2022 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 53-61
Purpose: This study aims to identify the frequency and type of difficulties encountered by occupational health nurses, which occur when they share employees’ personal health information. Methods: A self-administered mail questionnaire survey was conducted from September to October 2017 among 1,793 members of the Nursing Division of the Japanese Society for Occupational Health, and the Japanese Academy of Occupational Health Nursing. Descriptive statistics were calculated and the association with attributes was verified. An open-ended question was analyzed according to the content analysis. Results: The response rate was 23.8% and number of valid respondents was 384 (21.8%). Those who experienced difficulties “often” accounted for 27.6% of the respondents, and those reporting difficulties “sometimes” accounted for 54.9%. The most frequent tasks and situations, which resulted in difficulties involved measures related to mental health, and situations involving working with those who “did not understand the scope of necessity in occupational health activities.” Additionally, the length of employment at the workplace was associated with the probability of experiencing these types of difficulties. Discussion and Conclusion: This study shows that most respondents experienced some difficulties related to sharing employees’ personal health information. In cases where job accommodations were required, ethical difficulties would often arise because of assisting in the fulfillment of safety considerations and group interests, while simultaneously recognizing the necessity to obtain the individual employee’s consent. It was suggested that mutual understanding between occupational health nurses and employers may reduce these difficulties.
