The role of child health nurses in supporting parents of young infants

Summary Objective As a part of an action research project to determine a model of service to meet the needs of parents, this non-experimental study explored the role of child health nurses in supporting parents of young infants. It also examined whether changes to the service altered parents' views of that support. Methods Two surveys were conducted at eight month interval during which changes had been implemented in the child health service. The participants, recruited from well child health clinics, comprised 413 parents of infants younger than 12 months of age (206 in the first survey and 207 in the second survey). Data were collected by self-report questionnaires developed for the study, and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, factor analysis and linear regression. Results The results showed the majority of parents ( n =328, 79%) had valued the professional support from child health nurses, but there was no significant difference between the two surveys in the parents' views of overall support they had received. Although parents reported improvement in accessibility and availability of the services, no improvement had occurred in the aspects of care most important for them. These were to be respected as a parent, have their parenting skills validated and be supported to make their own infant care choices. Conclusion Empowering parents to make their own decisions about infant care is imperative for child health nurses in order for them to support parents effectively. The child health nurses need to build the parents' capacity to make their own decisions through giving relevant information about care options and supporting parents in their decisions.