24/02/2016
The success of an initiative supporting young first-time parents to make positive choices has been highlighted at the most recent NHS Fife Board meeting.
A young mother who is due to graduate from the latest Family Nurse Partnership programme appeared in person in front of members on Tuesday (23rd February 2016). She spent time relaying her experiences of the partnership and discussing the ways it has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to build her confidence as a parent.
Launched in Fife in August 2012, the Family Nurse Partnership is a two-and-a-half-year home visiting programme, which begins in early pregnancy and is orientated to the future health and wellbeing of children. Family nurses regularly visit expectant mothers at their home, during pregnancy, and post-birth to offer support in areas such as child development, preventative health measures, parenting skills, breastfeeding, diet, education, and employment. The initiative has so far supported 378 young parents across the Kingdom.
Commenting, Executive Director of Nursing, Helen Paterson, said:
“Patient stories now take place at most NHS Fife Board meetings and provide a unique platform for patients, carers, and staff to talk about their own personal experiences of the healthcare we provide – both positive and negative.
“NHS Fife is committed to listening and learning from all areas where we could have done better, but we also want to ensure that we build upon areas where we are doing things well, and share these examples across the organisation as areas of best practice.
“We always appreciate patients taking the time to feedback and we are especially grateful to our guest for appearing at our Board meeting and telling us about the difference the Family Nurse Partnership has made in her life. Becoming a parent can be a particularly challenging time for younger people, however, the Family Nursing Partnership enables our nurses to provide important support at crucial times and, ultimately, our parents graduate with both a wider parenting skill-set and a greater confidence in their own abilities.”
The NHS Fife Board Meeting was held at the Queen Margaret Hospital on Tuesday 23rd February.