Long-term maternal-child home visiting

Abstract

Families with children with special needs, with acutely and chronically ill children, and with foster children comprise an increasing portion of many public health nurses' caseloads. The nursing processes during maternal-child home visiting have not been identified and variations in these processes, as well as their attendant outcomes, across client populations have not been described. The aim of this study was to describe the process of home visiting, as it was enacted by an experienced nurse, and to identify potential influencing factors and attendant consequences. During this field research investigation, one nurse in a visiting nurse association in rural New England was observed and interviewed throughout her day, every one to two week over a period of eight months. A total of 53 home visits were observed, three clients were interviewed subsequent to visits, and documents and records were reviewed. A specific type of home visiting, labeled child-focused, which the nurse conducted in three distinct patterns--single, short-, and long-term, emerged. The long-term pattern is described in this article. An admiring, familiar, trusting, supporting, reassuring, and validating seeing and exchanging subprocess ran through these visits. Potential maternal, child, and environmental consequences were identified.