Expectations of the child health nurse in Sweden: two perspectives

Background: the child health service exists to support and stimulate parents in order to reduce stress and to encourage an advantageous development of the preschool child. Aim: To explore and describe similarities and differences in expectations of the child health nurse, from the perspective of the recently delivered first‐time mother, as compared to an expression of what the child health nurse believed mothers of infants expected of them. The data consisted of 15 interviews with child health nurses and 20 interviews with first‐time mothers. Thematic content analysis resulted in seven categories of expectations. The child health nurse was expected to be someone to approach, who could assess the child's development and give immunizations and to be a supporter, counsellor, safety provider and a parent group organizer with knowledge. Similarities between the mothers’ and the nurses’ statements occurred more frequently than differences, which is suggested to depend on the Swedish tradition among new mothers of visiting the child health clinic. The mothers expected participation in parent groups to a higher degree than the nurses thought they did. Child health nurses who fulfil the mothers’ expectations appear to require a good relationship with the mother in order to find out what she desires, which the allocation of sufficient time for regular meetings, will facilitate. Moreover, the nurse requires knowledge about children's requirements and the transition to motherhood as well as the father's important role.