UNDERSTANDING LEVEL ON TUBERCULOSIS AMONG HOSPITAL NURSES

Abstract

Tuberculosis control in big cities should be focused on preventing defaulting from treatment, and the prevention of the emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculo-sis, and the improvement of treatment success rate. Since it is needed to organize continued case management system start-ing from hospitalization, discharge, management of regular drug taking at outpatient clinics and final cure, close collabo-ration should be made between hospital nurses and public health nurses. For this purpose, there should be no difference about the understanding on tuberculosis control between clinical and public health nurses.
This research was aimed to examine “How much interest and recognition do hospital nurses have about tuberculosis control.” The Aichi Nursing Association cooperated with this research. The results showed that 60 % of tuberculosis ward nurses were more than forty years old, and they have served more than ten years in TB word. The levels of understanding on tuberculosis among nurses working in tuberculosis hospitals were much higher than those in general hospitals. However, it is necessary to organize a collaboration system between hospitals and public health center to improve TB case management.