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. 2015 Oct-Nov;35(8-9):151–159. doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.35.8/9.07

TABLE 3. Nurse–Family Partnership Canada model components.

Components Nurse–Family Partnership model in Canada
Program goals Improve pregnancy outcomesImprove child health and developmentImprove parents’ economic self-sufficiency
Eligibility criteria First-time mothersAged < 25 yearsaSpeak EnglishMeet socioeconomic disadvantage criteria
Referral process Ideally referred by 16 weeks gestation; must receive first home visit before the 29th week gestation
Professionals delivering home visits Public health nurses (PHNs)
Frequency of home visits Prenatal: Weekly for 4 visits then bi-weekly (∼14 visits)Infancy: Weekly for 6 visits then bi-weekly (28 visits)Toddler: Once every 2 weeks until 21 months and then monthly for 3 visits (22 visits)Note: If needed, the schedule is adapted to meet the needs of each enrolled participant
Theories used Human ecology, attachment, self-efficacy
Structure of visits Emphasis on developing a therapeutic relationship using

  • 5 client-centred principles (client is the expert on her life; follow the client’s heart’s desire; only a small change is necessary; focus on strengths; focus on solutions)

  • 6 content domains (Personal Health, Life Course Development, Maternal Role, Family and Friends, Environmental Health, and Health & Human Services)

  • motivational interviewing

  • goal setting

  • visit-to-visit guidelines (recommendations to guide content of each visit)

  • client resources left in home (facilitators)

  • data collection
Use of screening and assessment tools Standard schedule of assessments. Tools used include

  • Dyadic Assessment of Naturalistic Caregiver-child Experiences (DANCE)

  • Ages and Stages Questionnaire

  • Partners in Parenting Education (PIPE)

  • Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Intimate Partner Violence

  • NFP-specific tools
Education Comprehensive core NFP education provided with a combination of self-study, team-based learning, webinars, and in-personAbout 20 days for PHNs plus an additional 5.5 days for supervisors
Caseload Maximum of 20 clients for a full-time PHN
Clinical supervision Structured approach to clinical and reflective supervision including weekly individual case consultations and regular home-visit observations. Ratio of NFP PHN supervisors to PHNs is a maximum of 1:8

Abbreviations: BCHCP, British Columbia Healthy Connections Project; NFP, Nurse–Family Partnership; PHN, public health nurse.

a

To achieve sufficient power to estimate program differences on the primary outcome (childhood injuries), the BCHCP criteria include women aged < 25 years (compared to < 21 years in Hamilton) who are experiencing indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage associated with increased risk for child injuries.