Empowering nursing faculty and students for community service.

As the health care delivery system moves from acute care settings to community-based services, nursing education must examine the experiences that increase students' abilities to function within a changing system. Currently, students receive community-based experiences that involve teaching health promotion concepts. However, students are not routinely prepared with specialized screening skills to use in the community. Using a train-the-trainer model, faculty and students were taught four specialized screening skills: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment, Denver II Developmental Screening, vision screening, and hearing screening. Initially, faculty obtained certification as trainers for these specialized skills. Then, faculty educated students and provided enhanced, guided community experiences. Undergraduate, RN-to-BSN, and graduate family nurse practitioner students participated in this community-based experience. Project outcomes were evaluated based on the number of students and faculty who were certified and participated in these community activities.