Application as Scholarship: A Community Client Experience

A community health nursing experience with a complex aggregate client was developed for B.S.N. completion students at a private university. Working in collaboration with the neighborhood group, a survey based on Spradley's notion of healthy neighborhoods and Cottrell's idea of community competence was developed. Community health nursing students drew a representative sample of neighborhood dwellers and interviewed them to assess their concerns. Data were summarized, inferences drawn, and problems amenable to nursing intervention identified and prioritized. Students presented their findings to the neighborhood group, city service providers, and various volunteer agencies. This experience provided service to the community client, public service for faculty, and an exceptional learning opportunity for students.