Assessment Difficulty and Educational Needs of Home Care Nurses Providing Medical Care for Cancer Patients in Japan: Examining the Viewpoints

Abstract

The primary cause of death in Japan is malignant tumors, and the increase in medical expenses is increasing social security costs. It is expected that home recuperation of cancer patients will increase in the future. Therefore, improving home care nurses’ practical skills is an urgent issue. This study aimed to clarify the assessment difficulty experienced by home care nurses while providing medical care to cancer patients and to obtain suggestions for developing training programs for improving nursing practical skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten home care nurse managers from November to December　2017. Verbatim responses were collected and categorized using MAXQDA. Assessment difficulties were encountered during the following situations in medical care of cancer patients: “pain control” and “seeking safety and comfort in the occurrence of diverse symptoms　caused by cancer recurrence, metastasis, and disease progression.” Additionally, home care nurses were managing methods to report physicians to support the patient’s wishes, and coordinating with relevant organizations such as request a home call. According to the nurse managers, it is essential to ensure training opportunities for young and mid-career nurses, train nurses regarding the use of new medical equipment, conduct technical exercises on drug administration, and provide education on assessment techniques and medical viewpoints on respiration and circulation. To improve of the practical ability of home care nurses, it is considered important to provide training on the assessment of duplicate symptoms that appear when cancer progresses, various medical treatment methods utilized, and medical thinking methods.

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Author Information
Emiko Yamamoto, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Kaori Hatanaka, University of Osaka, Japan
Sayaka Kato, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Kouji Nakashima, University of Miyazaki, Japan
Hiroyuki Komatsu, University of Miyazaki, Japan

• Category: ACP2018, Uncategorised

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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