Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Service learning is an impressive educational tool that incorporates community work into the curriculum. It encompasses three main components: service, curricular connection, and refl ection. Service learning helps students emerge from the theoretical world gained in the classroom to the real world learning experiences. Nursing students are given this learning opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to reality by getting hands-on experience in the community. Students are evaluated on their ability to connect their course readings to class discussions and to their volunteer work. Class discussions and written materials are meant to demonstrate analytical thinking and use of college and community resource by students. Service learning creates a winwin situation where the student meets a community need, and the community organizations build student knowledge that relates to nursing.

Biography

Maria Sheilla Cataluna Membrebe is an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Baltimore County School of Health Professions. She has obtained her Master’s degree in Nursing Education at University of Phoenix and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Santo Tomas. She served in the United States Army Reserve Nurse Corps. She was the recipient of the 2017 Clinical Practice Award from the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses. She was also one of the recipients of the 2018 Excellence in Nursing (Educator) Award from Baltimore Magazine.

E-mail: mmembrebe@ccbcmd.edu