A PIONEERING IMPLEMENTATION OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENT NURSES AT A NURSE MANAGED HOMELESS SHELTER HEALTH CLINIC

In 1986, faculty involved in the Howard University College of Nursing established a Nurse-Managed Homeless Health Clinic in a Homeless Shelter in Washington, D.C. A major outcome of this project was the integration clinical experiences of nursing curriculum to include a non-traditional setting. Overall, this project grew out of the volunteer work of a College of Nursing faculty member with a local homeless advocacy group. Ultimately, a 32 bed nurse-managed clinic was established in the basement of the 1300 bed Federal City Shelter. This project marked the first time in which healthcare access was provided for city’s most disenfranchised community. Undergraduate and graduate Nursing students were afforded clinical experiences in this setting which included the following 24/7 services:
- Physical and mental status assessment
- Treatment and patient education
- Drug/alcohol counseling

Because of the significant success of this clinic, a generous three-year grant was awarded to this project in 1990 by the W. K. Kellog Foundation. Moreover, the distribution of clinical experiences in the curriculum for undergraduate and graduate Nursing students experienced a significant modification. That historic shift from primarily hospital based clinical experiences became approximately fifty per cent community based. Today, professional nursing curricula reflect in more shifts in the distribution of clinical experiences for the Nursing student. But more importantly, more community-based safe havens exist that provide services for homeless medically ill.