Nursing research: methods, applications, and practice

Population: Rodent Infestation and Air Pollution

The objective of this study is to use the PICOT format to examine the homeless population and problems with rodent infestation and air pollution.

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The patient population at focus in this study is the homeless population. Ramesh (2014) reports that formerly homeless people are "increasingly trapped in homes riddled with damp and infested rodents" and that those who were previously homeless were "housed in shocking conditions often at the mercy of unresponsive and at times aggressive landlords who threatened eviction if tenants complained." (Ramesh, 2014, p. 1) The most commonly mentioned problems were "damp and mold" as well as "rodent and inset infestations." (Ramesh, 2014, p. l) According to Hamill (2014) reports the death of a four-year-old child living in a homeless shelter in New York City due to having ingested rat poison. When the mother of the child spoke out, she was made to move from the shelter.

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The intervention in this study is identification of alternative living circumstances for the homeless population. This would include city or state funded rental assistance to provide accommodations for living for the homeless that would be rodent free and that would be free of mold and dampness to improve the health of the homeless population.

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The PUBMED database is rife with reports about the situations and conditions faced by the homeless population. This database will well serve the research and inform the research about the conditions faced by the homeless population. The type of research required will be descriptive in nature and qualitative in nature and to involve an exhaustive review of the literature in this area of inquiry.

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