A Comparative Study of Practical Abilities of Public Health Nurses in 2005 and 2010

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the practical abilities of public health nurses (PHNs) in 2005 with those in 2010, with respect to years of experience and institutional affiliation.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey of PHNs throughout Japan was conducted via the mail in 2005 and 2010. Random sampling was used to choose those who received the questionnaires, which covered 3 scales of practical abilities for PHNs: the scale for Basic Action for Public Health (BAPH), the Competency Measurement of Creativity for PHNs (CMC), and the Professional Development Scale for PHNs (PDS). The collect date was analyzed statistically by SPSS 18.0 to compare the results between 2005 and 2010.

Results: Valid responses were collected from 1,112 nurses in 2005 and 1,035 in 2010. The scale and factor scores had all significantly increased by 2010. With respect to years of experience and institutional affiliation, significant score increases could be confirmed for almost all groups, except for the BAPH and PDS scores of prefectural nurses with less than 5 years of experience and the BAPH scores for those with 6–15 years’ experience. On the other hand, significant increases in CMC scores were found among those who had worked in municipal institutions for less than 5 years and 6–15 years and among those who had worked at designated city groups for 16–25 years.

Discussion: It will be essential to correct these institutional and experiential inequalities in the future.