Utilizing Service-Learning to Promote a Value Based Professional Nursing Curriculum

Catherine P. Corrigan, Andrea N. Kwasky

McAuley School of Nursing, College of Health Professions, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2014.521206                

Abstract

This article will discuss the unique way in which nursing education at one Catholic University is distinctively value-driven with a focus on the meaning of Mercy and Jesuit traditions and how these philosophies translate into professional nursing practice. An innovative approach to a value-driven education that incorporates the philosophy of the Mercy and Jesuit traditions in a professional nursing role is fostered with the teachings of Catherine McAuley and Ignatius Loyola and infused through the act of service-learning and reflection on the service-learning experience. Nursing students are educated from a perspective of historical tradition, spirituality, social justice, reflective thinking and a value-centered professional education, enriching their self-awareness toward the development of leadership behaviors. Linking the service-learning experience to nursing concepts within the Mercy and Jesuit traditions has demonstrated a deep sense of self-awareness, a high level of understanding of caring and the concept of nurses as leaders amongst the students at our university.

Keywords

Service-Learning, Mercy, Jesuit, Self-Awareness, Leadership

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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