Public health nursing data. Building the knowledge base for high-risk prenatal clients.

Abstract

To examine and compare referral reason, clinical pathway variance, and intensity of need for care for high-risk prenatal clients of public health nurses. A prospective, descriptive design was used for this pilot study. Reasons for referral to the high-risk prenatal home visitation program, variances from a prenatal clinical pathway, and intensity of need for care scores obtained using the Community Health Intensity Rating Scale (CHIRS) were collected at 28 weeks and 38 weeks of gestation from the clinical records of 20 high-risk prenatal clients (age range 16-43 years) visited by five expert public health nurses in one midplains public health nursing department. Findings indicated that the three sources of clinical data provided congruent but not identical data, with each contributing elements needed to specify public health nurses interventions for high-risk prenatal clients. Collaborative clinical research studies such as this one are useful in advancing evidenced-based practice in clinical agencies. The congruence between the clinical path variance and the intensity of need for care scores reaffirms the importance of the domain of health behavior intervention as a major aspect of public health nurses practice.