Public Health Nurses and Mothers Challenge and Shift the Meaning of Health Outcomes

Maternal, child, and newborn health is a priority area in Canada and around the world. The work of public health nurses (PHNs) is often invisible and misunderstood. The purpose of this qualitative research project was to explore how universal and targeted home visiting programs for mothers and babie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global qualitative nursing research 2016-01, Vol.3, p.2333393616632126-2333393616632126
Main Authors: Aston, Megan, Etowa, Josephine, Price, Sheri, Vukic, Adele, Hart, Christine, MacLeod, Emily, Randel, Patricia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical outcomes
Health visiting
Maternal child nursing
Mothers
Nurse patient relationships
Public health
Qualitative research
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Summary:Maternal, child, and newborn health is a priority area in Canada and around the world. The work of public health nurses (PHNs) is often invisible and misunderstood. The purpose of this qualitative research project was to explore how universal and targeted home visiting programs for mothers and babies were organized, delivered, and experienced through the everyday practices of PHNs (n = 16) and mothers (n = 16) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Feminist poststructuralism and discourse analysis were used to analyze interviews. Concepts of relations of power enabled an understanding of how health outcomes had been socially and institutionally constructed through binary relations. PHNs and mothers spoke about the importance of “softer” health outcomes, including maternal self-confidence and empowerment that had been constructed as less important than health outcomes that were seen to be more tangible and physical. Findings from this research could be used to guide practice and planning of postpartum home visiting programs.
ISSN:2333-3936
2333-3936
DOI:10.1177/2333393616632126