About

Dr. Whitney Thurman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, with expertise in nursing research, public health, chronic disease/disability, and health disparities. Her professional experience as a nurse has focused on improving access to quality primary and behavioral healthcare for patients of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Texas. She earned her MSN in 2007 and PhD in 2018 from the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. Prior to joining the tenure track faculty, she spent two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Health Outcomes Division at the UT College of Pharmacy. Dr. Thurman is a member of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. Her research emphasizes supporting community-led and community-based solutions to improve health and housing outcomes among adults with disabling health conditions and lived experience of homelessness. She addresses the high-risk populations of people with disabilities and homeless individuals, particularly focusing on older adults, the fastest growing subgroup of people experiencing homelessness. Her work aims to develop community-based long-term services and supports for disabled adults with lived experience of homelessness, using community-engaged and community-based participatory research methods to advance knowledge, practice, and policy solutions. Dr. Thurman is dedicated to preparing the future nursing workforce through education and mentoring, teaching courses such as Public Health Nursing Theory and Disability Over the Life Course, and providing diverse, community-based research experiences to students.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Medicine
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Nursing
• Applied psychology
• Psychiatry
• Medical education
• Public relations
• Medical emergency
• Family medicine

Selected publications

• Storytelling through music: an approach to improve well-being among social workers employed in homeless services

  Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless · 2026-03-03

  article
  PublisherDOI

• 1085 Factors Impacting Pneumococcal Vaccination among Non-Hispanic Blacks with Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Study

  Journal of the American Pharmacists Association · 2025-09-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• System and policy challenges for adults with intellectual disability disorder who are experiencing homelessness

  Health Services Research · 2025-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Objective: To generate qualitative insights from, and with, patients, families, and community members about how to create a more integrated medical-social care system.Methods: We used qualitative human-centered design (HCD) methods.The research team, inclusive of four peer researchers trained in HCD, co-designed an interview guide assessing beliefs and attitudes toward the intersection of health care, human services, and communities.Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish, recorded, transcribed, and reviewed by experts in HCD, peer researchers, and pediatric clinicians.This multidisciplinary team then identified themes and intervention opportunities.Results: Peer researchers conducted 19 interviews, 14 in English and 5 in Spanish.Interviewees included previous patients, and patients' parents or grandparents, at Cincinnati Children's.Most identified as Black or Hispanic/Latino and lived in structurally-disadvantaged Cincinnati neighborhoods.Themes related to structural factors included: (1) difficulty navigating medical and social services; (2) need for more proactive medical and social care; and (3) poorly integrated medical and social care.Themes related to human factors included: (1) untrustworthiness of care institutions; (2) diversified care teams improve care delivery; and (3) optimal care requires empathy, clear communication, and partnership.Identified intervention opportunities across themes included: (1) proactive inclusion of community health workers or navigators in clinical settings; (2) "opt out" policies to destigmatize use of social care resources;(3) inviting community partners into waiting rooms to engage with patients and families; and (4) enhancing diversity in care teams. Conclusion:Collaboration with community partners and families is necessary for the development of concrete interventions capable of addressing systemic inequities.Incorporating social services into medical care plans could help overcome barriers and achieve better outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Racially Equitable Homeless Services: Exploring Organizational Characteristics

  Community Health Equity Research & Policy · 2025-02-20

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Purpose Racial disparities in homelessness are pervasive and necessitate sustained effort on improving racial equity in homeless services. This study used a community-engaged approach and qualitative methods to describe the role of informal organizations identified by Black adults with lived experience of homelessness as preferred locations for accessing services and to explore the values and beliefs of these informal organizations. The study included representatives ( N = 19) of community organizations ( N = 17) in one southern city. Most participants ( n = 14, 73.6%) worked in paid positions and included executive directors as well as volunteers. Findings Thematic analysis identified three themes that characterized values and the ways in which these organizations interface with one another and with the formal homelessness response system (HRS): boots-on-the-ground, the homelessness response system is inequitable, and cautious collaboration. Findings reveal avenues through which local collaboration can be improved and potential policies to improve racial equity in homeless services. Conclusions Informal organizations fill critical gaps in services and can reach people experiencing homelessness who are unable or unwilling to access formal services. However, informal organizations often remain disconnected from the larger HRS which can exacerbate racial inequities. Community care hubs are a promising solution to incorporating smaller organizations and building a more integrated and equitable HRS.

  PublisherDOI

• A Community-Engaged Ethnographic Investigation into Public Transit Among Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2025-04-21

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Nearly 50% of single homeless adults are over the age of 50, and adults aged 50 years and older are the fastest growing subpopulation of the homeless in the U.S. This subpopulation has unique mobility needs and barriers to transportation. We used rapid ethnographic assessments to explore the practices, needs, perceptions, and values of unhoused older adults in relation to their efforts to access and navigate health and social services via public transit. We conducted 23 observations of 12 participants as they navigated public transit to meet their travel needs. Our data consist of 65 h of observations with field notes, walking interviews, and travel diaries. Two themes-waiting and friction-encompassed participants' experiences of mobility and their ongoing negotiations that involved time, space, individual ability, and interpersonal interactions within their environmental context. For this population, attainment of housing and improved health and well-being is contingent on access to reliable transportation-a condition that is not met in many communities. For the participants in our study, the physical demands of accessing public transit combined with the cognitive load of interpreting multi-step directions in specific time schedules were often insurmountable. The public transit system was often hostile, such that participants were stigmatized and segregated. Professionals who work with older homeless individuals must consider the capacity of their clients to successfully navigate public transit, and policymakers should consider the transit needs of their entire population when designing transit systems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Simulation-based learning in nursing education to counter stigma and discrimination: A scoping review

  Nursing Outlook · 2025-07-15

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Nurses are often the first point of contact in healthcare settings. They are the healthcare professionals with whom patients have the most contact indicating the importance of ensuring that nurses are educated and equipped to provide nonstigmatizing healthcare to all patients. PURPOSE: To map what is known about the use of simulation-based learning (SBL) in nursing education to minimize stigmatizing and discriminatory behaviors. METHODS: Scoping review methodology. DISCUSSION: SBL is frequently used in nursing education to address stigmatizing and discriminatory behaviors with a variety of historically marginalized populations. The use of SBL to for this purpose is relatively new and is increasing. This emergent interest underscores the importance of clearly identifying which simulation modalities for which populations are effective. CONCLUSION: The results of this review indicate that SBL shows promise in increased awareness, confidence and widening perspectives in nursing students. Further investigation is needed to identify how SBL translates to individuals' clinical practice and warrants further exploration, like longitudinal evaluations and experimental design.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Factors Impacting Pneumococcal Vaccination Among Non-Hispanic Black Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

  The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care · 2025-09-27 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  PurposeThe purpose of the study was to evaluate factors associated with pneumococcal vaccination among non-Hispanic Black adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsA cross-sectional, online survey was conducted in December 2023 using a Qualtrics research panel. Eligible participants were adults 19 years and older and non-Hispanic Blacks who self-reported a T2DM diagnosis. The survey comprised 55 items across 5 sections based on the health belief model. Descriptive and bivariate analyses and hierarchical binary logistic regression were used for data analysis.ResultsThere were 330 eligible participants. Two-thirds received at least 1 dose of the pneumococcal vaccine. Participants had a mean age of 51.4 ± 16.8 years; 63.9% were women. Higher perceived susceptibility and higher cues to action were significantly associated with pneumococcal vaccination. However, higher perceived susceptibility, higher severity, geographical location, and history of influenza vaccination emerged as significant predictors, and improved model predictive ability for pneumococcal vaccination was observed (Akaike information criterion = 384.1 vs 423.5) after controlling for sociodemographic and other factors (education level, income, geographical location, diabetes-related complications, treatment types, frequency of health visits, influenza vaccination history, pneumococcal disease history, general vaccine beliefs, perceived mistrust).ConclusionClinical, public health, and health policy programs should address these factors in planning educational campaigns and strategies to increase pneumococcal vaccination among non-Hispanic Black individuals with T2DM.

  PublisherDOI

• Correctional Nurses’ Practices and Perceptions of Family Engagement

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• The Health and Health-Related Quality of Life Impacts of Having a Sibling on Probation or Parole in the United States

  Advances in Nursing Science · 2024-11-05

  articleSenior author

  In this study, we explored the experiences of adult siblings of brothers who have been on probation or parole and the impacts on the participants' health and health-related quality of life. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focused field observations of 8 adult siblings. The major themes were siblings being primary support providers , feelings of existing in a perpetual state of unknown , and perceived needs and resources . These themes reflected the types of support that participants provided; the associated strains and instability perpetuated by the criminal legal system; and the perceived resources needed to mitigate the negative impacts of participants' experiences.

  PublisherDOI

• A Qualitative Study to Describe the Nature and Scope of Street Medicine Programs in the United States

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2024-12-04 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Street medicine is a health delivery model designed to provide direct patient care to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness where they are physically located, whether that be on the streets or in encampments. The model has developed in response to the barriers people experiencing homelessness (PEH) encounter when accessing care through traditional points of access such as primary care clinics. Street medicine programs are rapidly emerging across the United States (U.S.) in response to the health needs and challenges associated with care access and coordination for unsheltered homeless individuals. Although street medicine is a rapidly growing field, existing street medicine programs have rarely been studied collectively, limiting our understanding of the nature, scope, and range of street medicine programs in the U.S. This study examined 13 programs from across the U.S. to develop a broad characterization of street medicine programs. Results from interviews with representatives from each of the 13 programs show that there is a high degree of variability among the structure, operations, and scope of care of street medicine programs. However, consistent among street medicine programs is the adoption of a patient-centered approach to care and the use of harm-reduction principles. Street medicine programs are also highly engaged with community partners and affiliate organizations that work in their local and regional areas. Because street medicine programs often serve as a bridge between formal healthcare entities and PEH, street medicine offers a strategy for reconnecting individuals to vital healthcare services.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Leticia R. Moczygemba

  The University of Texas at Austin

  15 shared

• Elizabeth Heitkemper

  The University of Texas at Austin

  11 shared

• Karen E. Johnson

  The University of Texas at Austin

  9 shared

• Tara Hutson

  The University of Texas at Austin

  7 shared

• Alexandra A. García

  The University of Texas at Austin

  6 shared

• Tracie Harrison

  The University of Texas at Austin

  6 shared

• Julie A. Zuñiga

  The University of Texas at Austin

  6 shared

• C.M. Brown

  The University of Texas at Austin

  4 shared

Education

• PhD, School of Nursing

  The University of Texas at Austin

  2018

Awards & honors

• Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovator…