Exploring the health visiting practice within a framework of clinical leadership

Background: In Denmark there is an increasing interest in health promoting services for pregnancy, the ante-natal period and the period 0-6 years. Drawing on a review of the literature, there is an increasing debate of both public nature as well as academically on safeguarding the period where the family as well as the babies are vulnerable. This in order to improve and contribute to health improvement and reduce health inequalities. The concept of health visiting is an old and imbedded part of health promotion in Denmark. However, the health visiting profession is being challenged and there is a demand for further exploration within the values, skills and attitudes in order to deliver health visiting services through salutogenesis (health creation), person-centeredness (human valuing) and viewing the person in situation (human ecology) to map the clinical leadership of the health visiting profession.
Aim and objectives: To explore how health visitors experience the clinical management of their work in the families
Design: A qualitative study
Methods: Individual interviews including of approximately 16 health visitors working in a municipality in Denmark. The snow-balling sampling is used through social media: Facebook interest groups and the webpage of the Danish Health Visiting Association is used. The inclusion criteria are health visitors who have at least 5 years’ experience in home visiting and hold an authorization. A thematic content analysis is used.