2018 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 32-40
Objective: The purpose of this study is to reveal the structure of the dilemma of public health nurses involved in individual-support activities for mentally disabled persons in the department of municipal welfare.
Methods: The participants included 11 public health nurses who had been working at the department of municipal welfare in the Kanto area and involved in individual-support activities for mentally disabled persons for more than one year. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews on specific situations of the dilemma. The KJ method was used for analysis in order to reveal the structure by describing the relationships among factors using an illustration.
Results: The dilemma of the participants had formed a structure that they were changing simply by accepting the idea, that they “become staff as a public health nurse in name only（Factor 1）”, while constantly showing resistance to the current situation as they “want to support their clients（as a public health nurses）so that they will be able to help themselves（Factor 2）” and symbiosis as they “come to provide <welfare public health> that they believe in（Factor 3）”.
Conclusion: The participants had accepted the idea imposed by the difference of opinion in their tasks, while constantly showing the resistance that it was not actually their job. And they had a symbiotic relationship to the situation by showing their innate potential and performing activities according to the code of welfare. In order for them to overcome their dilemma, we need to promote re-recognition of their occupational identity through their reflections.
