Objective: To clarify the treatment experience of patients with latent tuberculosis infection from the time of obtaining positive interferon-gamma release assay results at contact examinations to treatment completion.

Methods: We collected data, through semi-structured interviews, from five patients who completed the treatment for latent tuberculosis infection.

Results: The patients were informed that they had latent tuberculosis infection, received explanations about their options, and selected treatment options while feeling apprehensive, uncertain, and confused. Although treatment was performed to prevent the development of tuberculosis, their daily lives were hindered because of adverse drug reactions, diet restrictions, and the demands on their time due to hospital visits. They also felt confused because their friends and health professionals dealt with them as tuberculosis patients.

Discussion: Patients’ experience was characterized by unsureness and questioning. Their unsureness stemmed from their difficulty in understanding their condition and their attempts to complete treatment satisfactorily. They had questions about the need for treatment. However, they continued to be involved with others despite the burden of continued treatment.

Objective: This research was aimed to clarify the experience of nursery teachers’ support to the parents of “children of concern” about their developmental disabilities.

Methods: An inductive research methodology was used for the analysis. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 nursery teachers who had supported parents of “children of concern.”

Results: Following five core categories were extracted as actual situations of nursery teacher’s support to parents of “children of concern”: functional relationship building as a groundwork for conveying the core, the transmission of the core with a consideration of methods and timing, support for the utilization of professional support that considers the feelings of parents, nursery teacher’s sense of reassurance by the information sharing and advice, and a sense of difficulty a nursery teacher has toward parents when expected responses are not observed.

Discussion: Nursery teachers promoted the awareness toward the development of a child and professional support through the deepening of relationship with parents by making use of the strength of having the site of nursing practice and of being connected with parents daily. On the other hand, it was clarified that they felt difficulty in dealing with parents who had negative reaction and lacked a sense of difficulty.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the awareness of older residents and adult residents on the monitoring of community-dwelling older residents.

Methods: Participants were 97 older residents and 121 adult residents from four neighborhood associations of a metropolitan city, who filled in a box for free comments that was provided in a survey on such monitoring. Sentences about monitoring in the community were extracted and coded. Subcategories were abstracted from the codes, and categories were abstracted from the subcategories. A qualitative inductive analysis was conducted.

Results: Responses of the older residents revealed categories such as, “It is desirable that opportunities for enjoyable interaction among residents exist,” “I will decide to participate in monitoring after taking into consideration the circumstances of the community and my bodily strength,” and “I want to be monitored.” Responses of the adult residents revealed categories such as, “I do not want to create binding relationships in the community,” “I want to participate in monitoring activities as much as I can,” and “Residents’ activity and a public involvement are both needed in equal measure.”

Conclusion: While both adult and older residents recognized the necessity for building interactive relationships and monitoring in the community, they reported that they wished to participate in activities that involved less work or less responsibility. Therefore, it is necessary for a public institution to consider the situation of residents and, accordingly, support the activities of residents, and promote monitoring activities.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the practical abilities of public health nurses (PHNs) in 2005 with those in 2010, with respect to years of experience and institutional affiliation.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey of PHNs throughout Japan was conducted via the mail in 2005 and 2010. Random sampling was used to choose those who received the questionnaires, which covered 3 scales of practical abilities for PHNs: the scale for Basic Action for Public Health (BAPH), the Competency Measurement of Creativity for PHNs (CMC), and the Professional Development Scale for PHNs (PDS). The collect date was analyzed statistically by SPSS 18.0 to compare the results between 2005 and 2010.

Results: Valid responses were collected from 1,112 nurses in 2005 and 1,035 in 2010. The scale and factor scores had all significantly increased by 2010. With respect to years of experience and institutional affiliation, significant score increases could be confirmed for almost all groups, except for the BAPH and PDS scores of prefectural nurses with less than 5 years of experience and the BAPH scores for those with 6–15 years’ experience. On the other hand, significant increases in CMC scores were found among those who had worked in municipal institutions for less than 5 years and 6–15 years and among those who had worked at designated city groups for 16–25 years.

Discussion: It will be essential to correct these institutional and experiential inequalities in the future.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to clarify contents of community life support provided by municipal public health nurses for mentally ill people.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four public health nurses working in local government regarding the types of support necessary for keeping individuals with mental illness involved in community life. The interview data was then analyzed qualitatively.

Results: As a result of our inductive analysis, 8 categories were identified. These are following categories; tart and concentration of care needs become obvious, confirmation and adjustment of medical continuation, prevention and measurement of symptom deterioration, confirmation and insuring of the family’s help, maintenance of the family’s economic stability, application and monitoring of care services, grasp and adjustment of relationships with persons who are close, support and promotion of independence.

Conclusion: Contents of community life support (8 categories) were following these mutually-related processes: First the introduction from various consultation courses by clarification of needs was done, Next the foundation formation to continue medical treatment and a life was performed. After that the power to become independent was suggested.

Based on these findings, we concluded that the following three types of support were essential for individuals with mental illness: (1) support linked to medical care via provisions of divers, primary-level consultation; (2) support for family members while cooperating with the service of another agency; (3) support to create an environment in which individuals can live in the community without hindrance.