A new nurse-led faculty focused on “street health” has been established by The Australian College of Nursing to address the healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion.
Sonia Martin MACN, a Registered Nurse with 30 years of experience and the founder of One Bridge, has been appointed to Chair the faculty.
The Street Health Faculty will help some of the most vulnerable populations in the community.
“The Faculty will be a dynamic nurse-led network committed to serving the specific health needs of people who are marginalised and disadvantaged, many of whom have no choice but to try to survive living on the streets,” said ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN.
“They cannot get to the health services they need, so the health services must go to them – and nurses are actively working in this space.
“We are fortunate to have Sonia Martin on board to lead this Faculty. She knows the sector. She knows the streets. She knows the solutions.”
Martin is the recipient of the 2021 Health Minister’s Nursing Trailblazer Award, as well as The Dr Dorothea Sandars and Irene Lee Churchill Fellowship in 2022. In 2023, she conducted research that informed her ongoing advocacy for policy change in Australia and championing equitable healthcare access.
In 2022, Martin was also awarded the National Outstanding Leadership Award in Entrepreneurship.
Martin said the establishment of the new street health faculty at the Australian College of Nursing aligns with the global inclusion health agenda and it will contribute to improving health and social inequities.
“We want to fully understand the landscape of nursing in this sector in Australia, identify current needs, and uncover barriers these groups face,” Martin said.
“This will inform our priorities and guide our next steps in education, advocacy, and policy development.”
Adjunct Professor Ward said the faculty would help attract nurses who want to contribute in socially positive ways.
“It is a strategic move to foster inclusivity, equity, innovation, and leadership in nursing and health care,” she said.
“ACN will be actively promoting the new Faculty across the profession to attract nurses who want to contribute to this exciting and worthwhile initiative.”