Use of Service Learning to Increase Master's-Level Nursing Students' Understanding of Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities.

Abstract

It is important for graduate-level nursing students to be competent in the issues involved in the social determinants of health and health disparities and have the tools to address them as graduates. As part of a nursing workforce diversity program, master's-level nursing students were required to participate in a service learning project exposing them to an issue not directly linked to health-long bus rides for students as a result of school consolidations-to achieve educational goals and objectives while providing a service to an advocacy agency. Eighteen students completed the project, providing the advocacy agency with firsthand accounts about the impact of long bus rides and in-depth reviews of literature on the topic and laws and regulations of other states. These results further support providing nursing students opportunities to fully engage with multicultural communities to gain a broader understanding of health disparities and social determinants of health.