Call for papers - Nursing vulnerable populations

Guest Editors

Jane Currie, PhD, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Luke Molloy PhD, RPN, RN, University of Wollongong, Australia
Mirko Prosen, PhD, MSc, BSc, RN, FFNMRCSI, University of Primorska, Slovenia

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 28 February 2025

BMC Nursing is calling for submissions to our Collection, Nursing vulnerable populations. We invite submissions that investigate nursing interventions, preventive strategies, and inclusive care practices aimed at reducing healthcare disparities and promoting equitable access to quality healthcare among marginalized and underserved communities.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Jane Currie, PhD, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Dr Jane Currie is Professor of Nursing at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. Jane's program of research explores the impact of health services on access to health care for underserved populations. Examples of Jane's research can be found here. Jane is a veteran of the British Army and Australian Army, including operational tours of duty to Iraq and Indonesia, serving as a Nursing Officer. Jane has clinical experience in emergency and primary health care settings and currently practices as a nurse practitioner in homeless health.

Luke Molloy PhD, RPN, RN, University of Wollongong, Australia

Luke Molloy is a nursing academic at the University of Wollongong, Australia. His research and writings explore the social order of health systems, nursing across cultures, and specialist mental health nursing care. His previous projects include research on mental health nursing practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, trauma-informed care in acute inpatient settings, cultural safety in nursing and the reduction of coercive practices.

Mirko Prosen, PhD, MSc, BSc, RN, FFNMRCSI, University of Primorska, Slovenia

Dr Mirko Prosen is a university lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska. His research primarily explores the sociology of health and illness, with a specific focus on women's health, migration, transcultural nursing, and education. Dr Prosen played a pivotal role in integrating the concept of transcultural nursing into the curriculum for nursing students in Slovenia and has also helped establish this course content in an international context. He is an accomplished author with numerous scientific publications in transcultural education and serves as a national representative for the European Transcultural Nursing Association. Additionally, Dr Prosen is both an editor and a member of the editorial board for several national and international journals. His contributions to the field have been recognized with multiple national and international awards.

About the Collection

BMC Nursing is calling for submissions to our Collection, Nursing vulnerable populations.

Nursing vulnerable populations involves providing care for groups who face significantly higher risk factors for poor health outcomes. These populations include individuals adversely affected by a wide range of socioeconomic factors such as poverty, unemployment, and low education levels and health literacy, as well as those marginalized due to their racial or ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, or gender identities. Vulnerable groups also encompass the uninsured, the elderly, homeless individuals, those living with chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS or severe mental health issues, and residents in remote or rural areas who lack access to healthcare services. The role of nursing in this social context is critical, as it goes beyond the delivery of traditional health services. It includes advocating for policy changes, improving access to healthcare, addressing social determinants of health, and providing culturally competent care tailored to the specific needs of these diverse groups. By focusing on these populations, nursing professionals play a key role in not only managing illness but also in promoting overall health, preventing disease, and enhancing quality of life among those who are most at risk.

This Collection aims to gather research that investigates nursing interventions, preventive strategies, and inclusive care practices that contribute to reducing healthcare disparities and promoting health equity among vulnerable populations.

It is crucial for evidence-based nursing practices and policies to be informed by the needs of vulnerable populations. Recent research highlights the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare delivery, as well as the significance of culturally competent and trauma informed care, community-based interventions, and the role of nurses as advocates for marginalized groups.

Looking ahead, the development of innovative nursing interventions tailored to the specific needs of diverse vulnerable populations should become a priority in healthcare research and policy implementation. Future advancements beyond the nursing workforce may include the integration of technology in nursing care for underserved communities, strategies to optimize access to healthcare, the development of sustainable preventive healthcare models, and addressing health disparities at local and global levels.

We invite all article types contributing to the examination of topics relating to nursing vulnerable populations, including but not limited to:

Culturally competent nursing care for vulnerable populations
Community-based nursing interventions
Addressing discrimination in nursing practice
Ethical challenges in nursing vulnerable populations
Role of nurses as advocates for marginalized groups
Strategies to improve access to care for vulnerable populations
Integration of technology in nursing care for vulnerable communities
Sustainable preventive healthcare models
Impact of social determinants of health on nursing care
Expansion of nursing roles in addressing health disparities at local and global levels
Interprofessional collaboration to improve care for vulnerable groups
Co-design approaches to designing nursing interventions for underserved populations
Nurse-led services for underserved populations

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Nursing vulnerable populations" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.