Learning Beyond the Classroom

Some of the most important lessons in nursing happen far beyond the walls of a hospital.

This summer, Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) students from the University of San Diego's Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science (HSON) discovered this lesson firsthand while volunteering at Operation Stand Down, an annual event that brings together health care providers, housing agencies, legal advocates and community organizations to serve veterans experiencing homelessness.

The Operation Stand Down experience challenged students to look beyond diagnoses and procedures and focus on what compassionate nursing really means. It means meeting people where they are, preserving their dignity, and working alongside community partners to improve lives.

For Laura Booth, DNP, FNP-BC, those lessons have shaped an entire career. 

A Department of Veterans Affairs nurse practitioner (NP) for more than 30 years, Dr. Booth volunteered at her first Operation Stand Down in 1996 as a new graduate registered nurse. She has returned nearly every year since and now serves on the event's planning committee.

In addition to her work at the VA, Dr. Booth serves as an NP clinical and adjunct faculty member at HSON and as a longtime preceptor for USD NP students. She has also helped expand clinical opportunities for students by connecting the HSON with additional VA NPs who now serve as student preceptors.

"Our veterans experiencing homelessness often face incredibly complex medical, mental health, and social challenges," Dr. Booth said. "Stand Down provides an opportunity to meet them where they are, help connect them with care and resources, and remind them that they are valued. Every year I leave inspired by the resilience of the veterans we serve and the dedication of everyone who volunteers."

Each year, Operation Stand Down connects veterans with a wide range of essential services, from primary and specialty health care to mental health care, housing assistance, employment support, legal services, food resources and clothing. Just as importantly, it demonstrates what can happen when health care professionals and community organizations work together with a shared purpose.

For the HSON students, the event offered a new perspective on what it means to care for the whole person.

"Stand Down gives students the opportunity to see the incredible collaboration that takes place among the VA and our many community partners," Dr. Booth said. "Seeing those partnerships firsthand helps students understand that providing excellent health care goes far beyond writing a prescription or treating a medical condition. They learn the importance of connecting patients with community resources and working as part of a larger interdisciplinary team."

One moment from this year's event captured that lesson in a way no classroom simulation could.

"One experience that really stood out to me this year was watching one of the students start an IV while kneeling on the grass in the middle of the event," Dr. Booth said. "That's not something they're going to experience in a traditional hospital or clinic setting. It reminded me that health care doesn't always happen in ideal circumstances. Sometimes you have to adapt to the environment while still providing safe, compassionate, high-quality care."

Those experiences often reshape how students think about nursing.

"Many students tell me afterward that they gained a much deeper understanding of homelessness and the challenges veterans face," Dr. Booth said. "They often leave with a greater appreciation for the importance of advocacy, empathy and treating every patient with dignity and respect."

Dr. Booth believes those lessons are just as important as clinical skills.

"My years caring for veterans have reinforced that being an excellent provider is about much more than diagnosing and treating illness," she said. "It's about listening carefully, building trust, treating every patient with dignity and respect, and understanding each person's unique story."

Dr. Booth hopes that even more HSON faculty, MEPN students, and NP students will participate in future Operation Stand Down events, strengthening both the University's partnership with the VA and its commitment to serving the San Diego community.

"I would love to see continued participation from the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science in events like Stand Down and other volunteer opportunities, including more nurse practitioner students," Dr. Booth said. "Volunteering at these events is an outstanding learning experience. Stand Down is also a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the VA while serving our veteran community."

For the HSON students who volunteered, Operation Stand Down was more than a day of service. It was an opportunity to experience nursing at its most human, where compassion, collaboration and advocacy come together to make a meaningful difference. It embodied USD’s commitment to “light the way forward” in a real-world setting.

"One of the greatest opportunities we have as educators is to help students become not only clinically excellent nurses, but nurses who lead with compassion, humility and a commitment to serving every patient with dignity," Dr. Booth said. "Experiences like Stand Down help reinforce those lessons in a way that no classroom ever could."