The impact of a service-learning foot soak experience on nursing students' attitudes towards the homeless.

BACKGROUND

Opportunities for meaningful engagement with the homeless can alter negative attitudes. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in attitudes towards the homeless among undergraduate nursing students participating in a service-learning foot soak experience.

METHODS

This was a prospective, pretest and posttest interventional study. Student attitudes were measured through: (a) the attitudes toward homelessness inventory and (b) thematic analysis of a guided reflection on the experience.

RESULTS

Mean posttest total scores (mean = 50.06; standard deviation = 7.004) were significantly (P = .001) higher from mean pretest scores (mean = 47.06; standard deviation = 5.455), indicating more positive attitudes towards the homeless (n = 47) after the clinic. Three categories of themes that reflected student experiences are as follows: (a) benefits, (b) context, and, (c) potential consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

A foot soak clinic can increase students' understanding of experiences faced by homeless persons through genuine human interaction, and has benefits to community members and learners.