Students at two Saskatoon Public Schools' elementary schools and nursing students from the University of Saskatchewan have taken a SHINE to each other thanks to a unique partnership.

The School Health Initiative Nursing Education (SHINE) is a partnership between the school division and the College of Nursing. In operation since 2007, it offers fourth-year university students the opportunity to complete their community nursing practice course while working with students at Brunskill and North Park Wilson schools.

"In our community clinical we spend about 260 hours in the school we are placed at," nursing student Taylor Zablocki said during a recent presentation to the Board of Education.

"Health promotion is a really big goal for us," explained nursing student Ben Njaa. "How we try to do that is to get into the classrooms teaching students various health topics in the curriculum as well as (opportunities) outside of the classroom. We are trying to engage them in certain things these students will touch on in school and engage not only students but also the community promoting health and how it correlates to greater outcomes in the classroom."

The regular presence of nursing students builds connections at Brunskill and North Park Wilson and creates a unique learning opportunity for students ranging from kindergarten to Grade 8.

"I have been able to interact with the SHINE nurses over the last few years in a couple of different ways," said Abbie Shynkaruk, a Grade 7 students at Brunskill. "In the last few years we were taught a variety of lessons, like my favourites — the fresh food buffet and the REACH program. It has been helpful to get a nurse's perspective when learning about topics related to our own health."

The SHINE program provides nursing students with an opportunity to develop standards of practice and competencies of a community health nurse. During their placement, students work under the guidance of a clinical instructor. They support the health of the schools by incorporating principles of community engagement, health promotion, health education, interprofessional collaboration, capacity building, and evidence-based practice in their work.

The opportunity for regular contact allows SHINE nurses to build relationships with elementary students through a framework that focuses on the ideas of knowing, noticed, and missed.

"It's a concept we try to carry out every day with the students," Zablocki  said. "We know them — we know their names; we know a bit about them — we notice when they are there, and we can communicate to them that they are missed when they are not there."

Nursing students are generally at their schools for three days each week. Office space at both schools provides the opportunity for elementary students to stop in. "We have that open-door policy, whether it is a minor first aid thing after recess or if they just want to talk, we are always there," Njaa said.

Brunskill is hosting seven students during the current term while North Park Wilson has three. Nursing students also have a presence at Mayfair, Pleasant Hill, Vincent Massey, and W.P. Bate schools, as well as Tommy Douglas Collegiate.

The work done by the nursing students in schools includes education to meet curricular goals along with sharing messages about healthy bodies, minds, and relationships. They run programs to encourage friendships and teach about nutrition. They support the school with events that welcome the entire school community, such as a paint night and a math night with soup for North Park Wilson families.

"The SHINE program has been helpful in many ways. In the Fun With Friends program we learn how to communicate with our friends and how to be positive," said Brunskill student Prokriti Datta. "The SHINE nurses have been a great help in our school and I hope we can continue all of the activities."

Grade 7 student Connor Patterson said the program is a great addition to Brunskill and benefits the students and the community.

"The fresh food buffet is a project the SHINE nurses co-ordinate and do with the Grade 7 students each year," he said. "We learn about the Canada Food Guide, healthy eating habits, food and kitchen safety, and how to budget when we are buying groceries."

The success of the SHINE partnership illustrates how learning moves both ways. The elementary students and school communities benefit from the knowledge brought by the student nurses. The nurses, in turn, able to implement their learning in a real-life setting.

I think a lot of us going into this specific nursing rotation didn't know what to expect for community nursing," Zablocki said. "It did take a little while to figure out what the plan was, the goals and that kind of thing. It is a great experience because we do a lot of education wherever we end up in our nursing careers — it's a nice way to build those skills."