U of M Lambuth nursing students participate in poverty simulation

JACKSON, Tenn. — Nursing students at the University of Memphis Lambuth Campus got a chance to see what some of their patients experience.

Second and third semester nursing students participated in the Community Action Poverty Simulation, an exercise which allows students to experience the lives of low-income or fixed-income families.

Students learn about the resources available to families and how poverty could affect their patients in a hospital setting.

“They need to, one, have a greater awareness of the community resources that are available so that they can make better referrals to these agencies once the patient leaves,” Christie Schrotberger, assistant dean of nursing, said. “They also need to know really how that poverty is going to affect the patient so that we have a better understanding of what’s really realistic to expect for that patient upon discharge.”

She adds the exercise helps students learn how to improve care for their patients.