Student Name

University

NURS-FPX4015

Professor’s Name

Submission Date

Caring for Special Population Teaching Presentation

 Hi, I am______. This presentation will explain the idea of cultural beliefs, health challenges, and how to offer efficient and comprehensive care to homeless or under housed people.

Objectives:

Culturally competent care has to address the healthcare service disparities and care provided by the healthcare practitioners to homeless/housing-insecure individuals with distinct health needs. This presentation will also focus on policy and training, as well as the communication between the patients and their families, using respectful techniques. The needs of this population that need to be addressed include mental health, chronic disease, and preventive care. This presentation will empower healthcare practitioners with skills and knowledge to offer culturally competent and sensitive care to the poor or homeless individuals.

Chosen Population Group

The population group that will be selected in this presentation is the homeless people or those who experience housing insecurity. They may be in the streets, in shelters, or in temporary houses, and they may lack access to regular medical services, food, and social services. Mental health disorders, substance use, chronic illnesses, and infectious diseases are rising among the population (as compared to the general population of the country) (Tweed et al., 2021). Stigma and discrimination, social isolation, and inability to access healthcare resources are also obstacles that only strengthen health outcomes. All these problems precondition the necessity to offer culturally competent, trauma-informed, and inclusive care to their patients that should address their own needs.

Cultural Values and Beliefs Relevant to Healthcare

Cultural values and lived experiences affect the experiences of homeless or housing-insecure individuals in healthcare. Most people cherish privacy, trust, and respect because most of them usually feel stigmatized or poorly treated in the healthcare system. Rather than that, healthcare caregivers must treat such a group with compassion, tolerance, and nonjudgmental communication (Gabriel et al., 2022). There is a need to learn the significance of the previous trauma and social alienation in building trust and motivating individuals to participate in healthcare service delivery. The needs of these values are individualized care and enhanced compliance, and overall health outcomes.

Healthcare Disparities Faced by the Special Population Group

The homeless or persons under housing insecurity are at a higher risk of experiencing a disproportionately high amount of mental illnesses, chronic illnesses, infectious illnesses, and substance use disorders. In Los Angeles, approximately 1 in every four homeless adults is severely mentally ill, some of them are depressed, anxious, or schizophrenic; 54% of homeless adults have underlying chronic medical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease) (Venice Family Clinic, 2023).

Such medical conditions are normally exacerbated by lack of access to healthcare services, medical compliance at times, poor diet, and unsafe and unsuitable living conditions. Crowded shelters and spaces are the origins of such infectious diseases as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and COVID-19 (Zhu et al., 2022). Furthermore, stigma, discrimination, and mistrust in the care provider tend to discourage the use of the care provider because of stigma and discrimination, as well as the barriers to prompt intervention by virtue of a fragmented healthcare system. Combined, these reasons result in the late diagnosis of the disease, poor treatment, and poor health outcomes in comparison to the general population.

Strategies for Providing Culturally Competent Nursing Care

The culturally competent care approach based on evidence-based and trauma-informed practice with homeless or housing-insecure people must address the specific health needs of the populations. Healthcare providers should receive specialized training on mental illness, chronic diseases, substance use, and infectious diseases prevalent in this population (Zace et al., 2021). It should be noted that the sense of trust should be formed through the establishment of empathy, patience, and nonjudgment in the communication process because the majority of people have already been discriminated against or ignored in the healthcare environment. The providers must also respect patient autonomy, involve persons in decision making, and consider the social and cultural factors that affect the health of patients, such as family roles, religious beliefs, and life experiences.

Coordination of activities with community organizations, shelters, and outreach programs should be used to create better access to care and make people aware of essential resources. Interpreters, culturally-adapted educational materials, as well as flexible care delivery models, can also be used to reduce barriers (Agonafer et al., 2021). The policies and institutional support of equity and inclusiveness also lead to consistent, respectful, and patient-centered care. With these strategies, health workers will be able to attain improved health outcomes, develop trust, and allow the homeless or unsheltered to play an active role in their treatment.

Case Studies or Personal Narratives

Among the homeless people who had bad experiences and feared being judged initially refused to get healthcare services due to their uncontrollable diabetes. The nurse has employed a quality of trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care by being an active listener, showing empathy, and being non-judgmental. Scheduling of care also included the collaborative decision-making between the patient and the provider, taking his preferences into account and solving potential barriers to care (Gabriel et al., 2022). Through this, trust was established, the patient got more interested in managing his condition, and his blood glucose level and his general health got better.

Another case was a woman whose substance use history, that she was stably housed, but she was not willing to undergo a rehabilitation program. The nurse was aware of the impact of stigma, past traumas, and social problems, and used open-ended inquiries, respectful communication, and validated her experiences (Hollingdrake et al., 2025). By connecting the patient to the community resources, shelters, and counselling services in her care, she felt safe, supported, and enabled. Such a personalized and culturally competent strategy increased compliance with treatment, mental health, and long-term well-being.

Resources for Further Learning

Healthcare providers have several resources they can consult to enhance care delivery to people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) provides specific instructions, educational, and training materials that are targeted at this specific demographic (Pottie et al., 2020). Hands-on training on trauma-sensitive care, culturally sensitive communication, and connection of patients with social and medical resources could be offered in local shelters and community outreach programs. In addition, CDC and WHO provide evidence-based measures to curb chronic and infectious illnesses in underserved communities (Calo et al., 2020). With the help of these resources, the healthcare professionals will be ready to reduce the health disparities and improve the overall health of homeless people by giving them a combination of knowledge, skills, and means.

Conclusion

Culturally competent and trauma-informed care should be provided to homeless or housing-insecure populations as an equity, respect, and inclusion measure in healthcare. Determining their unique problems, addressing health disparities, and engaging in evidence-based interventions are among the factors that help to build trust and support them in accessing healthcare services. The providers can offer consistent patient-centered care by training, supporting policies, and collaborating with community resources. Empathy, cultural humility, and advocacy can empower this population, making nurses focus on these factors to increase the effectiveness of health outcomes and increase the social reintegration of this population. Lastly, non-discriminating, personalized care can be used to reduce disparities and promote the overall health of the homeless individuals over the long term.

References for NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 4

Agonafer, E. P., Carson, S. L., Nunez, V., Poole, K., Hong, C. S., Morales, M., Jara, J., Hakopian, S., Kenison, T., Bhalla, I., Cameron, F., Vassar, S. D., & Brown, A. F. (2021). Community-based organizations’ perspectives on improving health and social service integration. BioMed Central Public Health, 21(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10449-w

Calo, W. A., Murray, A., Francis, E., Bermudez, M., & Kraschnewski, J. (2020). Reaching the Hispanic community about COVID-19 through existing chronic disease prevention programs. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200165

Gabriel, M. D., Mirza, S., & Stewart, S. L. (2022). Exploring mental health and holistic healing through the life stories of indigenous youth who have experienced homelessness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13402. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013402

Hollingdrake, O., River, J., Vasquez‐Hernandez, A., Grech, E., & Currie, J. (2025). A qualitative study exploring the nursing scope of practice for the care of people experiencing homelessness. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70039

Pottie, K., Kendall, C. E., Aubry, T., Magwood, O., Andermann, A., Salvalaggio, G., Ponka, D., Bloch, G., Brcic, V., Agbata, E., Thavorn, K., Hannigan, T., Bond, A., Crouse, S., Goel, R., Shoemaker, E., Wang, J. Z. J., Mott, S., Kaur, H., & Mathew, C. (2020). Clinical guideline for homeless and vulnerably housed people, and people with lived homelessness experience. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(10), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190777

Tweed, E. J., Thomson, R. M., Lewer, D., Sumpter, C., Kirolos, A., Southworth, P. M., Purba, A. K., Aldridge, R. W., Hayward, A., Story, A., Hwang, S. W., & Katikireddi, S. V. (2021). Health of people experiencing co-occurring homelessness, imprisonment, substance use, sex work, and/or severe mental illness in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 75(10). https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-215975

Venice Family Clinic. (2023, February 14). Mental illness among people experiencing homelessness. Venice Family Clinic. https://venicefamilyclinic.org/news/in-the-news/la-is-losing-the-battle-against-mental-illness-among-its-homeless/

Zaçe, D., Hoxhaj, I., Orfino, A., Viteritti, A. M., Janiri, L., & Di Pietro, M. L. (2021). Interventions to address mental health issues in healthcare workers during infectious disease outbreaks: A systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 136, 319–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.019

Zhu, A., Bruketa, E., Svoboda, T., Patel, J., Elmi, N., Richandi, G., Baral, S., & Orkin, A. (2022). Respiratory infectious disease outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness: A systematic review of prevention and mitigation strategies. Annals of Epidemiology, 77, 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.03.004

Related Nursing Assessment:

NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 5 Comprehensive Head-to-Toe Assessment