SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Kristy Swann

Nursing 450

Ferris State University

INTRODUCTION

According to Ferris State University's (2011) website “the purpose of academic service-learning is to enhance traditional classroom study by supplementing it with community

service that is relevant to the subject material and meaningful to the community.

Service-learning also has a civic learning element, offering students the knowledge, skills, and values they will need for well-

rounded civic engagement”.

INTRODUCTION

The service learning project required and completed during enrollment in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Ferris State University led to a better understanding of daily needs in the community.

The service learning project also led to a heightened awareness of the various volunteer opportunities available to healthcare professionals in the community.

PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION

Share the role and background of the agency I volunteered with

Explain my personal role within the agency and the activities I participated in

Share my personal reflections prior to, during, and after my volunteer experience

Provide a understanding of the service learning project as part of the overall nursing program

Provide highlights of volunteer experience and learning obtained from the experience

Provide personal recommendations for future nursing students

MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES

AGENCY DESCRIPTION

MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES Established in 1900 by Mel Trotter Mission: to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus

Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the Grand Rapids area

Mel Trotter Ministries provides shelter, food, clothing, education, biblical studies, computer-based learning, and work training and experience for men and women in need throughout the community

Help those with drug and alcohol addictions

AGENCY DESCRIPTION

MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES Mel Trotter Ministries provides access to free food and

clothing for the community. The food and clothing pantry is open every Thursday, from 10am – 2pm.

Shelter is provided to men, women, and women with children 365 days a year.

Guests in our emergency shelters receive: hot meals, clothing and shoes, toiletries, safe shelter, showers, the love of Jesus Christ, referrals and resources

People who are profoundly intoxicated can be brought to the shelter. Currently, 2 rooms with 7 beds are available for men where respectful and discrete care can be given. They are given a safe place to sleep, which includes the observation of medical personnel. 

VOLUNTEER ROLE

At Mel Trotter Ministries there are multiple volunteer roles

My role was: to help serve hot meals to the homelessto help care for women and their children

in the shelterto help with medical screening and

medical care in the public inebriate shelter

to help collect donated food for the pantryto provide resources and referrals for

women and children staying at the shelter

VOLUNTEER ROLE

Dinner for men, women, and their children is served at 5:oo p.m. I prepared meals for these individuals and served them. After dinner I sat with individuals using active listening skills and provided them with a sense of care and comfort.

Women and children have a separate shelter from the men. I provided the children with educational activities such as coloring and reading books.

The public inebriate shelter contains severely intoxicated individuals often injured and bleeding from falls. I provided care for these individuals.

CRITICAL REFLECTION

Initial thoughts and assumptions As an Emergency Room nurse I knew that Mel Trotter

Ministries existed and that this is where we often sent out homeless and intoxicated patients.

I have passed Mel Trotter Ministries multiple times in my car before often seeing the homeless population lined up waiting for food or waiting for entrance to the shelter.

The homeless population has always had a place in my heart and with this service learning project I now had the opportunity to find out more about this facility and to make a difference in the lives of individuals in an unfortunate situation.

Going into this project I thought that Mel Trotter Ministries was a place to eat and sleep for the night and that was it. Initially I assumed that the majority of individuals going to Mel Trotter Ministries were intoxicated male patients.

CRITICAL REFLECTION

Information attainedThrough my volunteer work at Mel Trotter Ministries, I have experienced first hand the many lives that are touched and

helped on a daily basis. The statistics below are some of the activities Mel Trotter Ministries was a part of in 2010:

• Nights of safe shelter provided: 80,607• Hot meals served: 287,690

• Vision & dental clinics - people served: 253• Group counseling sessions: 1,100

• Individual counseling sessions: 1,000• Inner-city kids sent to summer camp: 424

• Individual lives committed to Christ: 1,100+• Cars donated, repaired and resold: 528

• Emergency food boxes distributed: 6,152• Pantry-style meals in those food boxes: 129,192

• Thanksgiving meals served: 1,500

CRITICAL REFLECTIONChanges to thought process regarding agency

After volunteering at Mel Trotter Ministries, I have come to realize that my assumptions and initial thoughts were wrong. Mel Trotter Ministries is so much more than a place to eat and sleep for the night. Mel Trotter Ministries offers hope to the hopeless and comfort to the comfortless.

Mel Trotter Ministries is not only a place for intoxicated homeless male patients. Mel Trotter Ministries offers a warm room and warm food to the women and her children who have been severely beaten and abused. Mel Trotter Ministries offers counseling and substance abuse programs to that father of four who lost his job, lost his wife due to cheating, and turned to alcohol or drugs for comfort. Mel Trotter Ministries provides food and clothing to the less than fortunate children who would otherwise not have a hat or mittens in the winter and go to sleep at night with hunger pains.

My respect and attitude to this facility has increased after my volunteer experience.

After my volunteer work with hospice, I have learned that the available services are so much more than what I have experienced in the long term care setting. Hospice does so much for so many, beyond the patients that receive care. Hospice genuinely provides quality of life to patients and the families. This is a needed and beneficial program. There are also aspects of hospice that are underutilized. Health care providers should have more education on hospice care and the benefits it provides to patients and families.

CRITICAL REFLECTION

Service learning in generalAfter learning about this assignment I was

hesitant about where to volunteer, fearful about when I would have the time to volunteer, and nervous about the experience I would have.

Now that the service learning project is complete I have realized how beneficial it is to nursing students. This project has made me realize the many needs our community has. I looked into various places to volunteer such as the American Red Cross, Mel Trotter Ministries, and the YMCA.

CRITICAL REFLECTION

Service learning in generalMy experience as volunteering at Mel Trotter

Ministries has proved to be:Rewarding

ExcitingEnlighteningInterestingBeneficial

EncouragingAwesome

SYNTHESIS

BSN Objectives Professionalism

Volunteers for Mel Trotter Ministries are required to fill out an application prior to volunteering and provide three references for the organization to contact prior to volunteering. A criminal background check is also performed. Volunteers at Mel Trotter Ministries are required to sign a form stating they will abide by the organizations dress code, rules, and regulations prior to being accepted as a volunteer.

This is congruent with the American Nurses Association third standard of practice which is professional practice evaluation. “The registered nurse evaluates their nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards, guidelines, statutes, rules, and regulations. This is measured by the nurse providing age appropriate care in a culturally and ethically sensitive manner” (ANA, 2010, p. 36).

SYNTHESIS

BSN Objectives (con’t) Collaborative Leadership

Mel Trotter Ministries works together with various individuals, businesses, and churches in order to provide food, clothing, and shelter for the community. Volunteers at Mel Trotter Ministries are also required to work collaboratively with other volunteers to ensure the needs of the community are met.

This is congruent with the American Nurses Association fifth standard of practice which is collaboration. The nurse collaborates with the patient, their family, and members of the healthcare team throughout the patient’s stay. The nurse works as a team to promote positive outcomes for the patient and their family, and documents any referrals made for continuity of care” (ANA, 2010, p. 38).

SYNTHESIS

BSN Objectives (con’t) Generalist Nursing Practice

At Mel Trotter Ministries I was able to apply the nursing process while volunteering. I assessed the needs of the individuals, provided interventions and referrals where needed, and helped them make a plan for their life on a daily basis. I used physical assessment skills in the public inebriate shelter and helped monitor individuals physical and mental health.

This is congruent with the American Nurses Association first standard of professional practice which is quality of practice. “The nurse evaluates the quality and effectiveness of their nursing process. The professional nurse collects and analyzes data to monitor the quality and effectiveness of their nursing practice. The nurse also formulates recommendations and implements activities to enhance the quality of nursing practice” (ANA, 2010, p. 33).

SYNTHESIS BSN Objectives (con’t)

Healthcare Environment Mel Trotter Ministries is dedicated to providing individuals with

substance abuse help. More than 11% of Kent County residents do not consistently have

enough to eat. Each year, they serve more than 200,000 meals and distribute more than a million pounds of food to others in need.

Used vehicles donated to Mel Trotter Ministries aren’t just sold. They are used to train resident men in the skills of auto repair.

This is congruent with the American Nurses Association sixth standard of practice which is ethics where the registered nurse integrates ethical provisions in all areas of practice. “The registered nurse should be delivering care in a manner that promotes the patient’s dignity and rights, while maintain patient confidentiality. A registered nurse should also serve as a patient advocate, while maintain a therapeutic relationship with the patient. An ethical registered nurse demonstrates a commitment to practicing self care, managing stress, and also reports incompetent or impaired practices” (ANA, 2010, p. 39).

SYNTHESIS

BSN Objectives (con’t) Scholarship for Practice

Volunteering at Mel Trotter Ministries has heightened my awareness to the homeless and poor population. This project has also increased my awareness to the many needs this population has in regards to health that are often overlooked or go unnoticed.

I have realized that there are research gaps with the homeless population related to health promotion and disease prevention due to the difficulty in locating these individuals.

According to the American Nurses Association the seventh standard of practice is research. The registered nurse integrates research findings into practice. “The registered nurse uses evidence based practice when providing quality care for patients. The registered nurse also actively participates in research activities such as identifying clinical problems, participating in data collection, participating in a program or committee, and sharing this research with others” (ANA, 2010, p. 40).

SYNTHESIS

BSN Objectives (con’t) Theoretical Base for Practice

My service learning experience at Mel Trotter Ministries was congruent with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Most of the individuals cared for in this shelter lacked basic physiological necessities which are requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function. Mel Trotter Ministries strives to provide adequate food, water, and sleep for these individuals

RECOMMENDATIONS

I highly recommend future nursing students to consider volunteering at Mel Trotter Ministries for their academic service learning project. There are

so many different ways you can volunteer. The application process was simple. I recommend

volunteering with other students or with friends for safety reasons. The satisfaction you get by serving

a hungry homeless man dinner is amazing. The experience is not only beneficial for the community

but also for each volunteer on a personal basis. The experience leads to a reality check and makes

you think twice about the food you throw away on a daily basis or the complaints you have about being

cold or not having that perfect shirt to wear to a party.

REFERENCES

• American Nurses Association. (2010). Scope and

Standards of Nursing Practice (2nd ed.). Silver

Spring, MD: Nursing Standards.

• Ferris State University. (2011). Purpose of

Academic Service Learning. Retrieved from

http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/administration/academi

c affairs/ADP/ServiceLearn/

• Mel Trotter Ministries. (2012). Volunteer

Opportunities at Mel Trotter Ministries. Retrieved

from http://www.meltrotter.org/Volunteer.aspx