The characteristics of Australian Maternal and Child Health home visiting nurses undertaking family violence work: An interpretive description study

Abstract

Aims To explore the family violence practice of home visiting nurses and identify the personal and professional characteristics of nurses undertaking family violence work. Design A qualitative research design using interpretive description. Methods The family violence nursing practice and characteristics of home visiting nurses in Victoria, Australia, were explored by analysing semi‐structured interviews (n = 37) conducted over 4 months in 2019–2020. Twenty‐five nurses and 12 nurse managers worked in urban, regional city and rural/remote settings. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results We categorized the characteristics of home visiting nurses into two broad themes with sub‐themes: ‘Things you can learn’; and ‘You just bring yourself’. Conclusion By researching the characteristics of home visiting nurses undertaking family violence work, this study has identified the personal characteristics managers should consider when recruiting nurses to this specialist role. Identifying the personal and professional skills required will improve nurses' working experience by reducing the risk of a potential skill/role mismatch. These insights may enhance the effectiveness of home visiting nurses so that the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health program contributes effectively to the support of women experiencing family violence. Impact Interviewing home visiting nurses and their managers has enabled a clearer insight into this specialist practitioner’s previously unexplored work. Identifying the nurses’ personal, professional, and clinical characteristics should inform the development of position roles and identify nurses who are best suited for this role. This knowledge will ensure that the Maternal and Child Health program effectively supports women experiencing family violence.

A qualitative study of public health nurses' experiences detecting and preventing child maltreatment in primary care settings

“…They had to prioritize their time, felt alone in their work, and were burdened by their responsibility. This is consistent with several previous studies, where lack of time, the balance of risk and support and loneliness were highlighted (Adams et al, 2022;Dahlbo et al, 2017). Dahlbo et al (2017) studied paediatric nurses and found that their work to prevent child maltreatment often led to feelings of powerlessness and thoughts about children that persisted even after working hours.…”

Factors influencing the implementation of an intimate partner violence intervention in nurse home visiting: A qualitative descriptive study

“…Nurses working with families enrolled in population‐specific home visitation programmes, including the Nurse‐Family Partnership® (NFP) programme, often develop long‐term therapeutic relationships with their clients and provide holistic client‐centred care that prioritizes improving multiple prenatal, maternal, and child health outcomes. For this reason, nurse home visitors are in an optimal position to identify women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and then intervene to support women in increasing safety for themselves and their children (Adams et al, 2022). This qualitative process evaluation, which was part of an overall evaluation of an NFP IPV intervention using a cluster‐based, single‐blind randomized controlled trial (RCT), was conducted to understand the implementation of this IPV intervention and to identify factors influencing its use by nurses in their home visiting practice.…”