Promoting Cooperation between Public Health Nurses and Visiting Nurses in Home Care

Abstract

　The objective of this study is to investigate actual condition of and promotional factors for the cooperation between public health nurses and visiting nurses in home care, and consider how the cooperation between these two parties should be promoted.　I conducted an anonymous survey of 368 public health nurses and 384 visiting nurses, by mailing questionnaires to them.

　175 out of 368 public health nurses （47.6%）and 176 out of 384 visiting nurses （45.8%）responded. The percentage of those who work in cooperation with the other party was low in both groups.

　＂Working in cooperation with the other party＂ was related to three factors with public health nurses, six factors with visiting nurses. Both role recognition score and role expectation score were significantly higher with those who answered ＂It is better to work in cooperation with the other party, always exchanging information＂ and ＂In the future, it will be absolutely necessary to strengthen cooperation with the other party＂ in both groups.

　For the promotion of cooperation between public health nurses and visiting nurses, increasing public health nurses' interest and activity in home care, creating places where both parties can exchange and share information, and education for working in cooperation with the other party were suggested as necessary factors.