Community Caring

Nursing Partnerships Beyond the Classroom

Published: October 19, 2015

From the time they step foot on our campus, UW Bothell provides opportunities for students to engage in our leading-edge educational experience. Students in the School of Nursing’s BNRS 409 RN to BSN course are no exception. Students taking this course receive an introduction to the wide variety of community health issues and services, with an emphasis on the role of the community health nurse and population-based care. In partnership with the office of Community-Based Learning and Research the BNRS 409 students are also embedded in the community and immersed in practical learning outside the classroom.

“The class was unique because it involved going directly to a community site and observing the environment,” explains Sarah Frankel. “We also engaged in creating a unique proposal specific to the community.”

While working with community health services, students in this program are divided into groups according to their clinical expertise. Each student signs up for a clinical focus group that either focuses on a specialty area or a geographical community. Through these small groups, students learn to apply and evaluate principles of community health.

“Wow! What an amazing experience,” says Rheanna Bowers who worked with the Everett Gospel Mission. “I learned so much more than I could have imagined. I am also using a lot of what I learned at the Mission in my current practice.”

Students in this course work with community organizations such as UWCA Trinity Place, YWCA Pathways, Northshore Senior Center, PC Recycling, Snohomish MRC and Housing Authority, Everett Gospel Mission, and the Korean Women’s Association.

“I think my work with the homeless has made me a better nurse,” Explains Bowers. “It has directly influenced my current practice. I feel like I’ve made true human connections with my patients that I never have before.”

“This was an excellent course. What made it unique were the three instructors. All had different backgrounds and brought a lot of their experiences and insight into the classroom and the fieldwork. I also feel that the instructors helped us to see beyond the typical nurse concerns.”

To learn more about the RN to BSN program, click here.