The role of nursing partnership interventions in improving the health of disadvantaged women

This paper describes a project which assessed the contribution that nursing professionals are making to improving the health of deprived women living in Northern Ireland. The study is set within the context of the Targeting H ealth and Social Need (THSN) Initiative an important theme within the North ern Ireland Regional Strategy entitled Health and Well-being into the Next Millennium - A Regional Strategy for Health and Social Well-being 1997-2002 which is concerned with addressing inequalities in health status and socia l well-being. The paper describes the results of a survey (n=1000, response rate 39%) and the criteria used to select 22 interventions to provide evid ence of 'effective practice' within THSN. The study highlights the work of previous reviews in the area and provides evidence concerning effective int erventions in practice. Although the interventions described may be lacking in 'pure scientific' method and may not meet the rigorous inclusion criter ia of systematic review methodologies, there is evidence to suggest that nu rses are using well-designed more qualitative evaluation methods and demons trating improvements in health and social need for women in the lowest soci o-economic groups. In terms of equity the case studies show that community nursing may be a powerful vehicle for researching people previously neglect ed by the formal health care system. Health policies such as THSN can now a rticulate the methods needed for reform or change, setting directions and a rticulating the barriers to implementation and achievement.