Abstract
Objective: We aim to develop a model for public health nursing based on nurse-client relationships. This study aimed to clarify ways of thinking and approaches of public health nurses in their practice, to form the assumptions for our nursing model.
Method: Public health nurses were interviewed and given four cases to put into practice. Persons approached by public health nurses in two out of four cases were interviewed. A structural drawing was then created to show the nurses’ judgments, approaches and reactions as well as changes in person-to-person relationships based on interviews. The public health nurses’ ways of thinking and approaches were then analyzed.
Results: Thirty-four items associated with the nurses’ ways of thinking and approaches were classified into 18 sub-categories. Public health nurses understand that clients are part of a family unit, and are not only the person in front of them. The sub-categories were classified into four main categories: “related to understanding of the subject and nurse-client relationships”, “related to process of practice based on nurse-client relationships”, “related to process of practice based on nurse-nurse relationships”, and “related to public health nurses’ judgement on process of practice”.
Discussion: When explaining public health nursing based on nurse-client relationships, examples of assumption of our model were as follows: a subject is a person in a person-to-person relationship, creating a system for health-problem solving depends on each person and person-to-person relationship, and working on approaches for the client and community helps to achieve goals.
