Nurse-Family Partnership acknowledged by Public Health Agency

January 12, 2015

The Public Health Agency of Canada has named Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) as a “best practice” and has posted it to its Best Practices Portal.

To be included on the portal, an intervention must meet criteria related to:
•    evidence of impact,
•    quality of evidence,
•    adaptability, and
•    credibility of source.

In the case of NFP, the sources were three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in the US by researcher David Olds.

NFP still needs testing in Canada prior to widespread implementation here — due to differences in our public health, social, and healthcare systems, as well as in our populations, compared with the US.

And for the first time in Canada, NFP’s effectiveness is now being evaluated — through the BC Healthy Connections Project, a large RCT taking place across BC. For this evaluation, the team is recruiting 1,000 young women who are preparing to parent for the first time. Prenatal, child and maternal outcomes will then be assessed in those who receive NFP compared with those receiving usual or existing services. The BC Healthy Connections Project also includes a nursing process evaluation to inform adaptations that may be needed to ensure NFP’s success in BC and Canada.

Note that NFP is available only through the BC Healthy Connections Project (BCHCP) for the duration of recruitment. Practitioners or young pregnant women can click here for details on how to reach public health and determine eligibility for the BCHCP.