SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

1. SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT Kristy Swann Nursing 450 Ferris State University

2. 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”.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES

6. 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

7. 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. 

8. Volunteer role • At Mel Trotter Ministries there are multiple volunteer roles • My role was: to help serve hot meals to the homeless to help care for women and their children in the shelter to help with medical screening and medical care in the public inebriate shelter to help collect donated food for the pantry to provide resources and referrals for women and children staying at the shelter

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Critical reflection Information attained Through 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

12. Critical Reflection Changes 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.

13. Critical Reflection Service learning in general After 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.

14. Critical reflection Service learning in general My experience as volunteering at Mel Trotter Ministries has proved to be: Rewarding Exciting Enlightening Interesting Beneficial Encouraging Awesome

15. 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).

16. 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).

17. 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).

18. 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).

19. 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).

20. 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

21. 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.

22. 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/academic affairs/ADP/ServiceLearn/ • Mel Trotter Ministries. (2012). Volunteer Opportunities at Mel Trotter Ministries. Retrieved from http://www.meltrotter.org/Volunteer.aspx