Visiting Nurses’ Recognition of Specified Medical Acts System in Home Care

Interview Survey of Visiting Nurses

Abstract

Purpose: To clarify visiting nurses’ recognition of Specified Medical Acts System in home care.

Method: An interview survey was administered to eight visiting nurses and the results were analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

Results: With respect to visiting nurses’ recognition of Specified Medical Acts System, the following were classified as “Expectations for Specified Medical Acts System”: ‘Load Reduction from Patients/Family Members,’ ‘Expectation for Recovery Effects by Timely Specified medical acts,’ ‘Controlling for Loss Due to Prohibition of Specified Medical Acts,’ ‘Contribution to Enhancement of Nursing Care Quality,’ ‘Contribution to Improvement in Home Care System,’ and ‘Load Reduction for Doctors’. Meanwhile, the following were classified as “Concerns and Resistance to Specified Medical Acts System”: ‘Enough of Current Medical System,’ ‘Concern over Expanding Medical Practices beyond Nurses’ Roles,’ ‘Resistance to Introduction of Specified Medical Acts System,’ ‘Anxiety about Decline in Original Nursing-care Quality,’ and ‘First Priority of Improvement of Home Care System.’ In addition, “Problems in Operation of Specified Medical Acts System” were identified.

Conclusion: Visiting nurses had both positive and negative recall of Specified Medical Acts System. They were also aware that the practice and operation of specified medical acts entailed problems and therefore, were reluctant to introduce the system. Such perceptions are influenced by insufficient understanding of the system and specific medical situations in their respective regions. To allow for introduction, it is necessary to unify the visiting nurses’ recognition of Specified Medical Acts System and tackle the problems.