Abstract
Primary health care as a model for the provision of health services was introduced by the World Health Organization in the mid 1970s. Initially viewed as a means of health promotion and advancement of wellness in developing countries, it was soon to be adopted by industrialised countries to assist in relieving the demand on acute care services. This was to be achieved through education of the community towards good health practices and the preparation of nurses to practice in the community, outside of the acute care environment. Australian nurses were slow to respond to this philosophy of health care and this study has sought to examine why this is so. It has been found that there are a multitude of reasons for the lack of action in the decade or more following the Declaration of Alma Ata and the major issues have been identified and elaborated.Some of the major reports of the time that were associated with and had some influence on health care and nurse education have been examined to identify recommendations and how much they support the ethos of primary health care. These include the Sax committee report of 1978 and a submission by the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations in 1987.
As part of the investigation, nursing curricula from around Australia in the mid 1980s have been examined to determine the degree of the primary health care content according to guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. It was found that generally at that time, there was a deficit in the preparation of undergraduate students of nursing for practice in the area of primary health care when the world, including industrialised nations, was making moves towards this model of health care delivery.
Factors influencing the slow response of nursing have been examined and finally recommendations for further studies have been put forward.
| Date of Award | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Antoinette Ackermann (Supervisor) |
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