92613 Principles of Child and Family Health Nursing

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject introduces students to the clinical specialty of child and family health nursing. It describes the scope of practice and displays the level of competent practice to be exhibited in the professional knowledge, skills and behaviours of beginning practitioners. Students' understanding of evidence-based practice is reviewed and applied in child and family health nursing practice. The subject situates primary health care as the philosophical basis of health services for well children and their families, and defines the prominent position of health promotion within the practice of child and family health nursing. As effective communication skills are considered essential for competent practice in child and family health nursing, the subject refreshes and expands prior learning in communication and counselling skills and increases students' capacity to establish supportive therapeutic relationships with client families through a counselling workshop.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. discuss the development of nursing practice in child and family health to be able to critically assess and respond to pressures for change in nursing practice and service provision
2. describe the scope of practice and the professional responsibilities of the child and family health nurse within legislative, policy and health service requirements
3. reflect upon your responses to moral and ethical issues presented in practice
4. utilise evidence to develop professional knowledge and to maintain competence in practice
5. further develop your practice through techniques such as personal reflection and the utilisation of clinical supervision
6. review primary health care as the basis for child and family health nursing and service delivery
7. apply principles of health promotion as the foundation of practice in the public health role of the child and family health nurse
8. further develop your ability to establish and maintain supportive and therapeutic relationships with client families
9. utilise knowledge of principles of research to encourage evidence based practice in child and family health nursing.

Content

Unit 1: Professional practice in child and family health

• Historical perspectives and contemporary practice in child and family health nursing
• Scope of practice
• Professional practice
• Professional development
• NSW Department of Health CFHN Practice Development Framework
• Working in a multidisciplinary team
• Stress in nursing – counteracting burnout.

Unit 2: Communication and counselling

• Communication and the counselling process
• Family partnership training
• Strengths based practice
• Preparation for the workshop.

Unit 3: Primary Health Care and Health Promotion

• Primary health care
• Health promotion
• Program planning
• Health education.

Unit 4: Health policy in child and family health

• NSW integrated primary and community health policy 2007–2012
• NSW Child Health policy
• Families First Strategy (now known as Families NSW)
• Health home visiting guidelines
• Safe Families policy
• Interagency guidelines for child protection intervention
• Other relevant NSW DOH policies.