Population health surveillance practice of public health nurses.
OBJECTIVE
To report the population health surveillance functions of public health nurses and to describe factors that impede these functions.


METHODS
An interpretive qualitative study was conducted in Public Health Service areas in Eastern Canada. Participants were public health nurses (n=55) with an average of 14.5 years of pertinent work experience.


METHODS
Semistructured face-to-face, telephone interviews, and focus groups were conducted, transcribed, coded, and analyzed.


RESULTS
The nurses in this study used ecosocial population health surveillance functions that included multilevel societal influences on health. Extensive interprofessional and intersectoral networks were foundational to their surveillance work, allowing them to monitor what was occurring in the community and transfer this knowledge into various systems to contribute toward improved health outcomes. However, the nurses did not acknowledge the significance of their population health surveillance work, and documentation structures did not support these surveillance functions.


CONCLUSIONS
New surveillance methods and documentation structures that reflect an ecosocial surveillance approach are needed that are more consistent with public health nurses' population-focused practice.
Meagher-Stewart
Donna
D
School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Professions, 5869 University Ave, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 2J5. donna.meagher-stewart@dal.ca
Edwards
Nancy
N
Aston
Megan
M
Young
Linda
L
D002170:Canada; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011637:Public Health Nursing