Exploring the long-term influence of the family nurse partnership on the lives of young mothers

Abstract

Background The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is an intensive nurse led home-visiting programme for first-time mothers under 19 years old and their babies, run by the English Government. This small qualitative study is part of a larger study which examined the key outcomes of the programme in one UK location. Few studies have explored the experiences of young mothers after graduating from the FNP. The aim of this study was to explore mother’s own experiences of the programme and particularly how the FNP programme has had an impact upon parents and their children post-graduation from the programme. Methods Data was collected using face to face, semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 12 mothers who had graduated from the FNP programme. Mothers were asked about their experience of the programme and their subsequent life-course. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Analysis of the data was conducted using a constant comparative approach. Results The mothers who had participated in the FNP program were very positive about their experiences and talked about the continued impact the programme has had on their lives. Themes emerging from the data included the importance of the supportive nature of the relationship with the family nurse and how participating in the FNP had increased their self-confidence and has empowered them to make positive changes in their lives. Conclusions The interviews found that mothers valued the intervention and it had a long-term impact on the mothers. In addition ways in which the FNP intervention has influenced the lives of clients and their families, that are not routinely measured by the programme were identified. Researchers are now working with the programme providers to support its development of a more flexible intervention model of parenting support so that the beneficial effects of the programme can reach more vulnerable parents. Key messages: •Mothers value the FNP intervention and continue to benefit from the programme after it has finished •Further development and evolution of the model is being undertaken which aims to reach more parents and should be researched.