Evaluating the impact of preparation for health visitors prior to attending the NBO training on later use with families

Appleton, J., Nickell, I., Nicolau, S.

Presented at the 15th World Congress of WAIMH, Prague, June 2016. (Unpublished)

Abstract

Introduction: NBO trainees show different levels of preparation regarding Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) and knowledge of the Brazelton approach and, with that in mind, some course organisers in the UK arranged additional training related to this subjects. The aim of this survey is to identify if knowledge, skills and confidence related to NBO and PMH are enabling health visitors to integrate the NBO into their clinical practice.

Method: Three groups of Health Visitors were selected from NBO training courses according to preparation prearranged by their facilitator: Group A (n=17) had no previous preparation; group B (n=21) had a two-day training in PMH (including a one-hour introduction to the NBO) and group C (n=14) had a one-hour workshop introducing the NBO. Three questionnaires were used: 1) Pre-NBO Training; 2) Post-NBO Training; 3) Follow-up (6 months after the NBO course). Despite sending 4 reminders about the follow-up questionnaires, 22 replies were received.

Results: General comparisons were made due to the small number of responses retrieved from the Follow-up Q. Group C stands out, showing higher levels of integration into practice possibly due to the introductory workshop but also due to their professional background in PMH. This could explain an increment in their confidence level about discussing baby behaviour with parents after the training in fewer skills than the other groups.

Conclusions: The NBO training can be more effective for practitioners with a strong background in PMH, but short training preparation can also be beneficial. Other good practices with the NBO training support the idea that additional workshops and an introductory e-module could be implemented universally in order to benefit trainees.