• To understand the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness and the health challenges they may encounter to reduce health inequalities
• To be aware of the services and nurse-led interventions available for people who are experiencing homelessness
• To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)
• To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)
People experiencing homelessness have unique healthcare and health promotion needs. This article provides nurses with information on the healthcare challenges that commonly affect people who are experiencing homelessness, and outlines various effective nurse-led interventions that can be implemented. It provides examples of nurse-led health promotion projects, which demonstrate how a collaborative approach can improve the healthcare experiences of this patient group. This article also examines the issue of homelessness and mental capacity, as well as explaining the role of physical health outreach services in caring for people experiencing homelessness.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2018.e11155
CitationDorney-Smith S, Schneller K, Aboim S et al (2018) Meeting the healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2018.e11155
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Published online: 20 September 2018
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