The purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate the contents of health guidance prepared by a nurse discharge planner from the principle of health guidance, and 2) to make clear the environmental factor which influences on introduction of health guidance, and 3) to work on the policy for adding the contents of health guidance to leaving hospital instruction. This study was answered by 35 nurses who take care of Mature Stage Patient received Laparoscopy. The results were as follows : 1) the contents about healthy improvement and illness prevention are not enough, and 2) the frequency to carry out is high when recognition of importance or confidence, teaching materials, and a counselor exist, and 3) the difference in the contents of instruction and frequency according to age, years of experience, place-of-work years of experience, and instruction experience is not seen. The health guidance manual which added the contents about healthy improvement and illness prevention to the contents of instruction was created. In order that a patient might tend to have used it individually, the necessity of fixing advice instruction organization was suggested.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the need for certified nurse specialists as felt by nurses and further to collect basic data in preparation for CNS graduate programs at Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample of 60 experienced nurses undergoing a training course to become nursing instructers in T-Universiy. 37 out of 60 questionnaires were returned (return rate: 61.7 %) . The questionnaire consisted of 26 items concerning 5 key conceptualized functions identified as the essentials of CNS such as "patient care", "consultation", "education", "research" and "co-ordination". The findings were as follows: (1)25% of nurses expressed thier strong wishes to introduce CNS to their hospitals while 69.4 % of them wished if the situation permits. (2)They had high expectations of the CNS as providers of quality "patient care", and "research". (3)The nurses who wished to introduce CNS to their hospitals seemed to put emphasis on "humanity", "knowledge and technique" and "cooperation" in the order of importance. (4)They feel that CNS program assist in their career development and it is their wish to take CNS programs without quiting their job. The above findings provided some evidence to justify the need for the development of a suitable curriculum related to CNS program in T-University.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and the reliability of self- evaluation of nursing practice in introductive education program before clinical nursing practice. The available response was 88.5 %. The mean of variables was 2.5 ± 1.4 (mean ± SD). Factor analysis indicated seven factors. The first factor was named suitable of educational program. The second factor was named good advice from teachers. The third factor was named practical activities among students. The fourth factor was named material and educational environment. The fifth factor was named practice of observation. The sixth factor was named practice of caring method. The seventh factor was named information collection. The cumulative contribution percentage was 52.6%. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.796 (p < 0.05).

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a two-year program for the prevention of falling targeted at the elderly residing in rural areas and evaluate psychological and physical change among the elderly in two years. The following findings were obtained as a result of this study; 1) The subjects were consisted of 17males (40.5 %) and 25 females (59.5 %). 2) The number of persons who had experienced falling during the past year decreased to 13 persons (31.0 %) in 2000 and to 11 persons (26.2 %) in 2002. Among the 13 persons who experienced falling in 2000, there were 8 persons (61.5 %) who had not fallen (improvement) and 5 persons (38.5 %) who had fallen (recurrence of falling) in 2002. In addition, among the 23 persons who did not experience falling in 2000, 6 persons (26.1 %) experience falling for the first time in 2002. 3) Factors relating to the recurrence of repeated falling consisted of the four parameters Timed Up and Go test and functional reach.

View full abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a scale for behavior disturbances in handicapped children, which have commonly been regarded as a latent stressor to their mothers. The subjects were all preschoolers who were using the institutions for the mentally and physically handicapped on an ambulatory basis in two prefectures. The result of the investigation indicated that "The measurement index of behavior disturbances in handicapped infants" is the scale for the measurement of the concept, which has the feature of one dimension from the aspect of the concept and that the index has the quantitative feature of one dimension as well. Furthermore, reliability coefficient of the scale, consisted of 9 items, was 0.866 (ronbach α). This study also showed the possibility to calculate a total score on the scale and to discern individual's characteristics and tendencies partially.

View full abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the construct validity of "The Family Needs Survey". The subjects were 277 mothers of cerebral palsy children of 7 schools for physically handicapped children. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the factor model, which used "need for information", "needs for support", "explaining for others", "community services", "financial needs", and "family functioning" as primary factor and "family needs" as secondary factor, was consistent with data within the statistically appropriate range. It was also revealed that the aforementioned factor model of needs was not influenced by gender or age of children. The above results indicate that the construct validity of "The Family Needs Survey" may be vigorously supported.

View full abstract

Alzheimer's disease showed a wide variety of symptoms, which are divided into two groups. One is cognitive and another, non-cognitive symptoms. Cognitive symptoms are core symptoms and necessary for clinical diagnosis using international criteria. Cognitive symptoms were reviewed in this article. Memory disturbance is an initial symptom of Alzheimer's disease and several features in case of Alzheimer's disease. Patients with Alzheimer's disease can not recall not only details but also overall contents of the events and can not recognize whether they remember them or not. The speed of the progress of memory decline in Alzheimer's disease is faster than that of ordinary aging. The ability of memory function in patients is usually worse than that in a year ago. Also disorientation, aphasia, apraxia, agnosia and impairment of executive function are core symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Patients showed disorientation of time at first, and then disorientation of place and that of person in the advanced stage of the disease. Patients can not remember names of objects and sometimes speak using only pronouns (word amnesia). The ability of the understanding of the conversation is decreased, that is known as sensory aphasia. Patients can not use tools to the purpose, even though motor function is intact, that is known as ideational apraxia. Patients can not recognize the meaning of sensory input, although they do not have sensory disturbance. It is known as agnosia. Moreover, patients make mistake in the order of action in housework or office work and can not reach their purpose. It is known as the disturbance of executive function. Finally author introduced neuropathological findings of Alzheimer's disease and discussed the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and pathology in medial temporal lobes and association cortex.

View full abstract

The objective of this study was to reconsider Occupational Therapy (OT) service in a community-based rehabilitation and to explore the effectiveness of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) for carrier support. MOHO was chosen in order to practice International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) which aims at focusing on individuals and their environments to use current abilities. From the analysis of the data, it revealed the participant's real intention, influence of the measures his workplace took and the lack of constructive network of relevant facilities. Those findings allowed us to understand the maladjusted client and to have an integrated point of view for carrier support. From the results, it was confirmed the effectiveness of MOHO for his return to the workplace, the necessity of integration of biopsychosocial approach and an initiative role to organize service systems effectively for OT intervention based on a community service.

View full abstract