What is a health visitor nurse?

In Scandinavian countries as well as in UK, Australia, South Africa and some other countries there is a tradition of using health visitor nurses to visit and guide new parents in taking care of their baby. This position was originally created by the governments to diminish early child death.

“The functional area of a health visitor nurse includes guidance, individual support and counseling to pregnant women, infants and young children, parents, children and young people of school age, their parents and group activities for the same, including: 1) Health care for all newborns in relation to maternity, including helping to promote maternal ability and opportunity to breastfeed 2) Function Studies and regular contact with infants and young children, including support for family formation and attachment between child and parents 3) Screening, support, assessment and follow-up in relation to interventions for health at risk children and youth, and children and adolescents exposed to neglect, including interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration with general practice, the municipal employees medical, social, educational psychological counseling and other 4) Quality assurance and enhancement of healthcare services in the local health service”. (WIKIPIDEA)

Health visitor nurses in Denmark, where I have been educated and worked:

The first Health visitor nurses started in 1937 after some years with different trials in a few municipalities. Since then the number and assignments has grown. In Denmark the Health visitor nurses work for the municipalities. It is a public service to all families living in Denmark. The Health visitor nurse follows the child and family during the first year of their lives and later on in the schools.

The health visitor nurse will visit the newborns and their families after they come home from the hospital. They measure and weigh the babies as well as guiding the families in all aspects of maternity like lactation, motor skills, jaundice, hygiene among others. They also evaluate postpartum depression using the Edinburg scoring scale for women and the Gotland scoring scale for men. They check the babies attachment skills using the ADBB scoring scale.

In the schools the health visitor nurse will weigh, measure, check sight and hearing throughout the school years as well as having conversation with the child and sometimes parents about healthy living, exercise, healthy food, friendships etc. The Health visitor nurse will also give classes in puberty and sexuality on specific class years.