We performed this qualitative descriptive study with 8 mothers in order to investigate the reaction process of mothers to their preschool children undergoing strabismus surgery. Eight different reactions were categorized during the various stages from diagnosis to post surgery. At diagnosis, mothers were "seeking a way to correct strabismus without surgery". This reaction eventually changed to the thought that "it would be better to undergo surgery" and they tried to "ensure their child would undergo surgery by all means". Post surgery, they "watched their child closely" and during the recovery stage they went through the processes of "looking back on the surgery" as well as "returning their child to a normal routine while worrying about re-operation". Through all the various stages, the thought that "strabismus is a disease, but not a serious one" exerted influence on the mothers' reactions. In addition, during the stage of "ensuring their child would undergo surgery by all means", the thought that "they were not the only ones who cared about their child" was being developed. These findings suggest the need to provide mothers with appropriate information about the disease and surgical treatment, and support them with an understanding of their reaction process.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the present situation of mothers' attitudes when they explain to their children in case of having vaccination. This study was focused on sixteen mothers raising preschool children and was conducted in a qualitative and inductive way. As a result, it was clarified that some mothers, depending on situations, decided not to explain to their children, some talked to their children in order to take them to the places (hospitals), some told their children to be patient, and others explained in accordance with the child's cognitive development. Most of these mothers' languages were used in order to let their children to have vaccination without any troubles and there were very few languages used in order to help children to understand the necessity of vaccination and to urge their psychological preparation. The explanation in accordance with children's cognitive development was made toward children aged four and five. In these cases, the mothers knew the necessity of explaining from their daily experiences of envolvement with their children and therefore they were sure their children were old enough to understand. It was also found that the background reason why some mothers did not explain was envolved in their own growing environment, adding to the children's small ages.

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This study aimed to (1) compare the acquisition of health-related information, self-esteem, and health self-concept between adolescents with biliary atresia (BA) and healthy adolescents and (2) determine the relationships between acquiring health-related information and self-esteem or health self-concept in adolescents with BA. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 24 BA adolescents (including fifth grade elementary school students to third grade high school students, a university student, and a working adolescent less than 19 years old) and 24 healthy adolescents (including fifth grade elementary school students to third grade senior high school students). The main results were as follows. (1) Both groups obtained information most frequently on the risks of smoking/alcohol use and less frequently on constipation. Further, the desire to gain information on healthy eating habits and body shape was the highest, while the desire to acquire information on the physical and mental changes that occur during adolescence was the least. (2) Compared to healthy adolescents, BA adolescents were more likely to consider doctors as resources for information acquisition and for obtaining the desired information. (3) Among BA adolescents, the elementary school students showed higher scores for self-esteem than the high school students. (4) The definition of health according to BA adolescents was classified into 11 categories; further, the categories "to be at par with others," "ability to do the desired things," and "no need for admission or visit to a hospital and other illness-related behaviors" were identified only among BA adolescents. (5) The BA adolescent who had the lowest score for self-esteem reported "to be at par with others" as the definition of health, and their scores for information acquisition and the desire to obtain information were below average.

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In order to verify the relation between the degree of satisfaction of family attending a child and individual factors/environmental factors being hospitalized survey was conducted by a questionnaire, which was originally created by this researcher referencing precedent studies. In the relation between attending family's satisfaction and environmental factors being hospitalized, the degrees of family's satisfaction were significantly high in a pediatric ward compared to a mixed ward, in being installed a play room compared to not being installed it, and in being staffed properly by childcare persons and volunteer compared to not being staffed by them (each p=0.001, p=0.038, and p=0.017). And many hospitals did not prepare a simple bed for attending family, not have spaces for families to take a rest, and not serve a food for them. From now on it is anticipated that reduction or closing of pediatric ward by declining birthrate will increase the number of children who are treated in a mixed ward. Having children treated in a mix ward may reduce the degree of family's satisfaction further. But, it is suggested that there are possibilities to improve family's satisfaction by the way that childcare persons and volunteer are staffed with wards, and hospitals prepare spaces for attending family to take a rest and serve a meal for the family.

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Based on the five nursing care items for children on short-term hospitalization and their families, which were clarified in earlier studies, I have created "Nursing care guides for children on short-term hospitalization and their families" (hereinafter called 'care guides') and rating forms for them. In this study, I conducted a semi-structured interview with five nurses, who had performed nursing practices using these care guides and rating forms, and clarified how the nurses recognized the process of nursing care, thus reviewing the significance of the care guides and rating forms. The nurses' recognitions were classified into five categories. The nurses "reconfirmed the nursing cares" by "the presence of the care guides and rating forms," and recognized that their nursing cares had changed. "The factors that support nursing practices" and "the characteristics of nursing cares in short-term hospitalization" were involved in the nursing care practices and the nursing cares were evaluated with "the influence on the nursing care evaluations." It was found that the care guides and rating forms were significant tools that could show the points necessary in performing nursing cares for children on short-term hospitalization and their families. Their utilization in new nurse education programs was suggested.

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[in Japanese]

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In the present study, the effects of playing with therapeutic toys were ascertained in ten hospitalized infants. The face scale was used to ascertain the effects of playing with therapeutic toys or usual playtime activities. In addition, the subjects were videotaped while playing in order to observe their behaviors. Although assessments using the face scale showed positive effects after usual playtime activities and playing with therapeutic toys, the positive effects were slightly greater after playing with therapeutic toys than usual playtime activities. While playing with therapeutic toys, touching the toys was the most common behavior. Furthermore, when compared to usual playtime activities, the number of smiles was significantly higher when playing with therapeutic toys. Hospitalized infants are under severe stress because they are separated from their mothers and must undergo unfamiliar treatments and procedures. Furthermore, resting and isolation can be very stressful. We would be suggested that playing with therapeutic toys is an effective technique for calming and relaxing such infants and alleviating pain and stress.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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