| The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of community college nursing faculty related to the integration of service learning. An exploratory case study was conducted at three Florida community college nursing programs. The data were collected primarily through structured interviews with 14 community college nursing professors, three nursing administrators, and one service learning coordinator along with document analysis and site observation.;The researcher posed six research questions related to service learning integration. These six questions addressed: (a) the differentiation of service programs at the three sites, (b) the meaning of service learning, (c) faculty motivation to use service learning, (d) institutional supports needed by nursing faculty, (e) the obstacles that nursing faculty face, and (f) the strategies they use to overcome them.;This research illuminated five dynamic findings that may influence the utilization of service learning (SL) pedagogy by community college nursing faculty in the future. The first finding was that the three community college nursing programs presented three different service program levels: an internship model, a field studies model, and a service learning model. The second finding highlighted that community college nursing faculty viewed service learning as a viable pedagogy with rich student learning outcomes. The third finding asserted that nursing faculty members are primarily intrinsically motivated to use SL, although administrative support emerged also as an extrinsic motivator.;The fourth finding was that community college nursing faculty saw institutional supports as important for the integration of SL. The fifth finding pointed out that nursing faculty and administrators experience significant obstacles integrating SL, and effective SL programs devise strategies for overcoming these obstacles.;The major conclusions were that community college nursing faculty members are vital to the integration of service learning and need training in service learning procedures. Service learning has potential for further development in community college nursing programs and may lead to a perspective change in how nursing students view the social dynamics of nursing. Time and workload obstacles, along with confusion regarding service learning, clinicals and community service have contributed to the slow growth of SL in nursing programs. There is a need for new models to guide service learning integration in nursing education. Two models for integration of service learning into community college nursing are offered. Recommendations for practice, educational leadership and further research are presented. |
