| Background: The evolution of public health nursing in Hong Kong can be traced back to the 1930s but formal training of public health nurses only commenced in 1954. However, as the number of nurses working in this field was small in comparison with hospital nurses, their practice and contribution is largely unknown. Aim: This study aims to reveal the developments in public health nursing practice in Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHC) from 1954 to 2010. Objectives of this study include examining the characteristics of public health nursing practice and analysing the changes in public health nursing practice in MCHC, as well as identifying the significant events and factors that influenced its development. Methods: The historical research method was adopted to examine the public health nurses' experiences. The primary data source was derived from the collected oral histories of retired public health nurses and medical and nursing administrators. The secondary data source was obtained from a review of government documents, personal notes, photographs and newspaper cuttings. In total, thirty-seven informants, including six administrators and thirty-one retired public health nurses were interviewed, ranging in age from late 50s to early 90s. Oral histories were taken from face-to-face interviews with these informants. Content analysis was used to analyse the collected information. Results: The study findings depict six characteristics of public health nursing, including its category, nursing culture, focus of service, health education and health promotion function, and the presentation of art and science in practice. Findings also demonstrate the developments and practice of the public health nursing was influenced by cultural, social, economical and political factors and events. In addition, several important professional issues affect the status and professional identity of public health nurses, among them the invisibility of the service and its devalued status, medical dominance and administrative influence, the ideology of public health and public health nursing in Hong Kong, the impact of working for the government and the preparation of public health nurses. Data collected in this study also disclose how developments in public health nursing in Hong Kong closely followed the changes in public health in which the development can be divided in three phases: the evolution of public health nursing from 1954 to 1970s, the static period from 1970s to 1980s and the period of changes from 1990s to 2010. Implications and Conclusions: Public health nurses are suggested to expand their knowledge and skills to further their autonomy, promote evidence-based practice and document nursing outcomes. The study also demonstrates that historical study can help to interpret the past and enhance understanding of the present. History has much to contribute to nursing. |
