Timing of the use of the “Nursing Support Model for Foster Independence in Preschoolers with Congenital Heart Disease”

Abstract

 The aim of this study was to determine when skilled nurses perceive the “Nursing Support Model for Fostering Independence in Preschoolers with Congenital Heart Disease,” which we have been developing, as being of practical use by conducting a questionnaire-based survey. The answers of skilled nurses to an open-ended question showed that nurses believed that all 34 items of the Nursing Support Model could be used. Furthermore, the timing for using the Nursing Support Model was categorized into: times related to disease treatment and testing, such as upon admission, during explanations from doctors, during tests, procedures, and surgeries, during nursing care, at the time of discharge, at the time of outpatient visits; times related to preschoolers’ life events, such as starting nursery or kindergarten and school; and times related to the reactions of preschoolers and their families, such as when preschoolers dislike something and when family members respond to medical professionals’ questions on behalf of preschoolers. The “Nursing Support Model for Fostering Independence in Preschoolers with Congenital Heart Disease” should become easier to use through the incorporation of the appropriate timing for using the model, as shown in this study.