Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

NUR 4144: Professional Role Development Servant Leadership

Service-Learning Project Individual Reflection Paper
Grading Rubric

Student Name: _Kimberly Willett____

Community Agency: __Little Sisters of the Poor__

Instructions: Reflect upon your personal experience in this service-learning activity, using the
following key components. Answers should be derived individually; in other words, do not
discuss this personal reflection with your group. Papers should be between 1000 - 1500 words.
Points Points
Possible Earned
1. Noticing & Interpreting: 20
What expectations did you have of this experience? Were these
expectations met or not met?
What strengths and problems did you, personally, see in the
community? What assets/solutions to problems did you see?
Why did you see what you saw-- how did your values and
experiences concerning needy communities shape what you
saw and heard?
2. Responding: 20
What have you learned about the needs of this community?
Did you find the service activity to be truly relevant to the
community?
What follow-up should take place to support this communitys
strengths and/or address the communitys needs?
3. Reflecting on service-learning: 30
How has this experience influenced your perception of your call
to serve and you as a servant leader?
Reflect on the core tenets of servant leadership and how they
apply to this service-learning experience.
Describe how you applied each of the following within the
service-learning experience:
i. Heart
ii. Hands
iii. Head
iv. Habits
4. Reflection-on-Action 30
What surprised you most about your service learning experience?
How do you think the skills you learned will be used as you
become a registered nurse?
What impact do you think you had on the community where you
completed your service-learning project?
Total Personal Reflection Points: 100

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Noticing & Interpreting:

Little Sisters Of the Poor (LSOP) Is a nursing home, assisted living, and independent living
facility in Richmond.
What expectations did you have of this experience? Were these expectations met or not met?
a. Partially Met: I was hoping the person in charge of the volunteer services at LSOP
would be more prompt and organized; the communication was not as efficient as
expected. None the less, my partner and I were still able to set a date with LSOP and
had a great experience.
b. Met: Based on a previous experience, my partner and I knew that the residence there
all range in capabilities. We prepared a variety of activities for the residence so that
everyone could be involved and benefit from the experience. The group we were with
for able to participate in the activities.

What strengths and problems did you, personally, see in the community? What
assets/solutions to problems did you see?
a. Strengths: LSOP had many strengths that I saw during our visit. First I noticed how
clean the facility was, which is important for creating a safe, healing environment for
residences. I also noticed that there many volunteers there working and a few came
with us to help. Residents were usually grouped together and which enabled
socialization amongst them. Socialization and interactions are important for the
mental health residences.
b. Weaknesses: Personally, the lighting was a little dim and I feel like it would be easier
for residence to see if there better lighting. While I was there, it seemed like the
residences did not receive very many visitors. That is not the facilities fault but
maybe they can find ways to promote families to come and visit. No matter the stage
of life, it is important to feel loved and cared about and having family visitors helps
meet that need.

Why did you see what you saw-- how did your values and experiences concerning needy
communities shape what you saw and heard?
a. I value many things that this facility, staff, and volunteers up hold. Having a clean
environment is so important for residences health so I was quick to pick up on that.
Residence here need help caring for themselves and keeping their area clean. Also I
notice how the staff/volunteers interacted with residence. Every resident was treated
so kindly and with respect. These residences begin, or already have, lost much of
their independence and may struggle with dementia on some degree. So how they are
treated is so important to protect their dignity.

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Responding:
What have you learned about the needs of this community?
o This is definitely a vulnerable population because they are elderly and low income.
Much of what this community needs includes donations to fund the facility and
provide activities for residence. Thankfully, the large group of volunteers help meet
all various needs of the patients. The care needed for each resident; some need
complete care while others are independent. Volunteers also run a gift shop to sell
their homemade crafts to raise money for LSOP.

Did you find the service activity to be truly relevant to the community?
o Yes, our activities provided self-care, kindness, healing touch, and promoted positive
body image. The craft (coloring pumpkins and discussing favorite fall memories)
promoted much need socialization, dexterity exercise, reorientation, and memory
exercise.

What follow-up should take place to support this communitys strengths and/or address the
communitys needs?
o Jane and I plan to continue to volunteer monthly with LSOP and help raise money
when we can. We will continue to bring finger nail polish and crafts for activities to
help residences engage in interactions and socialization. We will also continue to
support the gift shop where proceeds go to LSOP and residences.
o LSOP should continue to promote and recruit volunteers. Organizations and clubs
love to take on community service projects. For example, a student group from
BSMCON can decide to dedicate the third Thursday of every month to volunteer with
LSOP. They can also volunteer for the Annual French Food Festival to raise money.
Students can do a supply drive, make blankets, or raise money on their own. Since the
gift shop is run by volunteers and all crafts are homemade by volunteers and
residence, students can make and or buy crafts from shop.
o Rising money can help provide much needed renovations that would benefit the
residence (like better lighting).

Reflecting on service-learning:
How has this experience influenced your perception of your call to serve and you as a
servant leader?

o Nursing has a wide scope of practice and it is more than just serving at the
bedside. This experience shows that a nurse can be involved in a community with
a vulnerable population and make a difference there. To serve others can be as
simple and humble as volunteering like we did for this project. A servant leader is
not concerned with self-driven desires, they interested in making a difference for
others.

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 Reflect on the core tenets of servant leadership and how they apply to this service-
learning experience. Describe how you applied each of the following within the service-
learning experience:
Heart: Our motivation was driven to serve this vulnerable population at LSOP.
We were not motivated to fulfill self-driven desires. After our experience, we
enabled others to act and formed a small group to continue volunteering with us
monthly
Hands: The hands of a servant leader is when the leader takes action. Jane and I
actively volunteered and gathered supplies for residence. A servant leader should
model the way and be active in the process. Jane and I are acting as remodels and
inspiring others to join us in volunteering.
Head: Using the head of a servant leader means creating a shared vision and
setting goals. While a servant leader is forming a shared vision, it is also an
opportunity to inspire a shared vision amongst stakeholders in the project. Jane
and Is vision for our volunteering was to provide self-care services and crafts to
residence. We plan to continue this volunteer project for at least the next year. In
the process we are also inviting others to join us and asking them for their input
and what days/times work for them.
Habits: A servant leader must follow through with the leadership domain,
habits. When it comes to the habits of a servant leader, that leader must take
time for reflection, revaluation, and feedback. This reflection assignment itself
can count towards the habits pf a leader. But afterwards Jane and I discussed what
we liked and what we would do differently for the next volunteer opportunity.
Reflection-on-Action
What surprised you most about your service learning experience?
o Volunteers also run a gift shop to sell their homemade crafts to raise money for
LSOP. I never knew this before the project, but I love that even the residence make
crafts for the gift shop. There is a 90 year resident that makes embowered/sequent
calendars for the gift shop and it just amazing.
How do you think the skills you learned will be used as you become a registered nurse?
o I will use therapeutic listening and provide nursing presences when care for patients. I
will treat them holistically and see what I can do other than typical nursing task.
What impact do you think you had on the community where you completed your service-
learning project?
o I think we had a positive impact on this population. I believe this is true based on the
verbal feedback and smiles on their faces. Even though this project was simple, it
meant a lot to them have someone come in to paint nails, color and talk with them.
Sometimes the simplest actions of kindness make the biggest difference.

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