1

Running head: POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT

Poverty Reflection Assignment

JD


2
POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT

Poverty Reflection Assignment

Experience During SPENT Simulation and Poverty Simulation

The SPENT simulation and the in-class poverty simulation gave me a better

understanding of what it would be like to be living below the poverty line. I’ve always saw

poverty from an outside lens never knowing what it’s like to be in such a vulnerable position.

These simulations opened my eyes and brought my attention to the realities of these

underprivileged and vulnerable groups.

Decisions and Sacrifices

Both simulations taught me how limited I am in my options and opportunities, and that

the decisions we make can have irreversible consequences. For the SPENT simulation, I was

virtually put into the shoes of an impoverished unemployed single parent who must survive a

month on what little resources society has provided to her. Every decision felt like I was walking

around landmines. Even though each scenario initially makes it seem like you have a handful of

options to choose from, you soon realize that there are many societal factors that narrow you

down to only one option that you have no choice but to choose from to continue on with the

game. Therefore, I never really felt I had power over my decisions. It felt more like I could only

choose from what was available, and not much were truthfully available. For instance, when I

had three options to choose for employment: restaurant server, warehouse worker, or temp. I

tried to apply for a temp which paid 9$ an hour (a typical minimum wage), but I failed the typing

test which is an administrative skills prerequired by the job. Therefore, I had to choose the

second highest option which was warehouse worker which also paid $9 an hour, but I could be

opening doors to future medical emergencies. According to Bloomenthal (2021), “While many

states and some cities have minimum-wage rates much higher than $7.25, minimum-wage

2
3
POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT
earners still struggle to pay bills, secure housing, and support a family” (par. 2). Earning this

much limited how much my family could afford. I used that money to afford housing, but even

the location I chose determines future outcomes of the game also. This game also showed me

how easy it is to get stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle, because the cheaper food that I could afford

were mostly junk food or fast food which can put my me and my family at risk for future health

problems. Certain sacrifices I had to make was not attending my grandfather’s memorial because

it was too expensive to go. I was also not able to afford my child a tutor. I had to helplessly

watch my child fail their class. I think that was the most difficult decision I had to make, because

if I were a parent, I would do anything to help my child succeed in life. However, this game

gives very little options for me to do that which makes it very scary because that scenario could

be someone’s current reality.

For the in-person poverty simulation, my character was a 35-year-old single mother with

a 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter who was left by her husband with nothing but a 10-

dollar bill. To survive, we have to make it up to 4 weeks on just the little resources provided to

cover costs for mortgage, food, electricity, and utilities. I felt the poverty simulation was more

challenging than the virtual SPENT game, because it makes it more challenging to have access to

transportation, employment, and benefits. You actually have to go back and forth through

facilities and institutions to able to gain access to these things. For instance, we had to give a

“transportation ticket” whenever we went to different places. It was also hard to apply for

employment because the job was only given to the first person who reached the employment

booth. I also faced difficulties when applying for benefits. Even though my family was qualified

to have benefits, we had to wait another week, so my family practically starved for another week.

We also had to make sacrifices like pawning our stereo and tv, because we needed to pay-off the

3
4
POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT
mortgage. Paying for the house was difficult, and my son even had to drop out of school to help

pay for rent. We eventually got evicted, but we did got our house back through pawn shopping,

my daughter spending her breaks babysitting under the table, and saving money using our

benefits to pay for food since it was difficult for my son and I to get employment.

Emotional State During Poverty Simulation

My “family members” and I were overwhelmed by how many things we must maintain

and pay for like housing, food, electricity, and utilities. We had to learn how to prioritize things

like prioritizing food first to prevent a medical emergency despite being evicted and wanting to

pay off our mortgage. There were also frustrating moments of bad luck that I did not see coming.

For instance, on SPENT, my child and I got in a car accident, and we had to pay for 500 dollars’

worth of damage. During the poverty simulation, my daughter got expelled, our car broke down,

and we were wrongfully evicted by our landlord who took advantage of our lack of knowledge

about housing rights. We just felt so helpless during these unforeseen moments. According to

Knfiton and Inglis (2020), “Poverty in childhood and among adults can cause poor mental health

through social stresses, stigma and trauma. Equally, mental health problems can lead to

impoverishment through loss of employment or underemployment, or fragmentation of social

relationships. This vicious cycle is in reality even more complex, as many people with mental

health problems move in and out of poverty, living precarious lives” (par. 3). It was depressing,

really, knowing that someone right now could be dealt with the same reality. However, we were

never discouraged. I realized that having things taken away from us motivated us to work even

harder to get them back. We learned to work as a team on how to be more resourceful and

created a game plan on what we needed to do to survive the two final weeks. We never reached

our mark to have everything payed-off, but we were appreciative of our little accomplishments

4
5
POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT
like getting our mortgage paid-off, having our foods paid off and not getting into a medical

emergency, and getting some form of income through my daughter’s babysitter service.

What I Learned and Integrating My Experience in Nursing.

This experience was very lifechanging. This experience opened my eyes to how poverty

can be a hard cycle to break free from. I learned how the choices you make based on the limited

resources you have can greatly impact one’s life. I also learned how those who are vulnerable

can be easily taken advantaged of if they have no knowledge about how to navigate the system. I

also learned that those who experience the realities of it should not be looked at with pity and

hopelessness but to be seen as underserved yet strong resourceful individuals who were just

failed by an unfair system. I now better understand how government assistance, benefits, and

community support can make a big difference in the lives of these vulnerable groups. As a nurse,

I will pay better attention to the socioeconomic status of my patient and assess whether they need

economic assistance so I can refer them to resources and government assistance that could help

improve their lives.

5
6
POVERTY REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT
References

Bloomenthal, A. (2021). Can a family survive on the u.s. minimum wage? Investopedia.

Retrieved from [Link]

[Link]

Knifton, L., Inglis, G. (2020). Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research

Implications. BJ Psych Bulletin. Retrieved from [Link]

pmc/articles/PMC7525587/

Stanhope, M., Lancaster, J. (2018). Foundations for population health in community/public

health nursing. (5th ed). Elsevier. St. Louis, MO.