Information Box Group
The overall objective of the Canadian pilot studies was to determine if it would be feasible to implement and deliver NFP as part of Canadian public health programming, and if this nurse home visitation intervention, that starts early in pregnancy and continues until the child’s second birthday, would be acceptable to a wide range of stakeholders.
The pilot study involved a collaboration between McMaster University and City of Hamilton Public Health Services, and took place from 2008 to 2012. In the pilot study, the NFP program was provided to 108 families and results demonstrated that it was feasible to carry out the NFP program in public health units with public health nurses delivering the intervention, and to enroll and home-visit the targeted population of young, first-time mothers who were experiencing social and economic disadvantage. An acceptability evaluation study found the program to be well received by participating mothers, nurses, family members and community partners.
To read more about these pilot studies, please refer to the following journal articles:
Dmytryshyn, A.L., Jack, S.M., Ballantyne, M., Wahoush & MacMillan, H.L. (2015). Long-term home visiting with vulnerable young mothers: An interpretive description of the impact on public health nurses. BMC Nursing, 14:12. [link here to download the full-text]
Jack, S.M., Busser, L.D., Sheehan, D., Gonzalez, A., Zwygers & MacMillan, H.L. (2012). Adaptation and implementation of the Nurse-Family Partnership in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 103(Suppl.1), S42-48. [link here to download the full-text]
Jack, S.M. & MacMillan, H.L. (2014). Adaptation and evaluation of the Nurse-Family Partnership in Canada. Early Childhood Matters, 122, 43-46. [link here to download the full-text]
Kurtz-Landy, C., Jack, S.M., Wahoush, O., Sheehan, D., MacMillan, H.L. & NFP Hamilton Research Team (2012). Mothers’ experiences in the Nurse-Family Partnership program: A qualitative case study. BMC Nursing, 11:15. [link here to download the full-text]
Li, S.A., Jack, S.M., Gonzalez, A., Duku, E., & MacMillan, H.L. (2015). Health care and social service professionals’ perceptions of a home-visit program for young, first-tiime mothers. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 35 (8/9), 160-167. [link here to download the full text]
Funding for the pilot studies was received from Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton, Community Child Abuse Council, Hamilton Best Start, Hamilton Community Foundation, Hamilton Public Health Services, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Offord Centre for Child Studies, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, Ontario Nursing Secretariat, Ontario Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), and The Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton.
For more information about the Hamilton NFP Pilot studies, please contact Dr. Susan Jack, School of Nursing, McMaster (jacksm@mcmaster.ca) or Dianne Busser, Family Health Division, Hamilton Public Health Services (dianne.busser@hamilton.ca)