Alda L. Forte

Abstract

The study was conducted to explore the extent to which communication about high-risk infants identified prior to hospital discharge, influences the public health nursing supervision to these infants during the neonatal period. A high-risk infant was defined as one that stands a greater than average chance of developing neonatal, life threatening disease or sequellae (physical, intellectual, or social handicap) due usually to maternal health or social factors, infant factors such as length of gestation, birth trauma, or complications at birth. The hypothesis tested was that when high-risk infants are identified prior to hospital discharge and this information communicated on the referral to the public health nurse, her health supervision will be intensified during the neonatal period.

The sample of thirty-eight babies was obtained from high-risk newborns discharged from the Riverside General Hospital who resided in the areas served by the public health nurses in the city. A referral form consisting of risk factors developed by the investigator and the agency's original referral form were used. The public health nurses were asked seven open-ended questions. The interview explored four areas: purpose of the visit, content of the visit, plans for future health supervision, and the nurse's attitude to the referral. A chi square statistic was used to test the hypothesis.

The findings indicated that there was no apparent significant difference in public health nursing supervision to high-risk babies during the neonatal period when additional information was provided. Home visits to high-risk newborns were generally described as "routine home visits."

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Ruth M. White

Second Advisor

Betty R. Stirling

Third Advisor

Richard L. Tompkins

Fourth Advisor

Lois V. Johnson

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1971

Date (Title Page)

1-1971

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Infant Care; Public Health Nursing

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 69

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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