Using a Photovoice Intervention to Teach Nursing Students About Living Homeless

Abstract

Background: Over 582,000 people live homeless in the United States daily. They have more health problems and are more likely to receive inadequate health care than people with adequate housing. They also report that nurses treat them uncivilly when they seek health care. Nurse educators teach students to care and advocate for those who are unhoused. Photovoice has been used as a strategy to teach nursing students, but we found no studies using this technique to teach about homelessness. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a photovoice intervention to teach nursing students what it is like to live with unstable living conditions. Method: The convenience sample for this mixed methods design consisted of 88 undergraduate nursing students in a health assessment course. Results: Scores for the intervention group improved, with a significant difference between groups in attitudes toward poverty. Students expressed a better understanding of the experience of living homeless, gained awareness of the challenges faced by those who live homeless, and stated this awareness will impact their future nursing practice. They further identified the importance of knowing what resources unhoused individuals may need to support their overall health and well-being. Conclusion: Photovoice is an effective method to teach students about homelessness.