Putting new therapeutic communication skills into public health nursing practice: the student experience

Abstract

Specialist community public health nurses (SCPHNs)—who provide universal health promoting services to all families with children in the 0–19 age range—are particularly well placed to influence lifestyle-related health behaviours at an early stage. To undertake this work effectively a toolkit of health promotion strategies is required. This paper reports the findings of a small study which aimed to examine student perspectives about if, and how, education in behaviour change skills impacts on the nature and effectiveness of consultations with clients. It was undertaken at a university in the north of England which has pioneered the teaching of motivational interviewing and behaviour change skills within the SCPHN curriculum. The study took place in 2017. Focus groups, attended by 11 SCPHN students examined students' views and perspectives about engaging with clients and utilising behaviour change skills in practice. Key themes arising from the data were: changing approach, skills and techniques, education and learning, use in practice, and time. Findings indicate that SCPHN students had begun to apply an approach based on Motivational Interviewing to consultations in practice as a result of their education. This is likely to have a substantial impact on practice and client outcomes.

Older Adults and Social Isolation and Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Review of Patterns, Effects, and Interventions

“…At the individual level, technology was positioned as a means to build the resilience of older adults by increasing their access to social support, information, and resources during the pandemic. Education and training for older adults on the use of digital technology was emphasized as necessary for technology-based interventions to be successful at reducing social isolation and loneliness (Conroy et al, 2020; Daly et al, 2021; Day, Gould, & Hazelby, 2020; Seifert, Cotten, & Xie, 2021). Peer or intergenerational training programs were suggested as ways to teach older adults how to use digital technologies (Daly et al, 2021; Xie et al, 2020).…”

“…In addition to technology-based strategies, a range of additional approaches were discussed in the literature to address social isolation and loneliness. Recommended strategies to build upon the strengths and resilience of individuals included: encouraging participation in more outdoor activities (Dahlberg, 2021; Day et al, 2020; Hwang, Rabheru, Peisah, Reichman, & Ikeda, 2020), culturally and religiously grounded interventions (Giwa, Mullings, & Karki, 2020), and creative arts (Day et al, 2020). Psychological interventions (e.g., one-on-one interventions, cognitive behavioural therapy, meditation, life review therapy) were also recommended specifically to address loneliness (Conroy et al, 2020; Gorenko et al, 2021; Van Orden et al, 2020).…”

“…Burke (2020) observed that the pandemic has reduced opportunities for natural intergenerational interactions. Programs that foster intergenerational connections were identified as important components of COVID-19 responses (Burke, 2020; Day et al, 2020; Xie et al, 2020). Sepúlveda-Loyola et al (2020) have also emphasized the importance of staying connected with family.…”

“…At the organizational system level, it has been observed that given the unique circumstances of the pandemic traditional approaches for prevention and identifying people who are socially isolated or lonely may need to be altered (Dassieu & Sourial, 2021; Smith et al, 2020). For health care organizations, health care professionals were identified as having a role to play in addressing social isolation and loneliness through home visits for assessment and prevention initiatives (Day et al, 2020), the development of social connection plans with older adults (Van Orden et al, 2020), and online group health interventions (Day et al, 2020). Providing volunteering opportunities to older adults may also reduce social isolation and loneliness, while also magnifying the capacity of organizations (Wu, 2020; Xie et al, 2020).…”

Supporting older people following out of hours discharge from the Emergency Department: An integrative review of the literature

“…Traditionally, health visitors were nurses who undertook home visits with clients from across the life span (Day et al, 2020). In many countries health visitors provide valuable support and advice to older people in their homes to improve health.…”