The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with problematic incidents during phlegm suction and devise preventive measures. Data on incidents comprised 15 cases identified through interviews with 22 visiting nurses, 28 cases of suction-related incidents (0.09%) obtained from the 29,589 cases acquired and released by the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry from the "Medical Care Safety Initiative Network Improvement Project ("Hiyari-hatto Incident Acquisition Project"), and 33 cases identified from interviews with 26 care-workers who perform suction. From the total 76 cases main factors were identified and categorized, and RCA and PmSHELLanalyses were conducted. We found that the following were risk factors: airflow obstruction (43 cases, 56.6%), hypoxia (13 cases, 17.1%), respiratory tract mucosa injury (9 cases, 11.8%), infection (5 cases, 6.6%), injury (4cases, 5.3%), and poisoning (2 cases, 2.6%). Main factors included the following: insufficient maintenance of suction equipment (23 cases), inappropriate suction technique (19 cases), insufficient airway management (15 cases), insufficient patient assessment (12 cases), and improperreconnection of the artificial respirator (7 cases). We identify several important roles nurses shouldfulfill in order to prevent health problems. These include the maintenance of suction equipment, airwaymanagement, patient assessment, maintenance of artificial respirator, and technical assistance for care-workers.

　Objective: To assess the appropriateness of care given by family caregivers of elderly dementia patients living at home in underpopulated regions and to identify factors related to inappropriate care in order to foster to the provision of appropriate care.

　Methods: A qualitative design for searching related factors was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using the Troublesome Behavior Scale (TBS) on 10 family caregivers of elderly dementia patients who were using respite care facilities in areas certified as underpopulated regions in Japan and who consented to participate in this study. Interview contents included care needs, the living conditions of caregivers, use of social resources and the care given by families. Subjects whose care involved "physical restraint or other actions restricting the patient's activities at home" were classified in the inappropriate care group (inappropriate group), while those whose care did not involve such actions were classified in the appropriate care group (appropriate group), and factors related to appropriate care were investigated.

　Results: All 10 elderly dementia patients living at home were receiving care from their families. No intergroup differences were observed in the use of social resources, and further support was desired by subjects. Compared to the appropriate group, the inappropriate group had more diverse care needs and tended to provide care more frequently. Regarding the living conditions of caregivers, caregivers in both groups had great time constraints in their lives. Compared to the appropriate group, the inappropriate group had a higher proportion of subjects with no assistant caregivers, and also tended to have a higher proportion of subjects who had factors influencing their fundamental lifestyles, such as economic difficulties, change of residence, retirement, and difficulty continuing work or studies.

　Discussion: As care provision in underpopulated regions affects household budgets, issues associated with such regions were thought to contribute to care-related problems. Necessary measures may include the allocation of time for caregivers in order to enable them to solve economic difficulties in the family, support that acts as a substitute for assistant family caregivers, and support for changes in lifestyle such as change of residence and retirement.

　This research clarified the premise that nurse's skills are improved by OJT from senior nurses by using the example of nurse's skills and their conveyance in a general hospital ward.

　First, nurse's skills were divided into "Direct nursing skills to patients and their families" and "Nursing support skills," and the various skills and their level examined. Amongst "Nursing support skills," the skills were classified into different types, and attention was paid to "educational" skills and "reporting, communication, and information-sharing" skills.

　Data were collected by observation of interactions within the Nursing station and based on interviews.

　As a result, the level of "educational" skills and "reporting, communication, and information-sharing" skills were verified by examples.

　Furthermore, the conveyance of a nurse's skill occurred by interactions between nurses, and it became clear that a nurse improved her skills by these interactions between nurses.

　From now on, for promotion of development of nurse's skills, it is important to re-appreciate the process of skill conveyance by interactions between nurses.

　This study aimed to clarify the state of currently existing forensic nursing curricula in university education in Japan.

　Forensic nursing is an component of health sciences,where multi-faceted social dimensions of nursing care should be studied, discussed and integrated into a practical model of human care. Said multifaceted dimensions are specifically connected to geographical area, forensic medicine, criminology, psychiatrics,public health,sociology and other topics related to the social implications of nursing.

　Social demands on forensic nursing is recognized as a socio-cultural sensitive issue due to the fact that the focus of this science is mainly on human behaviour,which often varies depending on differences in socio-cultural background.

　Diseases and injuries are taken up as an entry point for total human care being practiced by nursing professionals. Elaboration is often needed to utilize the forensic approach for nursing professionals, who are at the front-line of health care in handling these common situations. Clients' human rights and dignity should be protected through high quality nursing care particularly on those occasions where the nursing professionals suspect intentional conduct and/or negligence as the cause of the pathological conditions and damage.

　The results revealed that fundamental components of this science are already included in the existing curricula at various higher education institutes in Japan. However,it is suggested that learners would further benefit from better exposure to practical skills and knowledge relating to professional forensic nursing. Therefore, additional module development to provide specialized topics in forensic nursing together with the theoretical background is recommended.