2012 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 2_3-12
Purpose: This research aimed to classify the service delivery pattern by home-visiting nurses for people with schizophrenia living in Japan.
Method: Nursing care delivered to schizophrenic patients (n=422) from 322 Japanese home visiting nursing stations and patients' characteristics were examined. The care scores of the 22 psychiatric nursing care categories were classified by cluster analysis. One-way analysis of variance and x2 test were used to examine the characteristics of patients and the care category clusters they received.
Result: Four characteristic clusters emerged: care for living alone; family support for patients who had severe conditions; monitoring for who had other support and support for patients with severe conditions. The ratio of who had a housemate (p<0.001), support from non-nurse (home help, p<0.05), and social functioning (GAF: Global Assessment of Functioning, P<0.01) showed significant differences between the clusters.
Conclusions: Characteristics of home visiting nurse users who had schizophrenia and their care delivery patterns were classified. Four significant care areas emerged, care for living alone, family and the patients' support for severe conditions, and monitoring.
