Teaching Poverty: Evaluation of Two Simulated Poverty Teaching Interventions With Undergraduate Nursing Students

Understanding poverty through virtual simulation: implications for student clinical practice

BACKGROUND

Competency-based education among baccalaureate nursing students is emerging based on American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials. With the impact of COVID-19 on nursing education and AACN recommendations, changes were required to provide alternative modes of delivery and means of assessment.

PURPOSE

Virtual poverty simulation data is limited. The use of virtual poverty simulation will ensure students' mastery of core competencies while offering versatility in an online environment.

METHODS

Students virtually completed online pre-work, SPENT, a virtual poverty simulation, online debriefing, post-simulation assessment using the Simulation Effectiveness Tool, and post-simulation journaling.

RESULTS

94 % of students demonstrated improved clinical decision making, increased confidence in prioritizing care, communication and reporting, and fostering patient safety. Four themes were identified from journals.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of virtual poverty simulation with baccalaureate nursing students was identified as useful pedagogy for increasing student understanding of health implications related to poverty in a virtual learning environment.

Optimization Model of Mathematics Instructional Mode Based on Deep Learning Algorithm

This paper proposes corresponding teaching methods and instructional modes based on predecessors' research on mathematics instructional mode and the current state of mathematics teaching. In addition, this paper constructs a teaching evaluation model based on DL algorithm based on an in-depth study of DL-related theories in order to accurately and scientifically analyze the problems that exist in mathematics teaching. This paper constructs an instructional quality evaluation index system based on rationality and fairness, and uses the BPNN evaluation model to train and study a set of instructional quality data. Finally, the experimental results show that this system has a high level of stability, with a 96.37 percent stability rate and a 95.42 percent evaluation accuracy rate. The results of this paper's evaluation of the mathematical instructional quality model are objective and reasonable. It can accurately assess instructional quality while also assessing problems in the teaching process based on the instructional quality scores and making reasonable recommendations for teaching improvement based on the weak links in the teaching process. It has the potential to provide a workable system for assessing instructional quality.

Longitudinal impact of a poverty simulation on healthcare practitioners' attitudes towards poverty

BACKGROUND

Many clinicians have limited knowledge about the challenges of living in poverty, leading to stigma and differential treatment in healthcare settings. A poverty simulation event may help clinicians gain empathy and knowledge about the ways that poverty impacts health and well-being.

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the impact of a poverty simulation and the effect of personal characteristics on clinicians' attitudes towards poverty.

METHODS

Using a prospective longitudinal mixed-methods study design, a convenience sampling of clinicians from a freestanding children's hospital was recruited to participate in a poverty simulation event. The 21-item Attitudes Towards Poverty (ATP) tool was administered pre- and post-simulation and at 3 follow-up time points. Multiple linear regression analysis and linear mixed effects models were used to analyze ATP data. Qualitative data were analyzed to identify broad themes.

RESULTS

Mean scores in the ATP domains of stigma and structural perspective increased post-simulation, but only stigma scores demonstrated sustained improvement. Scores in the personal deficiency domain remained unchanged. Being male, White, and having Liberal political views were associated with lower ATP scores in our data. Qualitative data show participants felt the simulation generated feelings of compassion and empathy.

DISCUSSION

Simulation participation improved ATP scores in two domains immediately post-event, suggesting the simulation positively impacted clinicians' attitudes towards poverty. Follow-up data suggest the impact of the simulation may be temporary.

TRANSLATION TO HEALTH EDUCATION PRACTICE

Experiential learning activities, like poverty simulations, help foster awareness and empathy among clinicians but may not have long-term impact. Ongoing education is needed to create a workforce sensitized and equipped to care for families from all backgrounds.

Poverty and health inequalities: Perceptions of social work students and nursing students

AIM

This study describes student perceptions on health inequalities and causes of poverty.

BACKGROUND

As frontline providers, social workers and nurses are expected to engage with patients from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, a socio-demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on health inequalities and the Perceived Causes of Poverty Scale were administered using a convenience sample of 155 students in social work and 266 students in nursing undergraduate programmes at a state university in Turkey. Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used in the analysis of the data.

FINDINGS

Social work students were more likely to attribute the cause of poverty to social injustice and a lack of opportunities, whereas nursing students had more fatalistic explanations or beliefs, maintaining that outcomes are pre-determined and therefore cannot be changed. In both groups, those who agreed that there were problems and deficiencies in health service provision and that there was ill-health among poor groups were more likely to associate poverty with social injustice and lack of opportunities. Those without a systemic understanding of poverty and health inequalities showed a tendency to hold more individualistic/fate-related perspectives.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND EDUCATION POLICY

The nursing students, as compared to the social work students, tended to explain poverty more on the basis of individual responsibility and fatalism and were less likely to link poverty with health inequalities and to advocate for policies to end health inequalities. The students' perceptions on the causes of poverty affected their views on health inequalities. These findings suggest the need to develop curricula that equip nursing students with an understanding of poverty as a systemic cause of health inequality. Health inequality and poverty need to be positioned at the centre of training curricula by professional accreditation bodies. Interdisciplinary collaboration is recommended to foster advocacy skills in students. Furthermore, transformative changes are needed in nursing and social work education to prepare students to adequately address the Social Determinants of Health. Curricula should incorporate leadership and political activism within courses to facilitate structural change.

A comparison of learning outcomes from two poverty simulation experiences

OBJECTIVES

Five nationally representative U.S. federal data sources consistently showed the link between poverty and poor health outcomes. To determine the modality effective in teaching students about poverty and health, this study compared the attitudes toward poverty of students participating in the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) and the poverty table-top simulation (Dwell™).

METHODS

In this quasi-experimental study, undergraduate and graduate nursing students and physical therapy students participated in either CAPS or a table-top simulation (TTS) depending on their semester of enrollment in the relevant course. The Undergraduate Perception of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) was administered before and after each simulation.

RESULTS

The analysis included 118 matched pairs. Using MANOVA tests, the authors found no group difference in the overall change of attitude after the simulations (p = .232). However, by the subscale analyses, TTS significantly increased students' willingness to help (p = .008, η²  = 0.058) and their empathy toward those living in poverty (p = .039, η²  = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

TTS participants had more elements of improvement, but both modalities were found to change participants' attitudes.