The purpose of this study was to clarify the competencies necessary for occupational health nurses (OHNs) to conduct evaluations of health services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 nursing college faculty members who had practical experience as occupational health nurses. The interview questions were as follows: “How did you evaluate the health services? Could you tell me the contents, key points, and the major competencies needed for evaluation?” “According to your practicing and teaching experience, what are the competencies needed to conduct evaluations of health services?” The analyses were performed, and a focus group interview was conducted with seven currently practicing occupational health nurses. Based on their professional experience, we asked about the validity and additional opinions; these were reflected in the final results. The results of the analysis revealed that the expertise necessary for OHNs to conduct health service evaluations consists of the following five broad areas: “making evaluation plans based on the understanding of the current situation,” “gathering information for use in evaluations,” “integrating multifaceted data analysis and service results/health measures as a whole,” “presenting evaluation results clearly with relevant persons and improving their motivation,” and “the basis for the overall evaluation activities.” The last broad areas included “cost- effectiveness” and “management perspectives.” It was considered that motivation of relevant persons in personnel and labor, etc. can be improved by OHNs when sharing evaluation result and meanings, which will lead to promotion of activities. Recognition of the perspectives of cost-effectiveness and management are considered to lead to effective evaluation planning, information collection and analysis.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate current end-of-life care practice and clarify the change of behaviors and perceptions of working staff toward realization of end-of-life care through community-based services.

Method: A total of 15 staff members from 10 group homes for the elderly with dementia and small community-based multiservice agencies participated in a training program in 2016. The training program was based on a focus group discussion on end-of-life topics provided by experienced staff. Qualitative descriptive design was used, and data were collected by focus group discussion to compare them with the data obtained in our previous research in 2014.

Results: To realize end-of-life care through community-based services, staff engaged in building: a foundation for end-of-life care; collaboration system with doctors; night time end-of-life care system; additional fee system; emergency system; support system with community residents; and care system in accordance with corporate policy. Through the training, they showed a positive change in their perception and felt that they provided excellent and diverse end-of-life care compared to medical institutions and could explore new end-of-life care. They developed from their experience and improved their ability to responsibly provide end-of-life care.

Conclusion: From the training program provided, staff at community-based service facilities enhanced their knowledge and practice concerning end-of-life care and this resulted in positive perception of end-of-life care through community-based services. Because community-based services do not include medical care, the staff as caregivers did make a contribution to the end-of-life care practice.

Purpose: To explore the experience of male health promotion volunteers（hereafter “male volunteers”）in conducting community health activities and to develop plans to support them.

Method: We conducted a semi-structured interview of 12 men with at least two years’ experience as health promotion volunteers in municipalities of Prefecture A. We then performed qualitative and inductive analyses of the interview data.

Results: The male volunteers’ experiences were classified into the following 11categories: awkwardness in joining female-dominated activities; confidence in the ability to carry out activities; serious attitude toward taking responsibility; activity management in which strengths of both men and women are utilized; willingness to work with the local government; facing issues arising from volunteer activities; planning activities people wish to participate in; keeping appropriate distance from other staff members; realization that socializing with local people leads to good health; perceived changes in life; and a broader view of community development.

Discussion: In spite of the awkwardness associated with joining female-dominated activities, the male volunteers recognized the importance of male-female collaboration and their own strength to carry the activities forward. They also offered their male perspectives in planning activities and learned to promote health by interacting with local people．While trying to understand male volunteers’ experiences, public health nurses should deliberately promote harmonious working relationships among staff members and make them aware of their own experience as it relates to their motivation so that male volunteers can maximize their strengths.

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the experiences of spousal caregivers of persons with dementia among elderly couples, and to obtain suggestions for the ideal way to support spousal caregivers.

Method: A qualitative strategy was adopted for studying five spousal caregivers who were caring for their partner with dementia at home in a metropolitan area, Japan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews as well as participant observations at “Dementia Café（Ninchi-shou Café）.” Interviews were audio-taped, and their contents were transcribed verbatim after which they were analyzed qualitatively. The study was conducted after receiving ethics committee approval from an affiliated research institution and informed consent from participants.

Results: Seven categories were identified that described the experiences of spousal caregivers of persons with dementia: “duty and gratitude,” “powerlessness and bewilderment,” “rebuilding the relationship,” “searching and acquisition,” “grief and adaptation,” “loneliness and support,” and “expanded worldview.” The experiences of spousal caregivers of persons with dementia among elderly couples included living as a care provider even as they felt their own advanced age keenly, performing care activities while taking interest in social problems surrounding dementia care and gaining expanded worldviews through their care roles.

Discussion: Findings suggested the importance of caregivers’ care closely aligned with their feelings based on their personal caregiving experiences, also creating a caregiver support system that can assist spousal caregivers of persons with dementia in elderly households.

Objective: We implemented Group SSTP, a positive parenting program, for parents of children with developmental disabilities, and examine the effects and its dissemination in the community.

Procedure: SSTP was delivered for 27 parents of children aged between 3 and 12 who had developmental disabilities, with the cooperation of local parents’ association. Behavior of parents in various parenting scenes（Parenting Scale: PS）, Difficulties of children’s behavior（Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire（SDQ）, Parents’ levels of depression, anxiety and stress（Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale: DASS）, and their experiences of parenting roles（Parenting Experience Survey: PES）were compared and analyzed.

Results: Before the intervention, the scores for all subscales of PS and SDQ were in the clinical or boundary ranges. After the intervention, the score of PS’ verbosity and over-reactivity, SDQ’s total difficulties score, emotional symptoms scale, conduct problems scale, and peer problems scale, DASS depression and stress scores were significantly improved. With PES, parents’ responses to the items on supportiveness of and consistency with their partner improved significantly post-intervention. In families with children aged 7 and under, PS, SDQ, DASS all subscales scores improved significantly.

Discussion: SSTP conducted for parents of children with developmental disability in community showed significant improvement in areas such as parent behavior in child rearing situations, problem behavior of children, and parental stress. Improvement in children aged less than 7 was particularly significant. Dissemination of SSTP in community was considered effective to support children with developmental disabilities and their parents.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the skills of public health nurses（PHNs）and to examine the learning needs to enhance these skills in family nursing.

Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in which 670 PHNs, who worked for government organizations, participated. The questionnaire of skills was developed by literature review and included demographic characteristics and learning needs to enhance these skills in family nursing. PHNs were asked for 18 skills in family nursing. As part of the investigation, PHNs voluntarily filed an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire, which were separately returned by mail.

Result: Out of the 670 PHNs, 350 returned the questionnaire. Excluding the questionnaires from part-time PHNs, those from 317 PHNs were analyzed. Of these, 63.4% of PHNs noted skills that they wished to improve, and significantly, among PHNs there were novices（p < 0.01）, college graduates（p < 0.01）and experienced nurses（p < 0.05）. The average number of skills that PHNs wanted to improve was 6.53 ± 4.87; there were significant among PHNs in their twenties（p < 0.01）, novices（p < 0.01）and experienced nurses（p < 0.05）.

Conclusion: Novices and experienced nurses had significantly higher learning needs. Hence, we suggest that family nursing skills of PHNs is a professional practice that is acquired by practical experience in administrative agencies and that family nursing education at university and during the on-the-job-training is important.