Community Engagement: Moving from the Classroom to Interprofessional Education Collaboration

Abstract

In a dynamic, rapidly evolving global health care environment, it is vital that educators create arenas of learning that give students opportunities to put into action health concepts they have learned in the classroom and to actively engage in their communities. With limited clinical sites, it has become necessary to think outside the box for potential community opportunities. One baccalaureate nursing program has moved students from planning mock health fairs to collaborating with community partners to host large public health fairs with wide reach. Community outreach efforts have expanded to include interprofessional collaborations with students of other health care disciplines to host round table discussions and co-sponsor health care projects and community events that empower citizens to become active participants in improving their own health and well-being. This paper will discuss the evolution of a community health care nursing course from didactic coursework to building interprofessional education collaborations. New and seasoned educators will be able to incorporate aspects of this dynamic process to take their students to the next level in community engagement.