Enhancing client competence: melding professional and client knowledge in public health nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing Education
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Health information provision is a key function of public health nursing.
• Understanding how nurses impart information to empower clients is crucial for effective practice.
• This study explores public health nurses' (PHNs) perspectives on their information-giving roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how public health nurses (PHNs) provide information to enhance client competence.
• To explore PHNs' experiences and perspectives on their practice of information-giving.
• To identify strategies used by PHNs to enhance client competence through knowledge sharing.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory descriptive qualitative research design.
• Data collected through in-depth individual and focus group interviews.
• 28 public health nurses (PHNs) in Alberta, Canada, participated.

Main Results:

• Nurses enhance client competence by merging professional knowledge with clients' experiential knowledge.
• Three strategies are used for immediate concerns: directness, providing options, and presenting alternative views.
• Information for future use focuses on development and problem prevention, building on clients' experiences through acknowledgment, feedback, presence, and gentle persuasion.

Conclusions:

• The integration of professional and client knowledge is fundamental to health promotion strategies that foster client competence.
• Further research is needed to understand the dynamics of professional-client partnerships that involve knowledge sharing.
• Developing effective partnerships requires embracing and valuing both professional expertise and clients' lived experiences.