2012 Volume 14 Issue 2 Pages 43-52
Purpose: To clarify the viewpoints of visiting nurses to support mothers caring for children with special health-care needs. Method: Participants were 6 expert visiting nurses working at a visiting nursing station for children with special health-care needs. A semi-structured focused group interview was conducted in September 2007. The interview data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive analysis. The transcripts of the viewpoints were coded. Categories and subcategories were determined by comparing the coded summary. Results: The viewpoints of visiting nurses were divided into information assessed by nurses and the stances of nurses. The visiting nurses considered the following 10 categories to be important information: ability of the mother to provide care, acceptance of the child by the mother, maternal personality, maternal mental status, maternal physical condition, child's physical condition, child' s ability to understand and respond, family support of home care, family's intention to home-care nursing, relationship between the mother and nurse. The stances of visiting nurses were the following 3 categories: getting involved with mother and child in stages keeping pace with mother, sharing childrearing in the family's life, linking mother and society looking the long-term home care. Conclusion: It is important for visiting nurses to provide the following assistance: (1) understanding mothers' mental or living condition, (2) enhancing ability of the mother to provide care and family support of home care, (3) building relationship between mother and nurse keeping pace with mother and (4) linking mother and other organizations looking to long-term home care.
