2021 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 22-29
Purpose: To clarify the construct of skills for cooperation used by municipal public health nurses in support for children with developmental disabilities.
Method: In a first study, focus group interviews were conducted to identify content corresponding to cooperative skills used by public health nurses in support for children with developmental disabilities. A questionnaire was created based on this content. The subjects were seven municipal public health nurses who had been working for at least 10 years in the business of maternal and child health. In a second study, the questionnaire created in the first study was used to conduct a quantitative survey to clarify the construct of cooperative skills, after which a factor analysis was performed. The subjects of the survey were 280 public health nurses working in the business of maternal and child health in municipalities in Prefecture A.
Results: The construct of public health nurses’ cooperative skills in support of children with developmental disabilities was 31 items and 5 factors: “creating a system for multidisciplinary cooperation,” “reviewing roles based on mutual understanding with professionals from multiple disciplines,” “improving multidisciplinary support skills,” “conveying the child’s characteristics to the mother,” and “continuously engaging with the mother.”
Discussion: This research revealed the construct of skills for cooperation used by municipal public health nurses in support for children with developmental disabilities. The assessment of subjects is associated with support, interdisciplinary cooperation, and the creation of a system tailored to the region, and seems to be based on a particular of process.
