2012 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 89-98
Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the stages in which mutual trust was established between public health nurses (PHNs) and mothers of newborns during newborn home visits by PHNs through the assessment of the mother's behavior by PHNs. Method: The study involved ten PHNs with 10 or more years of work experience in a municipality. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using inductive and qualitative methods. The mutual trust that developed between mothers and PHNs during newborn home visits was classified into six stages. Results: The six stages identified were as follows: the mother greets the PHN as a guest (Stage 1); the mother acknowledges the PHN as a person close to her (Stage 2); the mother acknowledges the PHN as a professional support (Stage 3); the mother shares her feelings with the PHN (Stage 4); the mother freely expresses herself to the PHN (Stage 5); and finally, the mother recognizes and approves the relationship with the PHN as a partnership, establishing mutual trust (Stage 6). Conclusions: These results showed that the relationship between PHNs and mothers of newborns through the assessment of the mother' s behavior by PHNs progressed from a general relationship to a relationship resulting from provision of healthcare services and finally to a partnership. The results also suggest that mutual trust development between Stages 2 and 5 was dependent on the outcome of Stage 1. In addition, the relationship progressed from Stages 2 to 5 moving back and forth between these stages.
