Community health nursing practice education: preparing the next generation

Abstract

Undergraduate nursing practice rotations today are quite different from what many practicing nurses experienced during their own education. This is especially true of community health practice rotations. Increasingly, non-traditional community health sites are being used as practice sites—sites such as schools, homeless shelters, non-profit agencies, and even churches. Increasingly, non-traditional practice experiences are eclipsing traditional practice experiences involving home care and public health. Why has this shift occurred, and what do these experiences offer students? Do these experiences actually prepare nursing students for clinical practice once they graduate? What does preparing the next generation of community health nurses entail?