Caring for the Poor: Analysis of Nurses' Attitudes Toward the Culture of Poverty

Living in a culture of poverty challenges people when they seek healthcare. Attitudes of healthcare workers caring for the poor can affect both return to care and subsequent health outcomes. This quality improvement project at a U.S. Midwestern hospital employed a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of a voluntary educational intervention on nurses' attitudes toward the culture of poverty. Findings indicated a significant positive change in attitude dealing with stigmatizing statements about people living in the culture of poverty.