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Too bad my school wants to take away service learning from my students.

Evaluate the site and the students frequently to make modifications as needed.

It sounds like my program is already doing service learning!

I teach at a District career and technology center. I have our local animal shelter bring in dogs and cats for spaying or neutering. The students assist during surgery, monitor anesthesia, and give injections.

The intern must be supervised from both the academic and employment perspectives. The on-site supervisor and on-campus internship coordinator must work together to ensure that all of the objectives of the internship are met. The On-site education coordinator should meet weekly with the student and preceptor, provide mentoring, and evaluate both the student learning opportunities and compliance with the practices of the organization and the academic institution. 

I have managed nurse intern and externships for over 20 years. It is important to outline the requirements, limitations, and expectations with the student, precpetor and organization with each and every profram start. Internship contracts should specify on-site job responsibilities and learning objectives of students. A special session to address these should take place before beginning the internship and it should serve as a clear starting-point for both the intern site and the interns. 

I spent more than 20 years assigning and supervising Nurse Interns. I find the program is win-win for student, precptor, and organization. The student learns the accountability required to be a professional, Learns first hand the imporatnace of integrating knowledge, skills, and values in the clinical setting. The preceptor enjoys "showing off" their knowledge, value of team work, and appreciation of belonging to an organization  The Internship programs can also be an opportunity for management to train and evaluate prospects for permanent employment.

Intrnships allow the student to test their knowledge and refine their skills under the guidance of a preceptor. Clinical experiences provide the student the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and develop decision making skills safely. 

Teaching and demonstrating the effectiveness of reach out programs, community health, networking, and engaging in the community is a positive educational experience for all types of students. This approach allows a well rounded educational experience.

For students to get the most out of their experiences, they need quality feedback throughout their internship experience. 

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