Development and Implementation of an International Academic Service Learning Course for Low-Income Children in Cambodia

Abstract

International service learning experiences provide many opportunities for nursing students. Using a varied approach to students' self-reported learning in Cambodia, students reported gaining first-hand knowledge and experience about global nursing and health care, including its rewards and challenges. The key components of a service-learning program, as defined by the International Service Learning Task Force (Sigma Theta Tau International), include reciprocal relationships between academic and community partners encompassing a range of activities and outcomes including social responsibility and cultural competence. (Leffers & Plotnick, 2010). The outcomes of the students' international-service learning experiences are consistent with those reported in the literature. Creating global citizenship is necessary in the education of professional nurses with implications for nursing education.