Bachelors of Science Nursing students at a small liberal arts college in the upper Midwest volunteer with an instructor at a free clinic as part of their curriculum. This study's purpose was to identify the impact of nursing students' free-clinic experiences on their subsequent professional nursing practice and their ability to attend to: (a) needs of vulnerable populations, (b) health disparities, and (c) social justice within healthcare. A descriptive qualitative design and Eyler and Giles' (1999) service-learning framework were employed. Data were collected through tape-recorded, semi-structured interviews with 11 (of 70 possible) participants who graduated between May 2012 and Fall 2015 (~14% response). Thematic analysis was used to explore data (Braun & Clark, 2006). Findings included five major themes--(a) understanding, (b) access to care, (c) advocacy, (d) more time at the clinic, and (e) emotion--and seven minor themes--(a) non-judgmental, (b) use of social worker/interpreter, (c) seeking employment change/further education, (d) cultural awareness, (e) ethical behavior/tough choices, (f) professional responsibility/volunteering, and (g) obtaining a manual blood pressure. The opportunity to interact with free-clinic clients facilitated a deeper understanding of a client's social reality. Ultimately, listening led to understanding that resulted in students putting aside judgment, developing relationships, and often taking on an advocacy role. Baccalaureate nursing programs should provide clinical experiences in which nursing students have opportunity to care for clients experiencing health disparities, poverty, and a lack of access to care. These experiences prepare students to overcome the difficult social realities encountered in practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]