Analysis of Difficulties faced by Home Health　Nursing Practicum Instructors

抄録

Japan is transforming into a super-aging society and the medical need for in-home care is rising. Nursing students have to deal with a wide range of diseases, degeneration and circumstances in such a situation. This study aimed to identify difficulties faced by home health nursing practicum instructors in order to gain an insight for effective learning. Quantitative research by questionnaire was conducted, and a total of 387 questionnaires were sent to managers, clinical instructors, and home health nurses at all 129 facilities in the southern Kanto region of Japan. As a result, 78 valid responses were obtained out of 89 responses (valid response rate 20.16%). The participants with 0 to 6 years of home health nursing experience were concerned that the practicum time was too short to provide adequate instruction and that students under their instruction might not be meeting practicum goals. The participants with 6 to 20 year experience stated that students do not know how to behave appropriately during home visits, students do not know specifically what they want to learn. The participants with ≥15 year experience felt they are unsure how to integrate students’ different motivations for learning. Focusing with participants’ nursing experience, the respondents with 5 to 15 years of nursing experience did not feel that they concern about leading a practicum, and the respondents with ≥15 year of nursing experience felt that students did not go specifically what they want to learn. To conclude, it was found important that lecture contents should be revised to help students first visualize what home visits look like and second, make assessments and provide care based on case details within the allotted time. What is more, faculty members must not make instructors solely responsible for students’ learning, but rather maintain close contact with instructors for effective on-site instruction.