Purpose:

This two-day Institute supports nurses who train other nurses to deliver postpartum home visits. The Public Health Nurse's role as trainer and content expert is facilitated through the use of a comprehensive curriculum that addresses issues related to postpartum care of the mother and infant, the family's transition and other concerns that the family may have.

Audience:

The Institute is designed for Public Health Nurses to train those nurses implementing a postpartum home visiting program to all families.

Institute Features:

• A comprehensive manual prepared by Canadian experts in public health nursing, early intervention, child development and family support.
• A customization process that gives local communities the opportunity to ensure the manual and training reflect local philosophies, programs and systems supporting families with newborns.
• 8 ready-to-deliver modules with training plans, activities and handouts on such topics as maternal and infant physical and emotional health; infant feeding; parenting, attachment and the newborn; and child abuse.
• References to additional information and resources.
• Diverse learning formats including small- and large-group work, expert presentation, video analysis and case studies.

Institute Goals:

• To enhance and develop the knowledge and skills of those training professional nurse home visitors in postpartum care.
• To build local capacity to train professional nurse home visitors on an ongoing basis.
• To affirm the importance of training for postpartum home visiting.
• To raise the level of knowledge and skills of professionals that work with at-risk families with young children and their role in postpartum intervention.
• To affirm the valuable role professional nurse home visitors have in the lives of new parents.

The Curriculum

1. An Introduction to Postpartum Home Visiting

   • Vision, goals, guidelines and components of the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Program
   • Importance of the postpartum home visit within the continuum of services for families with new babies
   • Parental perception about parenting and the implications for the postpartum home visit
   • Concept of "at risk" and identification of children who may be "at risk"
   • Appropriate action for children at risk
     
     

2. Conducting the Postpartum Home Visit

   • The role of the Public Health Nurse and the requirements of the postpartum home visit
   • Scope of possible interventions
   • Importance of working within an interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of families
   • Awareness of issues related to cultural diversity and strategies to address the issue
   • Strategies for increased personal safety
     
     

3. Maternal Physical and Emotional Health

   • Assessment of maternal physical and emotional health in the postpartum period
   • Distinction between normal and abnormal findings
   • Assessment of red flag findings
   • Appropriate teaching and nursing interventions
   • Assessment of postpartum depression
   • Nursing interventions for postpartum depression
     
     

4. Infant Physical Health and Safety

   • Assessment of infant's physical health in the early postpartum period
   • Distinction between normal and abnormal findings
   • Assessment of red flag findings
   • Importance of health and safety issues for new parents
     
     

5. Infant Feeding

   • Exploration of different approaches and beliefs toward breastfeeding
   • Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and the newborn
   • Assessment of successful feeding
   • Identification and correction of common feeding problems
   • Linkage to breastfeeding support systems
   • Exploration of different approaches and beliefs toward breastfeeding
   • Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and the newborn
   • Assessment of successful feeding
   • Identification and correction of common feeding problems
   • Linkage to breastfeeding support systems
     
     

6. Family Transitions and Baby

   • Common challenges faced by families in adjusting to a newborn
   • Strategies for supporting the family's transition to a new baby
   • Responses to commonly expressed concerns by parents of newborns
   • Use of a postpartum home visit to alleviate parental anxieties and discuss the basics of baby care
     
     

7. Parenting, Attachment and the Newborn

   • Importance of the parent-infant relationship during the first few days of life
   • Recognition of signs of a poor attachment
   • Supporting families to become familiar with the meaning of infant cues
   • Supporting families to promote a secure attachment with their baby
   • Characteristics and significance of infant temperament
   • Interventions to support bereaved families
     
     

8. Child Abuse and Family Violence

   • Definition of and factors contributing to child abuse
   • Indicators that an infant may have been abused or is at risk for abuse
   • Documentation of indicators of abuse
   • How to respond to a disclosure of abuse
   • Feelings that interfere with mandatory reporting
   • Provincial child protection legislation
   • Reporting procedures and responsibilities

Printer Friendly Version

Send to a Friend

Website Feedback