Nursing and Medical Student Teaming for Service Learning in Partnership with the Community: An Emerging Holistic Model for Interdisciplinary Education and Practice

To meet the health needs of communities today, health professionals need to be trained in working with persons from various cultural backgrounds, practicing disease prevention and health promotion in community-based settings, and working in teams with other professionals. The article focuses on interdisciplinary teaming for education and practice. In this model, medical and nursing students partner with communities to plan and deliver health promotion education programs and activities. Four service learning projects providing collaborative teaming opportunities as part of the Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program are described. Interdisciplinary service learning has benefits for the community, students, and faculty and will prepare nurses and physicians to have a positive impact on care through future interdisciplinary collaboration in community-based settings.