The Queen's Nursing Institute

The Queen's Nursing Institute works with the public, nurses and decision-makers to make sure that good quality nursing is available at home for everyone when they need it.

 
 
 

In this section:


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Visit the Burdett Trust website

Supporting the Fund for Innovation and Leadership.

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Visit our District Nursing 150 website, a celebration of the vibrant one hundred and fifty year history of District Nursing in the UK.

Other subjects

QUESTION: Does anyone know of any international forums for individuals or teams working with homeless people?

ANSWER:
New Zealand – New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness
USA: Common Ground – New York; Street Physicians; National Coalition for the Homeless www.nationalhomeless.org
Europe – FEANTSA – www.feantsa.org
Australia – Homelessness Australia www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au
Salvation Army International

QUESTION: “Do any Forum members know of qualified Health Trainers who work specifically with homeless or vulnerably housed individuals and/or families. If so, please could you let me know which NHS Healthcare Trust or organisation they work for. Thanks.”

ANSWER: NHS Westminster commissioned Groundswell to deliver a Homeless Health Promotion Programme where homeless peers are trained and supported by the local Health Promotion team and other NHS and LA services.

Their training is very comprehensive - getting health issues covered, but also such issues as confidentiality, note taking, complaints etc - and the peers are supported by an experienced group counsellor. Additionally the programme looks to support peers into training and/or employment (not necessarily health and social care) after 6 months 

ANSWER: We have qualified trainers in Sussex Homeless Service St John Ambulance

They teach:

  • First Aid for Frontline Workers – including Overdose Aid
  • Overdose Aid and Essential First Aid for clients

These are the only things we are teaching while a review of our Homeless Training takes place

ANSWER: I think the Health Trainer Service managed by PSS in Liverpool have a health trainer that works with the Homeless –they are on the web – Google PSS, Liverpool.

QUESTION: Do any of the forum members have PGDs relating to the use of Naloxone in opiate overdoses in hostel accommodation, could I have a look at please? I understand that in some hostels non-nursing staff are trained in its administration – any information would be useful

RESPONSE: We have a Naxalone PGD, and I can talk them through the issues if necessary. (In fact, you don't need a PGD for an emergency one-off dose, only if there is a chance staff will want/ need to administer repeated doses - although staff often feel more confident if there is a PGD in place. In addition anyone can give that emergency one-off dose, not just clinicians.)

RESPONSE: In a previous job we issued Naloxone to all service users housed/hostel dwellers and street homeless.  They were all trained to administer it and keep with them at all times.  In the hostels just about every resident held it. There were a number of occasions when it was administered in the hostel either by service users or myself or one of my colleagues. As it is an 'administer in emergency' medication it doesn't need a PGD.

http://www.mungos.org/press_office/321_st-mungo-s-trials-life-saving-overdose-drug-in-hostels

RESPONSE: There is a wealth of information on our forums in response to the question from your member on naloxone – I searched for ‘take home naloxone’ – and the search for ‘naloxone’ only brought up over a hundred results: http://smmgp.groupee.net/eve/forums?a=search&reqWords=take+home+naloxone

 

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How could my money help?

Training
£10
could provide five nurses with a resource pack on working with homeless families

Equipment
£50
could pay for the essential equipment for sick babies being tube fed at home

Support
£100
could provide a year's rent of a care alarm to help keep a retired community nurse safe in her home

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