GMercyU Hosts Poverty Simulation Experience
Gwynedd Mercy University held its Poverty Simulation experience for students in Nursing, Respiratory Care, Social Work, and Public Health programs.
The annual experience has grown over the years from just Nursing to a more interdisciplinary approach, representative of what students will experience when working in their respective fields.
The simulation is designed to help build empathy and understanding in students for what their future clients may be living through.
During the simulation, students are assigned roles of community members who are at or below the poverty level and must figure out how to make it through a week in their lives with few resources. For example, how will you feed your family with little money? How can you get to work with no money for transportation? Who will care for your child when school is out and you have to go to work?
Students also played roles of various resource providers such as the department of social services, healthcare center, public school, interfaith services, employers, a pawn shop, and more.
There are no grades for the simulation; instead, students are expected to fully immerse themselves in the experience as the simulation provides as safe space for learning. Following the simulation, students and faculty gather together to debrief and reflect and the choices made and evaluate their actions and responses.
"We prepared the simulation to enhance students' understanding of empathy as it relates to the experience of poverty," Assistant Professor and Simulation Coordinator of the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions Megan E. Mustachio, DNP, WCC, CHSE said.
"Students expressed encountering individuals on their toughest days, realizing the pivotal choice of making those moments better or worse for them. It is a great representative of our Mercy mission."
Students also participated in a Disaster Simulation earlier this fall, where senior-level nursing and respiratory therapy students put their skills and education to the test in a high-pressure healthcare situation.
A hallmark of GMercyU’s innovative healthcare education programming, these simulation experiences immerse students in real-world scenarios, requiring efficiency and compassionate care.