Nurses hoping to develop projects improving healthcare ‘for the marginalised in society’ are being urged to ‘unleash their innovation’ with funding from the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).
The QNI is offering up to £5,000 funding to nurses working in primary care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop projects which improve healthcare for people who have poor health outcomes because they are more likely to be marginalised by wider society.
Up to ten nurses will be selected to receive the funding. The year-long projects will start in January 2018. Alongside the funding, the
QNI will also provide a year-long programme of professional support to help nurses develop their skills in planning projects, delivering outcomes, communications and leadership.
QNI homeless health programme manager David Parker-Radford said: ‘The average life expectancy of someone who is street homeless is 30 years less than the national average.
‘A high proportion of people who are homeless have multi-morbidities and may be dealing with complex trauma, mental health issues, physical health conditions, addictions, and communicable disease alongside housing, and relationship issues.
‘General practice nurses, health visitors, mental health nurses and specialist homelessness nurses are skilled at managing this complexity and are at the forefront of driving through innovations in holistic care. This programme will help to unleash their innovation to improve care for vulnerable people.’
As well as people who are homeless, the funding is
able to support projects that improve care for people in prison, refugees, travellers, people with drug and alcohol addiction, and sex workers.