A Study of Home Medical Equipment and Related Factors that Make Visiting Nurse Anxious

Abstract

In this study, in order to outline what home-visiting nurses are worried about home medical equipment on and find factors related to their anxiety, a web-based questionnaire survey using a self-administered and unmarked form was conducted among home-visiting nurses in one Japanese region. As a result, valid responses were obtained from 87 respondents. Home-visiting nurses had some anxiety about syringe pumps and artificial respirators in use. Factors related to their anxiety were specified as gender (being female), being a manager at the home-visit nursing station, difficulty in asking questions to medical equipment vendors, difficulty in troubleshooting of home medical equipment, and situations where multiple medical devices are needed. To resolve these anxiety by home-visiting nurses regarding home medical equipment, it is necessary to arrange for accompanying technicians with expertise in home medical equipment, to establish a system for easily contacting medical equipment vendors, and to enhance an education of home medical equipment to them.