Public health in policy and practice : a sourcebook for health visitors and community nurses / edited by Sarah Cowley.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Section 1: \'Grass roots practice\' in public health --Introduction to Section 1--1. Public health practice in nursing and health visiting --Introduction --Expanding scope of public health-- Developing the public health function --Nursing and health visiting in public health practice-- Opportunities for the practice disciplines --Conclusion --Discussion questions --Further reading-- References --2. The development of public health nursing -Introduction --The early public health movement --Development of public health services --The early development of health visiting-- Home care in the UK and USA --From public health into nursing --Health visiting: for individuals or populations?-- What is a public health nurse? --Public health health visiting in practice--Health visiting and health inequalities --A new framework for public health health visiting --Nursing, Health For All and the new public health --Nursing, health visiting and public health practice --Conclusion-- Discussion questions --Further reading --References --3. Public health and health promotion-- Introduction --What is health? --What is public health? --Promoting health --Where does primary healthcare fit?--Distinctions between medical, social and lay definitions of health --Negotiating perspectives --Theoretical perspectives underpinning health promotion work in practice-- Examples from practice --Conclusion --Discussion questions --Further reading--References--Section 2: The policy agenda in public health practice--Introduction to Section 2 --4. Planning public health strategies--Introduction --Health strategy --Health improvement programmes --Setting the context: Public health --Public health and its responsibility for health improvement --Identifying need --Community-based needs assessment --Difference between need and want --A strategic plan for health --Values in public health --Health promotion and public health --User involvement-- Methods of obtaining the views of local people --Commissioning and needs assessment-- Teamwork --Clinical effectiveness --Audit --Outcomes-measuring --Research --Development-- Preparing a proposal or a bid for a research project --Public health professionals --Conclusion-- Discussion questions --Further reading --References 5. Public health and primary care-- Introduction --What is primary health care? --Reorientating health services --Primary care: potential for nursing? --Health improvement programmes --Nursing knowledge and power-- Leadership --Learning organisations --Overcoming the barriers --Conclusion-- Discussion questions --Further reading --References --6. Profiling health needs --Introduction --Clarification of the terms --The relevance of needs assessment and profiling --Approaches to needs assessment --The consumer perspective --Profiling health needs --The process of profiling --Identifying data sources --Researching the process of profiling --Analysing the data --Teamwork and profiling-- Profiling and information technology--Conclusion --Discussion questions --Further reading-- Appendix-- References --7. Understanding effectiveness for service planning --Introduction-- Defining effectiveness --Evidence-based health care --Use of evidence --Hierarchy of evidence-- Critical appraisal --Accumulation of evidence increasing precision --Studies of efficacy vs effectiveness-- Evaluation and public health interventions --The role of guidelines --Conclusion-- Discussion questions --Further reading --References--8. Effectiveness and community empowerment--Introduction --Philosophical clarity in relation to outcomes in public health nursing --Changing philosophies in public health --Clarifying practitioner and community values and goals-- Empowerment theories, goals and outcomes --\'Social capital\' and its role in community empowerment --Measuring community empowerment outcomes --Tools used to measure community empowerment and development --Conclusion --Discussion questions --Further reading --References --Resources --Section 3: Research and policy for public health practice-- Introduction to Section 3--9. Child protection as a public health issue--Introduction --Definitions-- Describing \'children in need\' in relation to public health --Child protection statistics --Child health promotion and the identification of children in need --The identification of children in need of protection --Conclusion --Discussion questions --Further reading --References --10. Community development as a public health function --Introduction--Community development: origins and influences --Elements of community development --Refocusing health visiting --Community development activity in nursing --Bringing community development into health visiting practice-- Child health and community development --Well-baby clinics --Child development --Child protection --Conclusion --Discussion questions-- Further reading --References --11. Breastfeeding and public health -- Introduction --Incidence and prevalence of breastfeeding in the UK --Public health benefits of breastfeeding --Health gains for infants--Health benefits for women--Women\'s perspectives on the benefits of breastfeeding --Why don\'t more women breastfeed? --Community practitioners and the promotion of public health through breastfeeding --The individual/community --The professional sphere --Public health and breastfeeding policy --Conclusion --Discussion questions-- Further reading --References--12. Family support as a public health issue --Introduction --Is family support necessary for family health? --Family support for families from ethnic minorities --Family health as a public health issue --New government policies --Making a difference: strengthening the nursing, midwifery and health visiting contribution to health and health care --Practicalities of incorporating policy into practice --How one Sure Start vision is to be delivered --Conclusion and implications for practice-- Discussion questions --Further reading.

Aimed at health visitors and community health nurses for whom public health is the key issue for practice, this text examines and defines public health nursing, explores its theoretical basis and provides a guide to practice issues.