Phase 1 2001 to 2003

In 1999 a small group met to discuss how Family Health Nursing would look in Scotland, and the role they would play working with individuals, families, the community and with other professional staff. The result was that Scotland became the lead pilot site in the WHO Europe multi-national study.

An independent evaluation of the initial 2 year pilot project was carried out by Colin Macduff and Dr Bernice West from the Centre for Nurse Practice Research and Development (CeNPRaD), The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (www.rgu.ac.uk/subj/cenprad).

Family health nurses are now working in remote and rural areas as members of primary health care teams. Their generalist role combines skills of public health with disease management across the life span.

Phase 2 2003 to 2005

We have now launched a second phase of implementing Family Health Nursing in Scotland. There are three main elements:

• Consolidating the practice of existing Family Health Nurses
• Revising and refocusing the education programme in the light of the evaluation
• Testing out the Family Health Nurse model in an urban area.

This work is being led by a National Implementation Group chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer with 4 facilitators appointed at NHS Board level to take forward work with practitioners.

In March 2004 the team from CeNPRaD started a short term follow-up study of professionals' perspectives on the development of family health nursing. This seeks further understanding of how the role has developed in remote and rural practice since the end of 2002. The study should be completed by the end of July, with findings available later in the autumn.

The practice development work within existing and new sites is being undertaken using an action research approach. A research advisory group from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University is overseeing this work.