Standing in their shoes: student immersion in the community using service-learning with at-risk teens.

The purpose of this study was to explicate students' perceptions of working with at-risk teens in a service-learning experience. In rural North Carolina, nursing students co-facilitated a wellness series for at-risk teens. A focus group explored students' perceptions. The focus group of ten students was recorded with participants' written consent and transcribed verbatim. Heideggerian hermeneutics guided thematic analysis. Five themes described students' perceptions: (a) Catching ourselves, (b) Learning how to drive home a concept, (c) Teaching is difficult, (d) Self as teacher/Self as learner, and (e) Seeing myself as a nurse. There was an overarching pattern of "Standing in their shoes."