Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses: Delivering a Unique Nursing Speciality

Abstract

Introduction This study aimed to describe Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses' (MCaFHNs) perception of their role across Australia. MCaFHNs deliver services to positively influence the growth and development of children in the early years. Little is known about their role as they deliver care to children and families in Australia. Methods This study used in-depth qualitative inquiry. Sixteen expert MCaFHNs from the eight jurisdictions in Australia took part in semi-structured interviews conducted from April 2013 to August 2013. The data were transcribed verbatim, validated by participants, and analysed thematically. Results The results indicated that the MCaFHNs' role is embedded in the principles of primary health care under an umbrella of universal service delivery with increasing overall complexity. Health promotion and early intervention are key components of the role, with services focused heavily on child growth and development and maternal mental health. Delivery of services by MCaFHNs was enriched by specific approaches to care, such as working in partnership with families, and all aspects of the role were enabled by essential specialist skills and knowledge. Discussion While role descriptors, educational backgrounds and experiences vary, participants overwhelmingly report similarities in practice. This study identified tangible reasons for the development of a nationally consistent role and practice in Australia, enabling consistency and equity of best models of practice. Such a description is essential to enable transferability and comparison with nurses working in similar contexts internationally.

Psychometric evaluation of the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire in measuring home visitors’ family focused practice

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What Roles Do Indonesian Nurses Play in the Early Identification and Intervention of Children With Developmental Disabilities? A Qualitative Study

“…The description of their roles reflects the current practice of Indonesian nurses in the Community Health Centres (CHCs). This practice differs from community health nurses' practice in other countries who describe their roles to include conducting child developmental screenings (Caley et al, 2006;Fraser et al, 2016), monitoring early signs of Autism (Barbaro et al, 2011;Pinto-Martin et al, 2005) and supporting parental roles including enhancing motherchild interactions (Armstrong et al, 1999;Barnes et al, 2003;Fraser et al, 2016) (which are the core of early intervention programs for children with disabilities (Guralnick, 2005).…”

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“…In this way, nurses use advanced social skills to cultivate a relationship of trust with families who may be suspicious of services; this occurs to the extent that families have reported that their nurse was 'like a friend' (Landy et al, 2012, Zapart et al, 2016. Within this professional 'friendship', nurses facilitated parental reflection, including encouraging parents to reflect upon how their behaviours may impact upon their child's health and wellbeing (Fraser et al, 2016). Due to the relational nature of this aspect of nurses' interventions, it is difficult to measure parental relationships and reflection, but more importantly, it is unclear whether nurses' relational interventions led to changes that prevented child abuse and neglect.…”