Exploring Clinical and Service Models used in the Family Nurse Partnership Programme outside the UK setting
Northern Ireland is one of the three countries in the United Kingdom that offer the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) to support young mothers. The United Kingdom programme is offered to all first time teenage mothers.
In the other International countries the programme is extended to include mothers less than 25 years with Social Complexities.
The Netherlands was the first European country to implement the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP). They implemented a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) and the results of the Netherland’s RCT in 2015 reported the following:
- Reducing of maternal smoking
- Increasing the duration of breastfeeding
- Reduction in domestic violence and safeguarding events
Canada has been implementing FNP since 2008 in two localities – Hamilton in East Canada and British Columbia in West Canada.
The FNP programme in Hamilton in East Canada, where a small but significant outcome was observes for the clients for those who participated in the programme informed the design of the RCT in British Columbia, where the programme started in 2010.
The ethos of the FNP programme is to learn and share from each other. The purpose of the travel study was to observe the clinical implementation of the programme in Netherlands and Canada; to identify good practice and areas for quality improvements within the programme delivery that could be adapted for Northern Ireland.
The study visit offered an opportunity to understand the international implementation of the FNP programme.
Key learning initiatives included looking at the FNP programme delivered to mothers aged 20- 27 years with social complexities, the opportunity to learn more about programme adaptions, for example, Intimate Partner Violence Programme, the use of Video Interactive Guidance, the Purple Crying Programme, and the Prevention of Shaken Baby Programme.
These programmes are suitable for assessment and possible adaption to the United Kingdom setting.
Both Canada and the Netherlands delivered an in-house core FNP learning programme. They considered it to be cost effective in comparison to commissioning from the US and also have the added benefit of enhancing local programme sustainability. If there is further expansion of the FNP programme in Northern Ireland, local delivery of training should be considered.
Considering the strategic development of the programme within Northern Ireland, the five Family Advisory Boards should develop into a wider collaborative group who consider the needs of young pregnant girls and young parents in the areas. The travel award has allowed me the opportunity to spend time with and observe the work practices of the FNP leads in the two areas in Canada and the Netherlands. This has strengthened my leadership capacity and will have a positive impact on the development of FNP in Northern Ireland.