Nursing Students' Perceptions of a Community Health Street Outreach Experience: Thematic Analysis.

BACKGROUND

There has been increased focus within nursing to address social determinants of health (SDOH), and nurse educators are urged to integrate SDOH into the curriculum, strengthen community and public health (CPH) clinical experiences, and provide service-learning opportunities. Therefore, student feedback was sought for a CPH clinical experience involving street outreach.

METHOD

Two groups of nursing students conducted street outreach with unstably housed individuals in an urban area in the eastern United States. Focus groups and thematic analysis were conducted.

RESULTS

Students expressed high levels of satisfaction with the experience. The following themes were identified: Influence of Prior Experiences, Transformational Experience, and Making a Difference. Following the CPH experience, the majority of students reported they were considering working in CPH nursing.

CONCLUSION

Engaging in street outreach and similar experiences has the potential to improve nursing students' perceptions of CPH clinical experiences and prepare them for careers in CPH nursing. .