Service-Learning in Academic Training: Experiences of Nursing Students and Faculty at a Chilean University

Abstract

Service-Learning (SL) has been consolidated as an active methodology that integrates university academic training with practice in real health and community settings. In the field of nursing, this strategy enables students to apply the knowledge acquired during their studies while simultaneously responding to social and health needs identified in clinical practice. In this way, SL fosters the development of professional competencies such as effective communication, ethical decision-making, and teamwork, along with transversal competencies related to social commitment and critical reflection on their role as future health professionals. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of nursing students and faculty regarding the learning achieved through the SL methodology, with a particular focus on the performances and competencies developed. A qualitative approach with an exploratory-descriptive design was employed. Data were collected through four focus groups involving students and faculty who participated in SL-based training experiences during their clinical practice. The analysis was conducted following Max Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological orientation. The findings show that students value SL as a meaningful experience that bridges theory and practice, strengthens communication and ethical awareness, and mobilizes a professional commitment to society. Faculty members, in turn, acknowledge the pedagogical potential of the methodology, although they highlight the need for greater preparation to guide these formative processes. It is concluded that SL constitutes a relevant pedagogical strategy for comprehensive nursing, as it enhances both professional and transversal competencies, directly contributing to the achievement of the graduate profile. It is recommended to further promote its systematic implementation and the continuous evaluation of its outcomes within university curricula.