Haley Mosman

NUR 4144

SERVICE LEARNING: SUMMATIVE REFLECTION

One of the many reasons I chose to become a nurse is because I

want to care for people who need help at a vulnerable state. Since
starting this nursing program, I have realized that this desire to care
for others is a true call to serve. I feel that Bon Secours Memorial
College of Nursing fosters the call to serve and service to others in
many capacities. First, we are taught that nursing is not only a career,
but also a scientific and artful form of healing. We are encouraged to
do all we can for out patients within our scope of practice. The college
also offers many opportunities to serve the local and global
communities. Students and faculty host blood drives, attend
alternative spring break trips, and participate in mission work abroad in
addition to many other service opportunities. Finally, service learning is
a large requirement of the college that prepares us to be the best
nurses for our patients.
When I initially started the BSMCON program, I did not anticipate
service learning to be such a large part of my time at school. I
expected most of my service to be self-driven - if I wanted the chance
to serve others in a capacity outside practicum, I would have to do it
on my own. However, I was wrong in my expectation. As previously
mentioned, service learning is a huge aspect of the college curriculum.
From our initial semester, students have the opportunity to go out and
serve others for classroom projects. There are also countless
opportunities to serve in extra-curricular ways (as mentioned earlier). I
was erroneous in expecting that no service learning opportunities
would be provided. I feel that service learning is an important part of
learning to be a nurse. It is a chance to see the community outside the
hospital and address community needs. Service learning can also be
very humbling. As nurses, we can sometimes get caught up in the day-
to-day of hospital life and work. When we have the chance to serve
outside this capacity, we see just how lucky we are to have such
resources, support, and opportunity. Ultimately, I am glad my
expectations about service learning were wrong.
I have participated in several service learning opportunities. Each
one provided an individual perspective and insight to what the
community faces, what the people need, and what assets and
weaknesses are present. Every community is unique, but some
generalities can be observed. For the most part, each communitys
strength lies with its people. They are so grateful for help and are
eager to express gratitude in any way they can. This is a huge strength
because it makes those who are serving want to come back and
continue to help. When I receive a simple thank you or smile, it
encourages me to return and serve the people more. The biggest
problems I witnessed are lack of accessibility and lack of knowledge
from the general population. Most often, the general population does
not realize that a particular community needs help. For example, I was
able to serve the families at the Reinhart Guest House. Many of my
friends and family dont even know that the house is near St. Marys
Hospital and what it is there to do. I feel that the best way to address
this issue is to educate those around me. In-need communities may be
served more frequently if I inform others of the opportunities to serve.
Accessibility is also an issue for many communities. In some of my
service learning, it was hard to get to the location or bring the supplies
with us. Unfortunately, I dont see an easy solution to this issue. If the
infrastructure is not conducive to accessing the community, then it will
continue to be hard to reach. However, I feel that being persistent and
reaching out to the hard-to-reach communities is important and we
must continue to do so.
Even though strengths and weaknesses can be generalized, each
community I serve has a unique perspective to offer me. I try to reflect
on these perspectives and understand that my values play a part in
seeing things the way I do. My values have been shaped by my
experiences. As a result, I may initially see things one way but after
reflection I hope to come to a different or enlightened understanding. I
remind myself to keep an open mind because everyone has something
unique to teach me.
In keeping an open mind and gaining perspective from various
communities, I feel that I have learned a great deal about the
community at large. I have learned that the greatest needs for the
community and its people are compassion, education, and accessibility.
Compassion is necessary to truly serve others in a non-self-serving
way. It is what allows us to help without judgment or prejudice and it
encourages us to do all we can in the moment for the people we serve.
I feel that education is needed as well. Often times the issues that the
people in the community face arise simple because they are ignorant.
For example, a diabetic with an infected foot ulcer did not understand
the importance of foot protection. As a new nurse, I have a wealth of
information that I can impart on others in the hopes that future
problems can be avoided all together. Finally, people within the
community must be able to access the resources that meet their
needs. For example, if someone needs cardiac rehab, that resource
must be made accessible so that he/she can recover. My service
learning experiences at Bon Secours have been relevant to the
community and meeting these needs, whether partially or in full. At a
minimum, I try to provide compassion to those I serve. How I go about
serving may vary, for example in Grundy, VA I served by triaging the
people for medical care but at the Reinhart Guest House I served by
providing a source of comfort. In both experiences, however, I tried to
show compassion to the people of the community.
The experiences Ive had with serving learning at Bon Secours
have had an impact on my perception of being called to serve. These
experiences have helped me to realize that no act of service is too
small. Whether I help with medical care in Haiti or a soup kitchen here
in Richmond, my actions are serving others. I also realize that people
must truly feel a calling to serve if they hope to feel fulfilled. Anyone
can go through the motions of helping, but unless there is a call to
serve, the motions will likely feel empty. I dont feel as though my
conception of service learning has changed while at BSMCON, but I do
feel as though it is something that I will continue through my life and
career. I will not stop learning from my service experiences simply
because I am no longer in classes. Service learning experiences build
on top of one another. By participating in one experience, you learn to
keep an open mind and be humble. If you have experiences in similar
communities or with people who have similar needs, you can learn to
anticipate what is necessary to best serve them. My past experiences
have prepared me in such a way. I will always do my best to stay
humble and keep an open mind. If I return to Grundy or Haiti or the
Reinhart house or etc., I can anticipate what to do to best serve the
community and its people.
I feel a call to serve others beyond just that of nursing. As I
graduate and continue my career, I hope to continue service learning
and civic engagement. The American Psychological Association (APA)
notes that there is a difference between these two. Civic engagement
is the individual and collective actions designed to identify and
address issues of public concern (APA, 2017, n. p.). The APA
recognizes that civic engagement does not always encompass service
learning, but I hope to continue to my civic engagement in conjunction
with my service learning. I hope to accomplish this by continuing to
volunteer in ways like helping the Reinhart Guest House, soup
kitchens, or mission work. I also hope to take it a step further and be
involved with committees, like an ethics committee, or helping with
programs like Care-A-Van. Formal committees not only allow me to stay
engaged and serve, but they also give me better access to resources
that help meet the communitys needs.
I am grateful for the service learning opportunities that BSMCON
has offered. I hope to continue the tradition of serving others and
learning from them as I moved forward in my career.

Resource:
American Psychological Association. (2017). Civic Engagement.
Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-
engagement.aspx