Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the roles in child healthcare undertaken and reported by nurses at day care centers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 nurses working at accredited day care centers in A Prefecture. Qualitative inductive analysis was performed using Berelson's content analysis method. Analysis yielded four core categories of child healthcare activities that these nurses recognized as the roles of nurses at day care centers: "support for children to ensure their health and safety," "support for parents and guardians to assist in child rearing," "developing systems for advancing the practice of child healthcare activities," and "developing the foundations for a child-rearing support network". Findings demonstrated that, from the perspective of health promotion, nurses at day care centers believed it was their role to promote self-care among children. They also supported parents from the perspective of child rearing. Furthermore, nurses at day care centers created the foundations for child-rearing support by mutually acknowledging and understanding the expertise of child care workers and nurses.
