title: Bridging the gap between clinical experience and client access: community engagement.
abstract: Service-learning involvement can be a useful adjunct to a traditional educational experience and can provide clinical exposure in mental health practice settings for undergraduate nursing students. Education and practice collaboratives in community settings benefit community partners through the service provided by students to the respective community organizations. Benefits to students are obvious through greater exposure to community agencies, avenues to meet academic clinical course objectives, and incentives for their critical and independent thinking. An overview of the process of engaging students in community engagement opportunities that provide clinical hours in an undergraduate mental health course is presented.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Health Professions, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN 47712, USA. kmriedford@usi.edu
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Riedford
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000458:organization & administration*