Abstract
The authors have conducted some conceptual analysis of the term “Fuon” applied by nurses in Japan to clarify its use.
The results revealed that nurses in Japan assess a patient to be in a state of “Fuon” when he is hyperactive and exhibits incomprehensible behavior to them， as well as when the nurses’ intentions are not being conveyed to a patient.
The results also show that nurses in Japan attempt to catch subtle signs in nursing care by using the term “Fuon” operationally to an extent instead of strictly applying it based on a rigid definition.
Accordingly， based on these findings， we surveyed nurses in each department where they provide care to patients who are amid “Fuon” to analyze the actual use of the term.
The findings showed wide variations about when and how to apply the term “Fuon“ based on their experiences and the departments they belong in.
Therefore， it is natural to assume that it can potentially harm patients when they receive treatments based on how the term “Fuon” was applied.
To avoid the risk， it is crucial not to overuse the term “Fuon，” which is vague and indicates a variety of different conditions. Alternatively， we should consider introducing terms based on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale（RASS).
