Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the intention of public health nurses to support care managers who experience difficulties. Method: A semi-constitutive interview was performed to 17 public health nurses working for local governments in N and G prefectures. They all have experience in supporting care managers. The interview was on the contents and intentions of support they provided to care managers. Then qualitative and inductive analysis was performed. Result: Twenty items were extracted concerning support intention of public health nurses. They were further classified in such phases as "decision on support necessity," "identification of problems," "implementation of support," "evaluation of support" and "development of community support system." The public health nurses provided support to care managers by combining different options. Support intentions include "enhancement of care management competencies" of care managers and "preparation for better care management". Each support action combines both perspectives. Disscusion: In support to care managers, public health nurses caught difficulty factors from the various sides and decision on support necessity, and they utilized their care management and family support skills to help that care managers be able to carry out the high quality care management. Furthermore, expertise of public health nurses in developing challenges and issues into system were visible in their support activities.
