Nurse-led mobile health clinics: an opportunity for student scholarship and faculty practice
Cockroft, Marianne; Laboy, Johanne; Mullen, Leigh; Hubbell, Sara L.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The benefits of nurse-led mobile clinics to the communities they serve have been adequately documented in the nursing and health literature. Nurse-led clinics are credited with a variety of positive outcomes from improving access to care to helping build healthier communities. However, the impact of nurse-led clinics on nursing education has not been as widely discussed. METHOD: A nurse-led, mobile health clinic was established to serve individuals and families facing financial crisis and provide a practice site for students and faculty. RESULTS: Students developed nursing skills, including leadership, cultural awareness, active listening, critical thinking, effective communication, and collaboration. In the first 4 years of operation, 30 students have been assigned to the mobile clinic and approximately 2,250 visitors received free health care. CONCLUSION: These findings can inform the implementation of nursing curriculum or activities specifically designed for student involvement in nurse-led mobile health clinics and the development and advancement of nursing skills.