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Community service learning in undergraduate nursing education: A scoping review
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Community service learning in undergraduate nursing education: A scoping review

Dima Nasrawi, Madeleine Mill, Katrina Austen, Donna Wilson, Kaylene Barchetta, Bernadine Romero, Jennene Greenhill and Louise Ward
Teaching and learning in nursing, Vol.First online
04/04/2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2026.03.015
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Community service learning in undergraduate nursing education: A scoping review.View
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0,  Open

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Abstract

community service learning community service education experiental learning undergraduate nursing
Background: Community service learning supports undergraduate nursing students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems. Aim: To understand the impact of using community service learning in undergraduate nursing education. Method: Our scoping review used guidelines developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005), and the steps in this review process were aligned with Peters et al. (2020). Our review was limited to peer-reviewed studies written in English and published between 2014 and 2024. Peer-reviewed articles were identified using nine scholarly databases. Studies were selected based on their titles and abstracts in the initial stage, followed by a full-text evaluation. Results: Initially, 1024 studies were identified from the databases. 14 studies met the criteria for inclusion. Three key themes were identified in this review: (a) students as educators and leaders; (b) service learning as mutually beneficial—many hands make light work; and (c) social inclusion—open minds and hearts. Conclusion: Community service learning is an important educational strategy for undergraduate nursing students as it allows them to support underserved populations. Clinical relevance: Community service learning in education provides undergraduate nursing students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills, address community needs, and enhance their personal learning.

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