Abstract
M.Cur. (Community Nursing)
The emphasis has moved from curative to services in South Africa, therefore the
assurance mechanisms is now essential primary health care establishing of quality
with the announcement of the devolution of primary health care services to the local
authority, by the Minister of Health in 1991, the role fulfillment and accountability of the community health nurse becomes much more complex and greater demands are continuously made. The need for standards in child health nursing in a local authority led to this study. Relevant literature was explored in respect of the main variables and concepts of the child health nursing practice, whereby theoretical validity is confirmed for the formulation of the nursing standards in this respect. Nursing standards for child health nursing as rendered by the community health nurse in the local authorities on the Witwatersrand, were formulated. These standards were validated by a representative group of experts on regional level. The validation process consisted of a two-stage research technique. The statistical validity was calculated by means of a content validity index for each standard. All the standards (N=86) were considered valid, but sixteen (19%) require reformulation standards form the basis of the quality assurance process. These should equip the community health nurse with valuable guidelines to promote quality nursing care in respect of child health in the local authority. It is recommended that these standards should serve as optimum standards for the community health nurse concerned with child health nursing in the local authority.