership abilities and their identities before they participate in SL programs. During SL, educators should provide sufficient space for students and should not become involved in students' teams to avoid decreasing their self-confidence in their leadership abilities. After SL programs, maintaining long-term relationships between the university and the community is a prerequisite for students working smoothly in the community and is a key factor for program sustainability.

Academic service-learning nursing partnerships in the Americas: a scoping review

Background

Academic service-learning nursing partnerships (ASLNPs) integrate instruction, reflection, and scholarship with tailored service through enriched learning experiences that teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities, while meeting academic nursing outcomes. Objective: This scoping review aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize evidence of community focused ASLNPs that promote primary health care throughout the Americas region.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Google Scholar, and LILACS English-language databases was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Full-text articles published since 2010 were reviewed using an inductive thematic approach stemming from the “Advancing Healthcare Transformation: a New Era for Academic Nursing Report” and the Pan American Health Organization “Strategic Directions for Nursing.”

Results

A total of 51 articles were included with the vast majority 47 (92.1 %) representing North America. Structured, established relationships between an academic nursing institution or program and one or more community serving entities resulted in high levels of effectiveness and innovation across settings. Five themes emerged: (a) sustaining educational standards and processes - improving academic outcomes (25.5 %), (b) strengthening capacity for collaborative practice and interprofessional education (13.7 %), (c) preparing nurses of the future (11.8 %), (d) enhancing community services and outcomes (21.6 %), and (e) conceptualizing or implementing innovative academic nursing partnerships (27.4 %). A synthesis of conceptual frameworks and models revealed six focus areas: communities/populations (26.2 %), nursing (26.2 %), pedagogy (19 %), targeted outreach (14.3 %), interprofessional collaboration (11.9 %), and health determinants (9.5 %). A proliferation in US articles, triggered by nursing policy publications, was confirmed.

Conclusions

ASLNPs serve as mechanisms for nurses and faculty to develop and lead change across a wide variety of community settings and healthcare systems, develop scholarship, as well as for students to apply the knowledge and skills learned. Given the lack of geographically broad evidence, successes and challenges across U.S. partnerships should be viewed cautiously. Nevertheless, ASLNPs can play a critical role towards meeting the goal of universal health access and coverage through partnering with the education sector. Further investigation of grey literature as well as Spanish and Portuguese language literature from Latin American and Caribbean countries is highly recommended.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-021-00698-w.

Integrating mental health connections in community academic partnerships

BACKGROUND

Community academic partnerships (CAPs) connect students to interprofessional collaborations and expand clinical experiences beyond traditional settings. Serious and persistent mental health problems represent an important action area within population health. Mental health disorders across the lifespan are often co-morbid with substance use, poverty, and community violence.

AIMS

This article describes CAPs in a community course where students impact vulnerable populations while learning new roles and responsibilities. The process explains student engagement with the community, and using best practices for care of community, population health concerns, and mental health and well-being.

METHODS

We initiate and maintain collaborative relationships that guide culturally sensitive responses to health and illness. Four well-established CAPs' exemplars describe the interventions and outcomes.

RESULTS

Students successfully integrated a variety of health promotion and mental health interventions within the CAPS clinical environments. The Socio-Ecological framework is used to articulate student outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The CAPs are a dynamic system requiring ongoing maintenance and response to evolving epidemiological issues, such as increased incidence of alterations in mental health. The educational innovation provides an opportunity for students to understand aspects of holistic health in a community environment as they intervene at individual, relationship, community, and societal levels.