Enhancing a public health nursing shelter program

Abstract

The Shelter Nurse Program offers important nursing care and resources that help meet the health needs of the homeless population and improve the health of homeless individuals and families. However, formalized program goals and objectives, along with an evaluation plan that demonstrates population outcomes, had never been developed even as the program has evolved over time. Thus, the agency sought our assistance as public health nursing consultants to enhance the overall program to improve the health of the homeless population. To accomplish this, we worked with the agency and the shelter nurses throughout each step of the process to assess the needs of the program, develop appropriate goals and objectives, and develop an effective outcome evaluation plan for the existing Shelter Nurse Program. Lessons learned included the value and applicability of the selected program development model, the importance of agency ownership and active participation by front-line workers, and the value of educating the workers and introducing resources throughout the process.