Patricia Anne S.

Franco III-5 Bibliography

June 9, 2013

(Exploring home visits in a faith community as a service learning opportunity)

Background In South Africa, home visits as a service learning opportunity is utilize by the Psychiatric Nursing Science curriculum in undergraduate Baccalaureate nursing education. Service learning opportunities in faith communities are currently unexplored. Therefore, the researchers want to know students and family members experiences of home visits within a faith community.

Statement of the Problem Main Service learning opportunities in faith communities are currently unexplored Specific Limited literature about the students and family members experiences of home visits within a faith community in South Africa

Summary Faith communities are group of people who share a particular set of beliefs, who have chosen to belong to a particular faith community, and who engage in spiritual growth and supporting one another. Utilizing faith community as a service learning opportunity can gain a mutual benefit for both communities and nursing students. Nursing students involvement can be useful in meeting the needs of the community and at the same time providing service learning opportunities to them. In this study, the fourth year Baccalaureate nursing students were allocated to do home visits in resource-poor faith community and assess the mental health needs of the family followed by the planning and implementation of interventions.

In this project, families were identified within a multi disciplinary community service project, namely the Parish Nursing Project. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the experience of nursing students, as the experience of families of home visits conducted by nursing students within a faith community. A qualitative approach with phenomenological design was used. Group discussions in World Caf exercise was used to gather the experiences of nursing students in their home visits. Interviews were conducted with the families to explore their home visits conducted by nursing students. Gubas model of trustworthiness was followed to ensure validity in the research.

Findings The initial experience of the student in their home visit is that they have viewed the activity as a challenge and felt overwhelmed and uncertain but later they experienced a feeling of competence because they were able to identify the problem and implement new psychiatric nursing skills. Students awareness of religious and cultural factors played a role in their experience of home visits and lastly nursing students had a specific perception of their role during home visits. They viewed their role as the following: Identification the problem of the family and providing support, Identification of risk factors in and around the house and suggesting solutions, listening and counseling. Their perceptions gave an indication of the therapeutic phases and actions they conducted during home visits. Regarding the families, they have experienced the nursing students as respectful, professional, compassionate and committed. They have also experienced growth in discussing their problems and circumstances because they got a view of it in a different angle that it gave them a new perspective way on how to handle it. Conclusion

Strengthened confidence and nurtured hope were the mutual benefit for the nursing students and families. Families felt care for and experience positive change while students gained confidence in conducting home visits. Cultural awareness and spiritual sensitivity is evidently a requirement from the results of home visits in a faith community. It has contributed to the openness and acceptance towards one another. Also, the perceptions of the role of the students when conducting home visits is similar with the role of a nurse providing spiritual care. Nursing curricula needs to include more learning practice experiences with regard to caring of patients in different culture to enhance culture competence.

Implications Nursing Practice, Nursing Admin, Nursing Education A home visit to families in a faith community is a service learning opportunity for nursing students. Emotional competence and spiritual and cultural awareness of nursing students are facilitated. Nursing curricula needs to include more learning practice experiences with regard to caring of patients in different culture to enhance culture competence. Nursing Research The nursing students should be prepared in caring for the spiritual and cultural dimension of the family, have realistic expectations regarding themselves as health care providers and know how to manage reluctance on the part of family members in building a trust relationship should before they conduct home visits in a faith community. Nursing Theory Transcultural nursing of Madeleine Leininger is how professional nursing interacts with the concept of culture. Cultural competence is an important component of nursing. To develop understanding, respect and appreciation for the individuality and diversity of patients beliefs, values, spirituality and culture regarding illness, its meaning, cause, treatment, and outcome.

Also, health issues from the perspective of faith community can be address and explore that can guide detection and treatment more congruent with community members belief.