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Health visiting in Scotland and Norway: commonalties and differences.
1Institute of Nursing Science, University of Oslo, Norway. bodil.ellefsen@sykepleievit.uio.no
Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.)
|September 18, 2001
Summary
Health visitors in Scotland and Norway share similar work challenges, including lack of visibility and time constraints. However, Norwegian health visitors have greater involvement in organizational management matters compared to their Scottish counterparts.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nursing
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Health visiting is a crucial public health service supporting families with young children.
- Understanding the experiences of health visitors across different national contexts is essential for service improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the experiences of health visitors in Scotland and Norway.
- To investigate health visitors' influence on management, work tasks, and conditions in both countries.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing in-depth interviews.
- Nine health visitors from Scotland and 12 from Norway participated.
Main Results:
- Significant similarities were found in work autonomy, challenges with work visibility, demonstrating impact, time constraints, and prioritizing young children.
- Both groups reported job insecurity and strain.
- Differences emerged in organizational structure, with Norwegian health visitors having more involvement in service planning, employment, and budget proposals than Scottish health visitors.
Conclusions:
- The core aspects of health visiting appear consistent across national and cultural boundaries.
- Organizational structures influence the extent of health visitors' participation in management decisions.