Changing attitudes about persons with disabilities: effects of a simulation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Disability Studies
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing attitudes toward disabled persons is crucial in healthcare.
• Simulation-based learning is increasingly used in nursing education.
• Assessing the long-term impact of educational interventions on attitudes is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of a simulation-based teaching strategy on undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward disabled persons over time.
• To determine if participation in "Sensitivity Day" alters attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental intervention study design was employed.
• Seventy-seven undergraduate nursing students participated.
• The Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons scale was administered at four time points: presimulation, immediate postsimulation, 6-week delayed postsimulation, and 6-month delayed postsimulation.

Main Results:

• Nursing students generally exhibited positive attitudes toward disabled persons throughout the study.
• Pre-simulation attitude scores were the strongest predictor of post-simulation scores.
• A statistically significant improvement (p = .07) in attitudes was observed in the experimental group at the 6-week delayed post-simulation assessment compared to baseline.

Conclusions:

• Simulation activities, such as "Sensitivity Day," show potential for positively influencing nursing students' attitudes toward disabled persons.
• The study contributes valuable data for designing educational activities aimed at improving intergroup attitudes in nursing.
• Further research can explore the sustainability of these attitude changes and the impact of specific simulation components.