A Concept Development of the Village Health Worker

Benskin, Linda

doi:10.1111/j.1744-6198.2012.00270.x

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(65 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some CHWs have additional roles of providing treatment for basic clinical conditions and minor ailments such as malaria and diarrhoea [ 15 , 38 , 39 , 44 , 55 , 95 , 99 , 122 ]. Other CHWs provide basic obstetric case management but the CHWs providing this have completed post-secondary formal training in order to provide these services [ 28 , 30 , 32 , 52 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is a community health worker? – a systematic review of definitions

Olaniran

Smith

Unkels

et al. 2017

Global Health Action

230

187

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) can play vital roles in increasing coverage of basic health services. However, there is a need for a systematic categorisation of CHWs that will aid common understanding among policy makers, programme planners, and researchers. Objective: To identify the common themes in the definitions and descriptions of CHWs that will aid delineation within this cadre and distinguish CHWs from other healthcare providers. Design: A systematic review of peer-reviewed papers and grey literature. Results: We identified 119 papers that provided definitions of CHWs in 25 countries across 7 regions. The review shows CHWs as paraprofessionals or lay individuals with an in-depth understanding of the community culture and language, have received standardised job-related training of a shorter duration than health professionals, and their primary goal is to provide culturally appropriate health services to the community. CHWs can be categorised into three groups by education and pre-service training. These are lay health workers (individuals with little or no formal education who undergo a few days to a few weeks of informal training), level 1 paraprofessionals (individuals with some form of secondary education and subsequent informal training), and level 2 paraprofessionals (individuals with some form of secondary education and subsequent formal training lasting a few months to more than a year). Lay health workers tend to provide basic health services as unpaid volunteers while level 1 paraprofessionals often receive an allowance and level 2 paraprofessionals tend to be salaried. Conclusions: This review provides a categorisation of CHWs that may be useful for health policy formulation, programme planning, and research.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is a community health worker? – a systematic review of definitions

Olaniran

Smith

Unkels

et al. 2017

Global Health Action

230

187

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…I went on to long-term employment in rural and remote areas of Australia where resources were scarce. Nurses employed in remote areas are required to work as independent practitioners and to 'wear many hats', including community health promotion, and teaching literacy and healthcare skills to Indigenous Health Workers (Benskin, 2012;Jackson, Brady, & Stein, 2001). Culturally appropriate care and relationship building were essential.…”

Section: The Development Of Empowered Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Nursing the moral distress: professional development for empowered caring

Willsher

2014

Reflective Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reflection takes place upon how feelings of moral distress can lead to the examination of possible causes and to strategies for empowerment. The links between Feminist Standpoint theory and Freire's Concept of Education for Critical Consciousness are examined. Solutions to moral distress lie in examining the history and causes of oppression, and in intergenerational equity where all participants question, reflect and participate in the development of meaning and build upon available knowledge using collective and democratic principles for transformation. My professional development as a nurse over diverse settings including a British neonatal intensive care unit, an Aboriginal settlement in a remote area of Australia and as a maternal and child health nurse in rural Australia, is examined giving voice to several of the companions who accompanied me on the journey. These professionals and community members assisted in improving the ethical climate and provided contexts for desired change. Knowledge sharing can lead to reconciliation. The transformations related in this article serve to provide encouragement to all health professionals.

show abstract

“…Due to a shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas, local volunteers provide basic health services in many low or lower middle-income countries (LMICs). These CHWs networks can improve access to testing and treatment despite a lack of sophisticated medical training [5]. In some places CHWs provide a broad range of health services [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding the role of village malaria workers in Cambodia: implementation and evaluation of four health education packages

Betrian

Umans

Vanna³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Early access to correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment is essential for malaria elimination, and in Cambodia this relies on village malaria workers (VMWs). Decreasing malaria transmission leave VMWs with diminished roles. Activities related to the control of other health conditions could keep these community health workers relevant. Methods: During 2022, 120 VMWs attended training at local health centres on four health education packages: 1. hygiene and sanitation; 2. disease surveillance; 3. management of mild illness; 4. vaccination and antenatal care. All training and evaluation sessions were documented through meeting minutes, and 19 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among VMWs and health centre personnel. Audio-records of FGDs were transcribed and translated in English and underwent thematic analysis. Results: VMWs reported strong interest in the training and welcomed the expansion of their roles thus assuring their continued relevance. VMWs prioritized disease surveillance and management of mild illness among the available training packages because these topics were seen as most relevant. While training was considered comprehensible and important, the low literacy among VMWs was an impediment suggesting training materials need to be delivered visually. Since VMWs have limited resources, incentives could ensure that VMWs are motivated to undertake additional roles and responsibilities. Conclusions: The transformation of VMWs into community health workers with roles beyond malaria is a promising approach for sustaining health care provision in remote areas. Training needs to consider the low scientific literacy, time constraints and limited resources of VMWs.

show abstract

A Concept Development of the Village Health Worker

Abstract: The resultant concept definition, with antecedents and consequences, provides a foundation other nurse researchers can build upon. Existing research concerning VHWs was reviewed and gaps suitable for future nursing research were identified.

Cited by 6 publications

References 36 publications

Who is a community health worker? – a systematic review of definitions

Who is a community health worker? – a systematic review of definitions

Nursing the moral distress: professional development for empowered caring

Expanding the role of village malaria workers in Cambodia: implementation and evaluation of four health education packages

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About