Relationship between Recognition of Oral Care and Self-assessment of Problem-solving Behavior by Floor Nurses

Abstract

〔Purpose〕To characterize the relationship between the recognition of oral care and the self-assessment of problem-solving behavior by floor nurses to obtain educational suggestions for the improvement of oral care quality.

〔Method〕Questionnaire survey and statistical analysis were conducted in 808 floor nurses working for seven hospitals.

〔Results〕618 nurses responded （response rate 76.5%）and 535 valid responses were analyzed. Most floor nurses thought that oral care was important and over half of them assessed their own oral care as inadequate. Self-assessment of oral care tended to be higher with an increase in self-assessment of problem-solving behavior. Subordinate factors of problem-solving behavior that were associated with oral care self-assessment included those involving individuality, such as II-Confirmation of Patient’s Will, III-Priority and Response to Patient’s Request, and VII-Individual Support. Self-assessment of problem-solving behavior was associated with four reasons for providing inadequate oral care, specifically, being short of time, awful oral condition, poor skill, and lack of knowledge.

〔Discussion〕Education for improvement of oral care quality should not just concentrate on oral care methodology. Instead, it is suggested that problem-solving behavior needs to be introduced to education programs for individualized oral care.