title: Preparing BSN Students for Population-Focused Nursing Care.
abstract: A baccalaureate nursing program in central North Carolina, in partnership with a local homeless shelter and community clinic, serves a vulnerable, underserved population while helping students gain hands-on experience in population-focused nursing. Students assess health needs, issues in access to care, and other health challenges using health assessment tools, surveys, and one-on-one dialogue. They then prioritize the top three health challenges and issues for the population and plan and implement educational sessions. After this experience, students report greater understanding of the concepts of community health and are able to apply them in practice. It is recommended that others considering this approach collect data to document the effectiveness of services to the population served and for funding of such initiatives.
authors.forename: Schenita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randolph
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Cynthia T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Bacon
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D012424:Rural Population; D035862:Vulnerable Populations