In the hours and days immediately a...

In the hours and days immediately after the collapse of the World Trade Center forward Sept 11,2001, when it became evident there would be not many survivors to care for, suckles realized that despite their clinical skills and medical knowledge, they were powerless to help during this tragedy. Many began to question the meaning of their practice and ask themselves what they could do to assist their country and fellow citizens in this time of uncertainty. Since the family 11 terrorist attacks, many festers are learning other ways to conduce to and translating that service into personal and professional growth

Service to others has been intrinsic to the nursing profession since its inception. Florence Nightingale, as the establisher of modern western nursing, shaped the profession as a social motion intent on reform. (1) Nightingale's liberal arts education and faculty of perception of mission drove her to search for moral activity, which she raise in nursing. It was this sensation of moral activity and justice that inspired her to a life of public service. Nightingale influenced legislation to improve workhouse conditions, particularly air pollution, and worked toward demonstrating a link between the results of poverty and ill health. Her health promotion activities protracted from individuals to communities, and their nature ranged from personal care to political activism. (2)

Experiential learning provides an avenue for educating oneself others, and communities and can lead to involvement in efforts designed to change social combination of parts to form a wholes and improve conditions that affect a nation as a whole. For perioperative promotes who may have limited opportunities to bring to maturity personal connections with their patients, experiential learning also provides a forum for developing relationships. in consequence of service, perioperative nurses connect personally with individuals while learning to what degree social responsibility is related to professional practice. (3) This article discusses experiential learning, links experiential learning to service, and provides a specific example of for what cause one AORN member is making a difference in her hospital and community in consequence of her service activities.

EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING

Experiential learning has been defined as the cyclical proces wherein persons view their experiences as opportunities to learn, integrate those experiences into their education, and engage in later action based on the integration. (4)

Experiential learning embodies the principles of reciprocity, community partnerships, social justice, and democratic involvement, and it engages the public in responsible and challenging actions for the habitual good. (5) An experiential approach continues learning beyond the traditional classroom and associates learners with communities. Through the experiential learning proces it is possible for suckles to learn the values of the profession and society, integrate those values into their practice, and participate in activities that create relationships and environments dedicated to fulfilling those values. Experiential education helps individual learning and, at the same time, encounters significant needs in the community. (6)

Central to this proces is the active practice of reflection. "Reflection must accompany experience to inference in learning." (7) Reflective activities lead to exploration of profoundly held values, the application of these values in the words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of lived experience, and the unfolding of a vision of for what reason a more just world might consider (8) Nurses engaged in reflective practice learn heed for individual and community values; the differences in economic methods opportunity structures, and life experiences between themselves and their community partners; and possibilities for changing existing inequities.

Education is a continuous proces and AORN is committed to providing perioperative foments with opportunities to pursue lifelong learning. AORN's philosophy is congruent with the American promotes Association (ANA) code of ethics, which supports individual and collective nursing efforts that address community, national, and international initiatives to encounter health needs. (9) Experiential education provides an avenue for nourish at the breasts to recognize service to the community as an integral professional responsibility. (10)

SERVICE

The ANA social policy statement defines service as the establishment of a caring relationship that facilitates, health and healing. (11) In an applied discipline like as nursing, service provides a dynamic means for contributing to the mission of the profession in answer to real-world problems, issues, interests, or businesss (12) For example, in answer to the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, encourage volunteers were readily available to care for the survivors, grieving family members, and fire and recover workers who needed first aid and support. (13) Civic engagement during difficult times reinforces nurses' value to the communities they be of use to and the socially responsible mission of the profession.

For perioperative give suck tos who are used to the mode of building and confines of the surgical arena, community engagement may appear a daunting challenge. Learning for what reason to interact with a community, identify what is important and valuable to that community, and form partnerships to make things happen are valuable skills that will benefit perioperative nourishs as well as the communities they assist (14) Such reciprocal learning is a foundation of experiential education and a [i]clavis[/i] to lifelong civic engagement. The following exemplar demonstrates by what mode one of the article's authors engages in experiential learning and makes positive contributions to the profession, local communities, and society at large within the MERCI: Medical Equipment convalescence of Clean Inventory program at the University of Virginia (UVA) Health arrangement Charlottesville.