2014 Volume 24 Pages 17-23
The aims of this study were to examine the current responsibilities of nurses in child healthcare activities conducted at day care centers, clarify the relationship between their work responsibilities and style of work allocation at these centers, and discuss the issues relating to the work allocation of nurses at these centers for the future. Research was carried out with 41 nurses who participated in a workshop run by the childcare council in Prefecture A, out of a total of 71 nurses working in day care centers in the prefecture. The nurses responded to a questionnaire created by the authors. The 30 questionnaire items concerning the allocation of healthcare activities in the day care centers were divided into three aspects: support for children, support for families, and cooperation with various professionals and related agencies. Differences in the three aspects were compared between nurses responsible for particular classes and nurses not tied to responsibilities for particular classes. The results revealed that mean scores were higher for the nurses not tied to responsibilities of particular classes in all three aspects examined. This indicates that in order for nurses at day care centers to make best use of their specialized skills and knowledge, and carry out child healthcare activities, the styles of work allocation must be improved.
