FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Nursing
ON Campus RLE Skills Laboratory
Topic: Home Visit
Objectives:
After 1 hour of simulated situation, the student will:
1. Discuss the nature of Home Visit, the purposes and principles involved in
doing a home visit.
2. Explain the importance of Bag technique during the Home visit to the client.
3. Demonstrate bag technique
4. Demonstrate technique on urine examination using the Benedict’s Test for sugar content and Acetic
Acid Test for the presence of protein.
Definition:
HOME VISIT OR NURSING VISIT
➢ A professional contact made by the nurse to or on behalf of a case to further the special activity of
the agency.
Purposes:
1. To give nursing care to the sick, to a post- partum mother and new born with a view of teaching a
responsible member of a family to give subsequent care.
2. To find out the living condition of the client and his family in order to fit the health teaching need.
3. To teach health practices, the prevention of diseases, and correction of defects for better living.
4. To detect, help, prevent and report the presence of communicable diseases.
5. To establish a close relationship between the health agency and the public for the promotion of public
health.
6. To make use of the referral system and of the community services.
Principles in Preparing for a nursing visit
1. A home visit should have a purpose or objective.
2. Planning for a home visit should make use of all available information about the patient and his
family through family records, knowledge of health center personnel and other existing agencies that
have given services to this particular family.
3. Planning a home visit should revolve around the essential needs of the client and his family, but
priority should be given to those needs recognized by the family itself.
4. Planning should be flexible.
5. Planning for a continuing care should involve the client and his family.
General Principles on the frequency of home visits:
There is no definite rule as to frequency of home visits. Since a given population in a community is always
much more than health personnel can handle, Priority selection according to needs should be a
Factor in determining the frequency of home visit to the client and family. However, the following general
principles are suggested for the guidance of the Community Health Nurse as to frequency.
Things to consider in determining the Frequency of Home Visit:
1. Physical, psychological and educational needs of the client and his family.
2. To some extent, the policy of a given agency and the emphasis placed on the given health program.
3. The acceptance of the family for the services offered and their interest and willingness to cooperate.
4. Other health agencies and the number of health personnel already involved in the care of the family.
5. Careful evaluation of the past health services given to the Family, and how the family makes use of the
nursing services.
6. The ability of the client and his family to recognize their own need, their knowledge of available
resources and the ability to utilize these resources on their own accord.
7. The need for the nursing care.
Examples:
Prenatal: 7th month pregnancy
& below
8th month pregnancy
9th month pregnancy
once a month
twice a month
once a week
Examples for Post Natal Visit:
Daily home visit until the cord is off, then twice a week, until the baby
is one month old. After one month, require the mother to bring the baby to
the health centers.
Morbidity:
As often as necessary
Home Supervision:
Spacing of home visits is based on the principle that the Learning is more effective if the learning
periods are at frequent intervals.
Priorities:
1. Those expectant mothers who do not have a pre-natal checkup within reasonable distance from their
Home.
2. Those who for one reason or another, do not visit the clinic:
Examples:
a. Those who have previous abnormal pregnancies.
b. Those who are mentally ill.
c. Those who are very poor.
3. Those for whom the clinic doctor request follows up visit at home.
4. Those who are going to deliver at home. The nurse needs to see the home conditions and advise the
mother what she should prepare for the delivery.
Preparation for Home Visit:
1. Assemble records and study the case to be visited.
2. List the names and addresses in duplicate form in the order of the visit. Take
one list with you to serve as your guide and leave the other copy in the
health center for the supervisor to know your whereabouts
Arrangement of Visit should be as follows:
1. Postnatal Cases
2. Prenatal
3. Clients with communicable diseases.
STEPS IN CONDUCTING HOME VISIT
1. Greet the patient and introduce yourself.
2. State the purpose of the visit.
3. Observe the patient and determine the health needs.
4. Put the bag in a convenient place then proceed to perform the bag technique.
5. Perform the nursing care needed and give health teachings.
6. Record all important data, observation and care rendered.
7. Make appointment for a return visit