Service Learning Activities

The University of Mississippi School of Nursing values community service as a component of education and development. Service projects provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to demonstrate the professional values through value-based behavior: caring, altruism, respect for human dignity, integrity, social justice, ethical principles and cultural sensitivity.

All graduate and undergraduate nursing students are expected to complete a minimum of eight service-learning hours per academic year. The academic year starts with the summer semester and ends with the spring semester. Service-learning activities are pre-approved by the director of student affairs and align with a specific set of learning outcomes. Service-learning activities that emphasize specific learning outcomes allow students the opportunity to integrate classroom learning in a community context, extending learning and practice beyond institutional walls and eliminating boundaries to practice and service.

School of Nursing student-service experiences focus on health equity and cultural humility, promoting advocacy, cultural competence and a greater understanding of diversity and health disparity. The school believes leadership and service go hand in hand, and by providing these service-learning experiences for students, students are developed into leaders, poised to make an impact on the needs they encounter in professional nursing practice.

Outcomes

All service-learning activities strive to achieve a specific set of outcomes, established for both serving the community and promoting academic learning.

1. Increase self-awareness and understanding of health disparities within and beyond the state.
2. Empower students to be agents of change through service and advocacy.
3. Promote awareness of the linkage between professional values, advocacy and service to those living with health disparities.
4. Increase student awareness and understanding through exposure to cultural, educational and economic differences and similarities of individuals from diverse ethnic, cultural, educational and economic histories.
5. Hone and enhance nursing skills, specifically patient education, through experiences within the community designed for health promotion and prevention.

Log hours on GivePulse

To log in your service-learning hours, visit the School's page in GivePulse.

If you would like to propose a service-learning activity, complete a service-learning proposal form to Dr. Farrah Evans, director of student affairs.

Additional resources

If you have questions regarding service-learning requirements or ideas for activities, please contact Dr. Farrah Evans, director of student affairs, at (601) 984-6252.