A Caring Futures Institute research project that investigated the health needs of children living in homelessness has been welcomed by an international nursing research charity.

Dr Yvonne Parry, Caring Futures Institute researcher and child and adolescent nursing expert, had a short presentation accepted by the International Collaboration of Community Health Nursing Research (ICCHNR) to appear on its website.

The video reflects on the findings of her research project to determine the health needs of children living in homelessness in Adelaide’s south. The project was part of an initiative led by not-for-profit community support service provider UnitingCare Wesley Boden (UCWB) and Flinders University.

It involved a paediatric ED nurse practitioner providing a free full paediatric health assessment to children and their families already linked to UWCB’s homelessness services.

It was found that 24% of the homeless children had severe health issues requiring immediate intervention.

In the short video, Dr Parry reflects on the findings of the service and says that much more must be done to service children living in homelessness.

In October 2020 it was announced that the nurse practitioner service would extend to two other sites in South Australia after winning a grant from the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation.

Watch Dr Parry’s video on the ICCHNR website here and scroll down the homepage.

The ICCHNR supports community nurses around the world through its international network of nurse researchers, international conferences, fundraising activities and scholarships for community health care nursing research.