Running head: SERVICE LEARNING PROPOSAL 1

Service Learning Proposal

Lori Van Zoeren

Ferris State University

Abstract

Service learning is required in order to graduate from Ferris State University (FSU) with a

Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). The proposal devoted 20 hours of community service to

students in Southwest Michigan with the primary goal of reduction of childhood obesity through

education on nutrition and healthier habits. The Van Buren Intermediate School District

(VBISD) is the agency involved in this plan. This is the facility where high school students

attend the Van Buren Tech Center (VBTC) located on the same property. This paper provided a

tool to outline the service role, the objectives, and the evaluation process for outcomes achieved.

Also included are the agency contacts that were utilized to set up the plan.

Service Learning Proposal

Service learning is an opportunity for nurses to gain knowledge about their community

and the needs of the community they serve. This platform is provided to call upon the student to

fine tune their critical thinking skills, coming up with techniques that will have the most impact

on their communities. Florence Nightingale was instrumental in vocalizing the need for service

to ones community. Nightingale believed it was essential to provide services for the poor and

underserved. Nightingale is also the individual who should be given credit for introducing the

term modern service in our profession (Bailey, Carpenter, & Harrington, 2002).

Ferris requires this assignment to make students step out of their comfort zone and get

back to the roots of what nursing can bring to communities. “Historically, no other healthcare

discipline has been as much at the forefront of advocating and supporting policies and programs

that improve individuals' quality of life as has nursing” (Hales, 1997, p. 17). Service learning

was more popular in the 1960’s and 1970’s after students voiced the need to understand the

politics and culture of the time, as well as participating in a community service opportunity

(Bailey et al., 2002). When the economy took a turn for the worse in the late 1970’s and early

1980’s, monies for these services were cut and the importance fell to the wayside. Fortunately,

the importance gained momentum again by the late 1980’s and curriculums started to support a

service learning project once again (Bailey et al., 2002).

Service learning is a very important component to my nursing education. “Service

learning enhances nursing education, practice, and research” and putting this assignment into the

very first nursing class will serve to motivate students to function at a higher level of critical

thinking (Bailey et al., 2002, p. 463). In many cases, students continue to serve their

communities because they see the benefits to their communities and to themselves (Bailey et al.,

2002).

Van Buren Technology Center

The agency I will participate with, by providing a minimum of 20 hours of service, is the

VBTC. The VBTC is located at the Van Buren Intermediate School District (VBISD) which is

located in my hometown and has students from all over the county. They partner with Future

Nurses of America to promote the nursing profession through the VBTC. They have a health

occupations program that allows students to experience different jobs in the healthcare field.

This agency provides the opportunity for intergenerational education through involvement with

high school students and the elderly that they serve. Students learn fundamental patient care

skills and then go out into the community to interact.

VBTC’s mission is to “empower students to progress toward their life goals” (VBISD,

2008, para. 2). Students, who attend the VBTC’s Fundamentals of patient care program, are

qualified to take the certification test to become a Certified Medical Assistant at graduation.

Mrs. Richardson also said there will opportunities to lead classroom discussions and assist in the

lab skill with basic patient care skills (J. Richardson, personal communication, March 10, 2010).

Service Learning Role

For my service-learning project I will volunteer time educating students in the Van Buren

County area about nutrition. There is a large population of families in this county that are

overweight. Many factors may contribute to this problem. Some families do not have the

financial means to pay for healthier food options. Some do not have the knowledge there are

healthier choices available without spending a lot more money out of pocket. Some just do not

know how to go about changing habits to live a more active lifestyle. I will be working with Jill

Richardson who will help me with any additional services I can provide to the students.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) was called to action by congress to develop a prevention

plan to decrease childhood obesity in America. Findings showed that reducing childhood obesity

is a multidimensional approach involving communities, schools, families, and government at all

levels, industry and media and healthcare providers (IOM, 2005). This statement provides the

foundation for my service learning project, “Preventing obesity involves promoting healthful

eating behaviors and regular physical activity-with the goal of achieving and maintaining energy

balance at a healthy weight” (IOM, 2005, para. 7).

Objectives/Activities

In doing this assignment, I will gain a better understanding of the needs of individuals in

my community. I will focus on the BSN outcomes # 3 and #6 for my volunteer service learning.

I will learn about the student population at VBTC and the needs of the students in Van Buren

County. I will do this by following the four components of service learning. First it must be

experiential (Bailey et al., 2002). To become entrenched in the experience as a whole is an

important aspect in this learning process. Secondly it should include reflection (Bailey et al.,

2002). Thirdly, it should provide students with activities that address needs in the community

and last, the concept of reciprocity between the learning experience and the recipient of the

service (Bailey et al., 2002).

What interests me the most to affect change is making a positive impact on health of

children. Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years and physicians are starting to see

more children with type 2 diabetes which, until recently, was primarily an adult disease (CDC,

2010). Van Buren County has a very high childhood obesity rate and by doing presentations on

healthier food choices, I am hopeful that I can make an impact on this statistic.

Mrs. Richardson has asked me to also provide a talk to students each semester about the

nursing profession. This will include what I do every day, the rewards in our profession and why

I chose nursing. Outcome #6, representing FSU and the profession of nursing, will be met with

this experience.

I will do my first presentation in May. For this presentation, my main focus will be to

discuss what it is like to work in healthcare and how proud I am that I continue to love my job

after 27 years. This will assist in acclimating me to the Tech Center and serve as an introduction

to the organization. This will also help be to start the process of becoming comfortable speaking

in front of a classroom setting. This is something that is very uncomfortable for me so am

looking forward to feeling more at ease speaking to larger groups.

By Fall of 2010, I will to put together a nutritional awareness presentation. This will

meet Outcome # 3, with the goal of achieving healthy individuals at the local level. This will

include teaching the kids the importance of choosing calories wisely. Using the food pyramid as

a visual aid for the students to see what a balanced diet looks like with the goal of making at least

one change in their diet. Also, providing students with pictures, or live examples side by side of

chips and healthier snack choices by reviewing food labels and what they mean. I will develop a

food comparison chart which shows examples such as a pop contains 150 calories and 41 grams

of sugar. Next to the pop, I will to show that a plate of roasted vegetables cooked with a sprinkle

of olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese contains less than 150 calories, and much more

filling. I also will discuss how the glycemic index (GI) of a food affects the body chemistry by

providing examples such as explaining why choosing a grapefruit with an index of 25 versus a

banana with a GI of 52, may be a better option (Nutrition Data, 2008). Also it is important to

show students the benefits of eating more whole grains versus highly refined and processed

foods.

I will evaluate the students learning by creating a pre and post test for the students to take

to evaluate their learning. The pre and post tests will cover basic knowledge of nutritional

information that they can take back to their families in hopes of creating positive changes in

eating habits. I will evaluate student learning by achieving post test scores that have at least a 50

percent increase from the pretest scores. The projected population is middle school students, so

the evaluation will be geared to that age population.

I plan to complete my service learning proposal by Fall of 2011 when I will either take

Nursing 450 or be enrolled in the MSN program. I will accomplish this by volunteering at least

three hours every month at the VBTC for the 2010-2011 school year.

Self Learning Evaluation

I will evaluate my own learning through journaling, talking with the staff at the VBTC,

receiving feedback from the instructors and the students and from the contacts listed below. I

will keep a record of what went well and what road blocks were encountered during this service.

I will continue to utilize a self-reflective journal and this will serve as a resource for future

sessions I teach. I will learn how to speak in front of a group and to plan the speech in a manner

that proves to be effective. I will evaluate this by the degree of comfort I feel when I am in front

of the classroom. I will continue to evaluate what teaching methodologies such as hands on

activities, power point presentations and lecture to determine were most effective for the

student’s learning styles as evidenced by the post tests results. I will then learn how to

communicate more effectively for future sessions.

I have attached an evaluation tool for the agency’s instructor to fill out regarding

my performance (Appendix A). I will use this tool for my service learning site when I am at the

end of my 20 hours. I also hope to, if time allows, set up a web site for blogging or

communication via Facebook, so that the students and I can talk about dietary changes that they

have made, answer any of their questions, and provide a place for them to journal food and daily

activity if desired. Both students and I will gain knowledge about self care by delving more

deeply into nutritional values of the foods we put into our bodies.

I have already participated in a Rock-A-Thon to raise money for our local nursing home

residents. They had a Wii Fit video game stolen and needed a replacement. The residents used

this everyday so the students recognized the importance of keeping the elderly active and

suggested this fund raiser. The VBTC students helped organize and participated in this event. I

was able to sit and rock along side instructors and students. It was a great time meeting high

school student who are so young and full of hope and joy for their future careers in the healthcare

field. The goal was to raise money for one Wii Fit and fifteen hundred dollars was collected in

the twelve hour time frame. This successful event was remarkable considering the economic

climate at this time.

Contact Information

My contact information for the VBTC is Jill Richardson RN, BSN who is the

Fundamentals of Patient Care instructor. She may be reached at the VBTC located at 250 South

St. Lawrence, MI 49064. Mrs. Richardson is available by phone at her home at 269-668-8060

which she stated was the best place to reach her with any questions (J. Richardson, personal

communication, March 10, 2010).

Katherine Girard, MSN, RN, RNFA is the instructor for Nursing 325. Professor Girard is

providing the approval of this service learning proposal. Professor Girard can be reached at

FSU located at 200 Ferris Drive, VFS 317, Big Rapids, MI 49307-2740. Professor Girard is

available in her office by phone at 989-710-1022 or by email at girardk@ferris.edu.

Conclusion

When students are involved in a challenging service learning experience, they will have

more invested and hopefully continue their service past the required hours (Peterson & Schaffer,

1999). Not only is the service learning assignment meeting a requirement on the road to my

BSN, it is providing an opportunity to contribute to my community. Nothing would prove to be

more rewarding than if students are called to provide some form of community service

throughout their lives. “Students who are involved in meaningful Service Learning do better on

tests, show a sense of self-esteem and purpose, connect with the community, and want to be

more civically engaged” (Schoenfeld, 2006, para. 4).

This experience will provide me with the opportunity to create presentations that will be

utilized to teach students about healthier habits, the profession of nursing and my role as a nurse.

This will afford me the chance to gain confidence in public speaking and critical thinking skills.

Most importantly, this service learning experience will create a forum to serve as a role model

for impressionable teens in my community, therefore assisting in my transition from a Registered

Nurse to a more comprehensively educated professional BSN.

References

Bailey, P. A., Carpenter, D. R., & Harrington, P. (2002, October). Theoretical foundations of

service-learning in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(10), 433-463.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2010). Healthy youth! Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/Healthyyouth/obesity/index.htm.

Hales, A. (1997, March/April). Service-learning within the nursing curriculum. Nurse Educator,

22(2), 15-18.

Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2005). Overview of the IOM’s childhood obesity prevention study.

Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2004/Preventing

-Childhood-Obesity-Health-in-the-Balance/factsheetoverviewfinalBitticks.ashx.

Nutrition Data. (2008). Nutrition data: Know what you eat. Retrieved from http://

Nutritiondata.com/topics/glycemic-index.

Peterson, S. J., & Schaffer, M. J. (1999). Service-learning: A strategy to develop group

collaboration and research skills. Journal of Nursing Education, 38(5), 208-216.

Schoenfeld, R. (2006). Service-learning: Bringing together students, parents, and community.

Retrieved from www.newhorizons.org/strategies/service_learning/schoenfeld.htm.

Van Buren Intermediate School District. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.vbisd.org/

techcenter/site/default.asp.

Appendix A

Performance Evaluation Tool

Please use the following tool to evaluate the performance of the volunteer.

1=Excellent 2=Good 3=Satisfactory 4=Less than satisfactory 5=Poor

1. The volunteer was punctual and demonstrated a professional appearance.

1 2 3 4 5

2. The volunteer maintained a positive environment.

1 2 3 4 5

3. The volunteer displayed a willingness to learn.

1 2 3 4 5

4. The volunteer brought something new to our program.

1 2 3 4 5

5. Overall, how would you rate the volunteer’s performance?

1 2 3 4 5

6. Additional Comments:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Signature:___________________________________________Date_______________________

Appendix B

Checklist for Submitting Papers

Name: Lori VanZoeren

CHECKDATE, TIME, & INITIAL

PROOFREAD FOR: APA ISSUES

1. Page Numbers: Did you number your pages using the automatic functions of your Word program? [p. 230 and example on p. 40)]2. Running head: Does the Running head: have a small “h”? Is it on every page? Is it less than 50 spaces total? Is the title of the Running head in all caps? Is it 1/2” from the top of your title page? (Should be a few words from the title of your paper). [p. 229 and example on p. 40]3. Abstract: Make sure your abstract begins on a new page. Is there a label of Abstract and it is centered at the top of the page? Is it a single paragraph? Is the paragraph flush with the margin without an indentation? Is your abstract a summary of your entire paper? Is it written in the past tense? Remember it is not an introduction to your paper. Someone should be able to read the abstract and know what to find in your paper. [p. 25 and example on p. 41]4. Introduction: Did you repeat the title of your paper on your first page of content? Do not use ‘Introduction’ as a heading following the title. Do not bold your title. The first paragraph clearly implies the introduction and no heading is needed. [p. 27 and example on p. 42]5. Margins: Did you leave 1” on all sides? [p. 229]6. Double-spacing: Did you double-space throughout? No triple or extra spaces between sections or paragraphs except in special circumstances. This includes the reference page. [p. 229 and example on p. 40-59]7. Line Length and Alignment: Did you use the flush-left style, and leave the right margin uneven, or ragged? [p. 229]8. Paragraphs and Indentation: Did you indent the first line of every paragraph? See P. 229 for exceptions.9. Spacing After Punctuation Marks: Did you space once at the end of separate parts of a reference and initials in a person’s name? Do not space after periods in abbreviations. Space twice after punctuation marks at the end of a sentence. [p. 87-88]10. Typeface: Did you use Times Roman 12-point font throughout, even in your header? [p. 228]9. Abbreviation: Did you explain each abbreviation the first time you used it? [p. 106-111]11. Plagiarism: Cite all sources! If you say something that is not your original idea, it must be cited. DO NOT COPY THE EXAMPLE AND USE IT AS YOUR OWN! You may be citing many times…this is what you are supposed to be doing! Is there a citation for every paragraph? [p. 170]12. Direct Quote: A direct quote is exact words taken from another. An example with citation would look like this:“The variables that impact the etiology and the human response to various disease states will be explored” (Bell-Scriber, 2007, p. 1).Please note where the quotation marks are placed, where the final period is placed, no first

name of author, and inclusion of page number, etc. Do all direct quotes look like this, except for block quotes? [p. 170-172]13. Quotes Over 40 Words: Did you make block quotes out of any direct quotes that are 40 words or longer? Did you place the period after the text rather than after the citation? [p. 170-172]14. Paraphrase: A paraphrase citation would look like this:Patients respond to illnesses in various ways depending on a number of factors that will be explored (Bell-Scriber, 2007). Do all paraphrased citations look like this? [p. 171 and multiple examples in text on p. 40-59]15. Headings: Did you check your headings for proper levels and format? [p. 62-63].16. General Guidelines for References: Do not bold the word References!

A. Did you start the References on a new page? [p. 37]B. Did you cut and paste references on your reference page? If so, check to make sure they are in correct APA format. Often they are not and must be adapted. Make sure all fonts are the same.C. Is your reference list double spaced with hanging indents? [p. 37]

PROOFREAD FOR GRAMMAR, SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, & STRUCTURE13. Did you follow the assignment rubric? Did you make headings that address each major section? (Required to point out where you addressed each section.)14. Watch for run-on or long, cumbersome sentences. Read it out loud without pausing unless punctuation is present. If you become breathless or it doesn’t make sense, you need to rephrase or break the sentence into 2 or more smaller sentences. Did you do this?15. Wordiness: check for the words “that”, and “the”. Don’t use the terms ‘I feel’ or ‘I think’. If not necessary, did you omit?16. Conversational tone: Don’t write as if you are talking to someone in a casual way. For example, “Well so I couldn’t believe nurses did such things!” or “I was in total shock over that.” Did you stay in a formal/professional tone?17. Avoid contractions. i.e. don’t, can’t, won’t, etc. Did you spell these out?18. Did you check to make sure there are no hyphens and broken words in the right margin?19. Do not use “etc.” or "i.e." in formal writing unless in parenthesis. Did you check for improper use of etc. & i.e.?20. Stay in subject agreement. When referring to 1 nurse, don’t refer to the nurse as “they” or “them”. Also, in referring to a human, don’t refer to the person as “that”, but rather “who”. For example: The nurse that gave the injection….” Should be “The nurse who gave the injection…” Did you check for subject agreement? Likewise, don’t refer to “us”, “we”, “our”, within the paper…this is not about you and me. Be clear in identifying. For example don’t say “Our profession uses empirical data to support ….” . Instead say “The nursing profession uses empirical data…..21. Did you check your sentences to make sure you did not end them with a preposition? For example, “I witnessed activities that I was not happy with.” Instead, “I witnessed activities with which I was not happy.”22. Did you run a Spellcheck? Did you proofread in addition to running the Spellcheck?23. Did you have other people read your paper? Did they find any areas confusing?24. Did you include a summary or conclusion heading and section to wrap up your paper?25. Do not use “we” “us” “our” “you” “I” etc. in a formal paper! Did you remove these words? Only use these if you are the subject of your paper.26. Does your paper have sentence fragments? Do you have complete sentences? 27. Did you check apostrophes for correct possessive use. Don’t use apostrophes unless it is showing possession and then be sure it is in the correct location. The exception is with the

word it. It’s = it is. Its is possessive. 28. Did you use proper punctuation, particularly commas? If you are unsure of when to use them, please contact the writing center.

Signing below indicates you have proofread your paper for the errors in the checklist:

_____Lori Van Zoeren RN_________________________________DATE April 12, 2010___________

A peer needs to proofread your paper checking for errors in the listed areas and sign below:

____Deidre Alt RN and Jill Slade RN________________________DATE__April 3, 2010___________

Appendix C

Service Learning Grading Rubric

Name: Lori Van Zoeren

PROPOSAL COMPONENT POINTS POSSIBLE

POINTSEARNED

INTRODUCTION, ABSTRACT & CONCLUSION Introduce assignment, purpose of paper, concludes appropriately 10  

AGENCY DESCRIPTION What services does the agency provide? What is its mission? Be sure to source the information. 10  

SERVICE ROLE DESCRIBED What will you do or how will this be determined within the agency? Think, will this meet your own learning objectives, will you have input about your role if that is important?

10  

OBJECTIVES AS R/T RN to BSN PROGRAM 20  What do you hope to learn or how will you benefit?

How will your service benefit the community? EVALUATION PLAN

20  How will you evaluate your own learning? How will you evaluate outcomes related to your service on the community?

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION / 5  INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL Include all pertinent information for

contact.  Name, title, phone, street address, email

FORMAT: Completion of check sheet verified by peer. Compliance with all items on the check list. 10  

REFERENCES: References should be formatted properly and include:

15  ~support for agency information, ~role of service learning in professional education,

~support for planned outcomes--is there evidence that the activities positively influence outcomes desired. 

TOTAL POINTS 100