Description/Overview: Nursing, by definition, is about serving others. Thus, nursing professionals need to understand the culture of poverty in order to assist those experiencing its devastation. Initially, students may view nursing through a very narrow lens—hospitals, scrubs, IV medications, call bells, and monitors beeping. However, understanding that much of what nurses do will be community-based broadens their perspective. Poverty, a condition many experience in varying degrees throughout the world, is usually associated with poor health outcomes and lack of access to appropriate healthcare. In the United States alone, there was an estimated 46.2 million people or 15.1% living in poverty in 2010 – the highest number since the US started counting (U.S. Census, 2010). Thus, it is imperative that students understand the burden of population health on the community and be responsive by working to address those health needs in an effort to improve the quality of life for the people who live in their communities. This symposium proposes to discuss one university’s approach to helping students understand and respect the burdensome impact living in poverty has on persons and their health care decisions. Source: U.S. Census (2010). Retrieved 11.9.11 http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb11-157.html

Learner Objective #1: Describe community based service learning projects that improve nursing student’s cultural competency across the lifespan in underserved populations.

Learner Objective #2: Identify differences in student attitudes towards poverty after participating in a traditional teaching methodology versus a less traditional method.