Development of a Family Nursing Model for Prevention of Cancer and Other Noncommunicable Diseases through an Appreciative Inquiry

Background: Cancer and non-communicable diseases are a major issue not only for the developed but alsodeveloping countries. Public health and primary care nursing offer great potential for primary and secondaryprevention of these diseases through community and family-based approaches. Within Thailand there are relatedestablished educational curricula but less is known about how graduate practitioners enact ideas in practice andhow these can influence policy at local levels. Aim: The aim of this inquiry was to develop family nursing practicein primary care settings in the Isaan region or Northeastern Thailand and to distill what worked well into anursing model to guide practice. Materials and
Methods: An appreciative inquiry approach involving analysisof written reports, focus group discussions and individual interviews was used to synthesize what worked wellfor fourteen family nurses involved in primary care delivery and to build the related model.
Results: Three mainstrategies were seen to offer a basis for optimal care delivery, namely: enacting a participatory action approachmobilizing families’ social capital; using family nursing process; and implementing action strategies withincommunities. These were distilled into a new conceptual model.
Conclusions: The model has some features incommon with related community partnership models and the World Health Organization Europe Family HealthNurse model, but highlights practical strategies for family nursing enactment. The model offers a basis not onlyfor planning and implementing family care to help prevent cancer and other diseases but also for education ofnurses and health care providers working in communities. This articulation of what works in this culture alsooffers possible transference to different contexts internationally, with related potential to inform health andsocial care policies, and international development of care models.