title: A feasibility study to improve practice nurses' competence and confidence in providing care for mothers and infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postnatal care is best provided in primary health care settings, yet Practice Nurses (PNs) lack relevant training and report difficulty in providing postnatal care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of a pilot educational intervention in improving PN competence and confidence to care for mothers and infants in the first postnatal year.
  
  
  METHODS
  A feasibility study.
  
  
  METHODS
  PNs were recruited from selected general practices Queensland, Australia to undertake the pilot educational intervention that included a pre-intervention survey, two-day education program, program evaluation and completion of a practice journal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen PNs from three general practices participated, with 31% completing all study components. Evaluation of the intervention was positive and all participants reported increased confidence and competence in providing postnatal care. Following detailed consideration of feasibility (process, resource, management and scientific assessment) we propose that changes to intervention delivery and data collection should be incorporated into a larger trial.
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, The Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia Campus , QLD 4072 , Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bogossian
authors.affiliation: b Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine , The University of Queensland, The Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences , Herston Campus , QLD 4006 , Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brodribb
authors.affiliation: b Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine , The University of Queensland, The Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences , Herston Campus , QLD 4006 , Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farley
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, The Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia Campus , QLD 4072 , Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, The Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia Campus , QLD 4072 , Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tin
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, The Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia Campus , QLD 4072 , Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000068101:Maternal-Child Health Services; D009035:Mothers; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011793:Queensland; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: general practice; infant health; maternal health; postnatal care; practice nurses; primary health care