Interview Skills of a Public Health Nurse at Health Check-ups for One-and-a-half-year-olds and Their Parents

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the interviewing skills of public health nurses during health examinations of children aged 1 year and 6 months.

Methods: Municipal public health nurses with extensive experience in maternal and child health care were interviewed. The focus and points to be considered while conducting the interview were on the parent and child. Qualitative descriptive methods were used for the analysis.

Results: Participants included nine public health nurses employed in local government, with an average experience of 23.0 years (SD=6.5). Of these 23.0 years, they spent 19.8 years (SD=5.4) in the maternal and child healthcare field. Healthcare workers’ interviewing skills for parents of children aged 1 year and 6 months who visited for health checkups comprised eight main categories and 31 subcategories: (1) identifying information that requires more detailed questioning through the first impression and information in the questionnaire and (2) determining the extent of information that is required about the health issues based on the mother’s facial expressions and tone and orienting their responses after the interview.

Discussion: The public health nurses’ interview skills focused on creating an opportunity for involvement and offering advice that would provide support, promote awareness about the mothers’ issues through conversation, especially for those requiring continued support, identify the line to enter through the interview, and direct them to the next stage of individualized health guidance.