Understanding the Status and Factors of Implementing Respite Care in Visiting Nursing Stations for Children: A Nationwide Survey

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the status and factors of implementing respite care in a visiting nursing stations and adjoining office for children requiring medical care.

Method: A survey questionnaire was distributed to 1,154 visiting nursing stations for children between August and September, 2017. Statistical analyses were performed using χ² test and Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: There were 381 valid responses (response rate: 32.8%). The respite care implementation rate was 57.1% and there was a relationship between the adjoining of After-school day care service including child development support and respite care implementation rate (p = .004). The factors related to the implementation of respite care were the number of nursing staff, needs, standardization of the quality of nursing, recruiting personnel, staff's ability to communicate with children and family caregivers, and staff's ability to build relationships of trust with family caregivers (p = .00–.04).

Conclusion: As per this study, it was suggested that improvement of respite care implementation was necessary, based on factors such as personnel allocation, unified quality of nursing care, acquisition of basic nursing skills.