2018 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 91-99
Aim: To classify the types of roles of public health nurses (PHNs) in their successful activities.
Methods: To conducted an analysis on PHNs belonging to health centers throughout Japan. A 30-item questionnaire that was developed based on a previous study and an interview survey involving five nurses was administered, and responses were obtained from those involved in selected cases. In addition to descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis using the principal factor method and varimax rotation was conducted.
Results: In 205 of the 235 collected responses, 30 items were answered and analyzed (valid response rate: 41.5%). The scores for the questions on successful roles were between 2.58 and 3.71 (maximum of 4 points), and based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis, 25 items and 6 factors were identified. They were classified into the following: “strategy and policy proposals”, “keeping track of an individual’s life”, “promotion of community cooperation”, “judgment about issues for innovation”, “development of residents’ independence”, and “monitoring and continuous support”.
Discussion: The six types of classifications showed the role of change facilitators in promoting solutions for the health issues in the community. Promoting this role may enable PHNs to fulfill their primary role.
