■If healthcare providers do not understand the situation their patient is in, they will not be able to properly care and plan for their patients care (Cervantez-Thompson, Emrich, & Moore, 2003).
The purpose of this study was to evaluate for possible changes in attitudes towards poverty in junior level BSN students after a poverty simulation intervention. Participants were surveyed using the Yun and Weaver’s Short Form Attitudes towards Poverty (SFATP) tool which looks three factors of poverty attitudes: personal deficiency, stigma, and structural perspective.
The Adult Learning Theory was what the research study was based upon, which focuses on four components of the adult learner: adults need to be a part of the teaching, immediate relevance to one’s life/job is needed, the experience provides learning, adult learners will be able to feel like they are solving the problem.
■As educators, how do we teach our students to realize what those living in poverty face on a daily basis?
■This is a hard topic to discuss in a lecture and have people grasp the gravity of the situation.
■Moreover, can we provide the students with a meaningful experience, possibly changing their attitudes about those who are experiencing poverty?
Results were analyzed using independent T-test analysis, after completion of questionnaires called the Short Form Attitudes towards Poverty (SFATP) survey. No statistical significance was found when comparing control and intervention groups with the smaller student participant numbers in this study. However, when comparing a larger cohort of students, significant changes in attitudes were seen in the areas of Stigma and Structural Perspectives. Recommendations for further research include ongoing data collection with a larger group of participants as well as analysis of Qualitative data.
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