Aims and objectives: To develop a profile of registered nurses working in Child and Family Health services across the Northern Sydney Local Health District to inform workforce strategic planning.
Background: Child and family health nurses (CFHNs) are registered nurses holding recognized qualifications in child and family health. To date, information regarding Child and family health nurses has been very limited.
Methods: The survey was conducted using a self-administrated online questionnaire between March-June 2017.
Results: Just over 75% of the respondents were aged over 50 years. Job satisfaction and feeling valued are enablers for remaining in current positions and not feeling valued can contribute to leaving employment. Nearly, one-third of respondents are currently a carer.
Conclusion: This study provides an insight into the demographics of Child and family health nurses in Northern Sydney Local Health District, including roles as carers. It also examines factors influencing Child and family health nurses to remain or leave current positions.
Implication for nursing management: This survey has drawn attention to the need for managers to urgently develop strategies, for example succession planning, to ensure that shortages of these experienced Child and family health nurses do not occur. The inability to staff Child and Family Health could potentially impact on the ability to provide services and meet key performance indicators.
Keywords: child; family; health; nurses; workforce.
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.