Abstract
People experiencing homelessness suffer from deficient access to health care and disproportionately poor health outcomes. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) maintains learning competencies for prelicensure nursing students. Shelters are rich environments for students to garner experiences with the inequities plaguing our health care system and to fulfill AACN competencies. We established a psychiatric and mental health nursing practicum at a homeless shelter. Following a retrospective pretest methodology, we evaluated student learning with the Health Care Professional's Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI). Students, faculty, and shelter staff provided qualitative feedback postpracticum. Students' median HPATHI scores increased on 16 of 19 survey items. Qualitative feedback was largely positive and reinforced HPATHI data. The practicum provided rich learning experiences for students. Educators establishing shelter-based practica should prioritize continuity, develop referral pathways for residents with illness, maintain a flexible mindset, administer prospective student surveys, and solicit feedback from shelter residents. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
