Summative Reflection

Noticing & Interpreting:

From the start of my nursing school journey, we have had to do several servant learning

activities and all of them have been really fulfilling and eye opening. Even before then I have

been doing volunteer work ever since I came into this country. Growing up as a Catholic, my

family has taught me to serve others who are in need. Especially coming from a third world

country, I have been taught since I was a child to look out and help those that are in more need

than me by feeding the hungry or clothing the needy. When I came here to the United States I

volunteered for Meals on Wheels, childrens daycare/preschool and all the units of St. Francis

Medical Center. Back then I never thought of volunteer work as something that I needed to be

commended on, I did it for the enjoyment of seeing a smile on someones face.

My sophomore year of nursing school, for my servant learning activity I walked in the

Alzheimers Walk. I love doing these activities, because it combines physical activity and

disease awareness while helping organizations raise money to fund research for a cure. I have

done several walks during my school and college years such as the Breast Cancer Walk, Heart

Walk, March of Dimes and Relay for Life, which encompasses raising awareness of all cancers.

These events are always enjoyable to me, because you get to experience them with people who

are very passionate about raising awareness and it was also great to walk with some of the

survivors. In most of these events, I have listened to many survivor stories and all of them have

been so inspirational and moving. Another service learning activity that I thoroughly enjoyed

was going to St. Josephs Villa. St. Josephs Villa is a non-profit organization that provides

innovative programs to all children with special needs living in Richmond, Virginia. All of their

educational programs have helped many families who are need of a place that will assist their
children with any learning disabilities and behavioral issues. They cater to a diverse population

with different socioeconomic status.

All of these service learning activities that I have done have been great experiences. I

know that I will continue to serve my community to the best of my ability and continue to learn

from the diverse population this community has to offer. These activities have definitely given

me knowledge and have erased some of my assumptions and biases that I had prior to entering

this nursing program. Even though, I have been exposed to many different cultures and

populations, there was still that unconscious biases and assumptions especially in certain areas of

Richmond. There are places in Richmond, where people have deemed them unsafe, but if we all

stay away from those places then people would never get help that they need.

Responding:

The needs of the community depend on the population it serves, such as children with

special needs, the elderly, and individuals with mental illness. Based on the population, the care

and the service-learning activities must be catered to their specific needs and be developmentally

appropriate. Children for example need their basic needs met such as comfort and security. All

activities for children must also be developmentally-age appropriate, so that they will be able to

interact and respond. That also goes for the elderly and the mentally ill. In addition to

developmentally-age appropriate activities, the providers and caregivers must practice patience

when interacting with the population they serve. We must also have an open mind and open

heart in order to be efficient in helping them with their needs. Empathy is also a very important

concept to add in order to reach the population we serve, because then the client will be willing

to open up and be honest with us the care providers if they know they are not being judged. In

return, we will be able to meet their needs fully without barriers.

All of my service-learning experiences have influenced my calling in a positive way.

They have shown me the reason why I wanted to be a nurse and that is to help those who are in

need. Compassion is one of the many values I will be applying in my nursing practice. It is

rooted in unbiased, quality, and competent care that each and every one deserves. Furthermore,

these past service-learning activities that I have done helped me embrace diversity, which is one

passion that I truly believe in. I am truly passionate in serving others no matter what race,

culture, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and any illnesses/disease they have, because I

believe that we are all equal and nursing care should be equal throughout the continuum.

The service-learning I did in 1100, which is the Alzheimers Walk provided me with the

foundation of how to raise awareness and teach people of the disease process of Alzheimers.

That experience also taught me empathy, through listening to stories of caregivers and

individuals living with Alzheimers on how they deal with this illness. In 3113, going to St.

Josephs Villa granted me the knowledge of providing care for children with disabilities and how

I can help them as a future nurse. In my Mental Health class, that whole class and practicum was

a service-learning activity in itself. Mental health lecture and practicum, prepared me as a future

nurse on how to care for my patients with just providing a healing presence. This class showed

me that just by being there sitting with them coloring a book can be therapeutic for clients with a

mental illness. Lastly, in 4144, attending Rainbow Station gave me the knowledge to provide

developmentally-age appropriate care to children of all ages. Along with our pediatric lecture

and practicum last semester, this experience has taught me how to truly engage with children of

all ages. All of these experiences have shaped me for the better and to be able to be a servant

leader in my community.
Reflection-in-action

Civic engagement is making a difference in the community through both political and

non-political outlets (2003). It is our responsible as an individual that is part of a community to

recognize issues within and make a change for the better. Although some changes will need help

from others and persons with more power and clout in the community, it is the responsibility of

the individual to inform those people of the issues. Collectively, we, the individuals can make a

difference when all of our voices are heard. My commitment for the future to stay engage with

my community is to continue educating myself of the issues at hand. In order for me to respond

and act, I must first be aware and educated of the issues, so that I can properly take action. I will

do this by engaging in community meetings and going out to the actual areas of the community

that need my help. I do plan on revisiting the places that I have had the opportunity to serve, but

I will also look for other places that I have not visited. Being active in my community, will

ultimate help me become a better nurse, because I will be aware of the issues and I will be able

to take what I learn and put them into my nursing practice.

(2003, July 07). Retrieved April 4, 2017, from

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html