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Changing focus of practice for community health nurses: Advancing the practice role
Ailsa Munns
Lecturer; Coordinator, Community Mothers Program, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University of Technology, WA
Jill Downie
Associate Professor; Head, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University of Technology, WA
Jane Hubble
Community Nurse, East Metropolitan Health Service, Western Australian Department of Health, Bentley Community Centre, Perth WA
Dianne Wynaden
School of Nursing, Curtin University of Technology, Perth; Directorate of Mental Health, Fremantle Hospital and Health Service, WA
Abstract
Many parents lack support in their parenting role that was once provided through extended families and community structures. Thus some new parents experience high levels of stress and low self-esteem associated with the challenges of parenting. The lack of support also results in family discord and breakdown with the family environment having the potential to adversely impact children's mental and physical wellbeing and development.
The Community Mothers Program (CMP) was initially developed in England and offers support to families during the first year of parenting. The program aims to provide parents with the support once experienced from within the extended family. It also aims to enrich community development by building the capacity of community members living in local communities to support parents.
This paper describes the impact of the CMP when implemented into Western Australian as well as the changes to the professional practice role of community child health nurses involved in the program. The Community Mothers Program has proved to be very successful. The success is attributed to the partnership model established between community members, parents and child health nurses.
Keywords
Community Mothers Program, partnership, volunteers, parenting, child health nurses
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