[Critical thinking on "home visits" through the case method using the teaching material, "the twelfth child birth"]

To use case method seminars in order to critically assess "home visits" for public health nursing practice.

"The twelfth childbirth" was developed for use as material for the case method in 2002. This case story involves the dilemma of a public health nurse as to whether or not she should intervene in the "private affairs" of a married couple. Case teaching was performed in two seminars during the period from July 2002 to February 2003. Participants in the first seminar were 18 health professionals (13 public health nurses and five supervisors) in Japan, and nine health professionals (8 midwives and one physician) from Cambodia took part in the second.

For the problems from the case, the participants in the two seminars made their decisions analytically. Decision making was informative and took different directions. The public health nurses in Japan advocated a collaborative intervention with other health professionals. On the other hand, the midwives from Cambodia selected an approach involving heavy commitments to family planning undertaken by individual midwives. From the discussion in the seminars, this case story was satisfied through the following: (1) the participants used the information in the case to address the problem; (2) the participants thought analytically in order to evaluate potential solutions; and (3) the participants had sufficient information for analysis in the case.

Both seminars provided good opportunities to enhance critical thinking on "home visits" as a tool for intervention and to develop thinking skills needed for public health nursing practice.