Learning to Nurse Families

Abstract

Maternal and Child Health appears in our B.Sc.(N) program as an eight-credit course placed at the end of the second year of learning to nurse. The concepts of health, family and development which permeate the entire curriculum continue to be developed during this segment of student learning. The course focuses on several events of family life, one of which is the birth of a child and the incorporation of a new family member. The student brings to the course a sound basis in the biological and social sciences and the beginnings of critical thinking. During their two previous years, they have engaged in clinical experiences which fostered the building of a body of knowledge and acquiring a repertoire of skills to serve as a basis for nursing families. The following situations describe the characteristics of families in the order they are presented to the students from their year of entry to the program: 1) families with elderly parents and/or grandparents who are living in a home for the aged; 2) families with an adult member who requires surgical intervention for a short-term health problem; 3) families with an adult member who is experiencing a health problem of a chronic nature; 4) families who are rearing young children.