title: Impact of Service-Learning on Leadership and an Interest in Social Justice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many articles describe how service-learning has been implemented, but few studies have demonstrated its effectiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A service-learning component was added to a course in a registered nurse-to-baccalaureate degree (RN-to-BSN) completion program. The service-learning component included a 5-hour service requirement and class discussions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate service-learning's impact on postlicensure RN-to-BSN students' self-evaluation of their leadership skills and their interest in social justice. This study used a quantitative, pretest-posttest control group design and a Likert scale survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Variations in precourse and postcourse responses of the control group did not demonstrate a measurable effect; responses of the service-learning group revealed a small effect size for both the leadership construct and the social justice construct.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was unique in that it addressed nontraditional RN-to-BSN students in an accelerated program, 70% of whom were taking the course in an online format.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D012935:Social Justice; D055815:Young Adult