Post-earthquake support activities provided by dispatched public health nurses after large-scale earthquakes in Japan: A qualitative study

抄録

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the type of support provided by dispatched public health nurses with experience in providing health activities, within 2 months after a large-scale earthquake in Japan.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 high-career prefectural public health nurses who had experience in providing health care within earthquake disaster areas. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis for support activities, as outlined by Maying (2014).

Results: The analysis included eight categories and 33 subcategories, which consisted of 306 codes. The following categories were found: (1) collection, organization, and reporting of information; (2) sharing of information and facilitating cooperation; (3) supporting leading public health nurses; (4) communicating measures used in past disasters; (5) responding to the situation and feelings of local public health nurses; (6) improvement of work systems to support long-term activities of local public health nurses; (7) improving the environment of shelters and preventing infection; and (8) supporting the mental and physical health of disaster victims.

Conclusions: Public health nurses in the managerial phase had sufficient experience in handling past disaster health activities. They provided both management support for the activities implemented by local public health nurses and direct support for the victims when they were dispatched to disaster-affected areas. Their efforts were mainly directed at creating an environment in which disaster-related health activities could be implemented appropriately and efficiently.