Poverty Simulation: Implications on Nursing Curriculum

Nurses and other public health professionals are continuing to provide services to a growing number of Americans living in poverty, experiencing low food security and lacking health insurance. Given this and other factors several nursing education groups have stressed the importance of preparing nursing students to work with a variety of patient populations including vulnerable populations (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008; National League for Nursing, 2005), and the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (Harkness and DeMarco, 2012). This presentation will report findings from a study utilizing a pretest/posttest design and follow-up focus groups in investigating the impact of participating in a poverty simulation on nursing students’ attitudes toward poverty.  Results from administering the Attitudes Toward Poverty short form prior to and directly after the simulation as well as one month later to participating junior and senior students will be compared with the administration of a pretest/posttest to a control group. Themes emerging from the follow-up focus groups assessing the influence of the poverty simulation activity not only nurses student attitudes toward poverty and the poor, but also the potential impact on nursing students’ evolving professional identity and professional practice will be highlighted. Additional strategies and experiential techniques in nursing education to enhance competence in working with those in poverty as well as provide students an opportunity to gain empathy and sensitivity for vulnerable populations will be discussed.