The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the lack of regional cooperation and support for infection control measures in health, medical, and welfare in Japan. Currently, Certified Nurse Specialists in Infection Control (CNSIC) and Certified Nurses in Infection Control (CNIC) from the Japan Nurses Association are expected to collaborate with the community on infection control ; however, there is limited research on their activities. In this study, we conducted a literature review to clarify the community infection control activities and networks of CNSIC and CNIC in Japan. The 59 references that matched the search criteria were selected from the Ichu-Shi Web and CiNii Articles. We reviewed titles and abstracts to identify literature that described the activities of CNSIC and CNIC in the community, and the networks that enable CNSIC and CNIC to operate in the region. Ten studies were selected for inclusion, and the following two findings were obtained. (1) The CNSIC and CNIC network of activities related to infection control in the community includes activities of regional networks supported by Japan and local governments, activities in their own networks established by their facilities, and activities in related facilities with the same management. (2) Most activities are educational and include holding training sessions and seminars, and consultation and intervention during outbreaks at local facilities. For CNSICs and CNICs to expand their activities for infection control in the community, it was suggested that (1) the actual status and effectiveness of infection control activities by CNSICs and CNICs in the community should be studied and demonstrated, and (2) the local infection control support network should be strengthened.

This study aimed to determine the relationship of collaboration with part-time nurses and facility specialization to burnout among female nurses working at a highly specialized hospital in Tokyo. A self-administered questionnaire, which included the Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Collaboration Consciousness Scale for Full-Time Nurses Working with Part-Time Nurses, was distributed among 595 nurses working in a highly specialized hospital. Of the 290 respondents (response rate, 48.7%), 242 (83.4%) provided valid responses. Of the 242 nurses, 54 midwives and 7 male nurses had a non-significant difference in the Japanese version of the MBI-HSS total score (burnout total score) from female nurses, so 181 female nurses were finally included in the analysis. The mean burnout total score was 11.31， 2.74. The degree of freedom in the adjusted coefficient of determination for this study was 0.606. Multiple regression analysis revealed that burnout risk was lower for respondents who had worked part-time and for those whose coworkers worked part-time. Burnout was more likely to occur in respondents who were exhausted by “detailed attention to patients” and less likely to occur in those who could “build good relationships with patients’ families.” Additionally, burnout was less likely to occur in those who indicated that they “take pride in working at this hospital,” “think the salary is commensurate with the amount of work,” “can express their opinions to other staff,” and “feel they can balance work and life” but more likely to occur in those who indicated that they “find overtime burdensome.” The experience of working part-time after childbirth and the experience of working with other part-time nurses may help prevent burnout among the nurses. Additionally, detailed nursing care for patients and the ability to build successful relationships with patients’ families may help prevent burnout.

This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the gaze behavior of doctors and the utterance volume between the doctors and the simulated patient (SP) using a wearable eye tracker during a consultation and to investigate the relationship between the doctor’s gaze behavior and the SP’s utterance volume. Nine doctors wearing a wearable eye tracker recorded their gaze behavior and conversations while examining one SP each. We calculated the partial correlation coefficients between the total gaze behavior count and total gaze behavior duration of each gaze behavior and the utterance volume of the SP, using the utterance volume of the physicians as a control variable. The results of the analysis showed that the count and duration of the doctor’s gazing at the SP’s eyes and face were related to the SP’s utterance volume. There was no relationship between eye contact between the doctors and the SP and the SP’s utterance volume ; however, there was a relationship between the count of mutual gazes without eye contact between the doctors and the SP and the SP’s utterance volume. These findings suggest that the doctor’s gazing at the patient’s eyes or face during the examination or mutual gazing other than direct eye contact between the doctor and patient creates a situation wherein the patient is more likely to discuss subjective information.

A questionnaire survey was administered to 436 members of a patient association to gather suggestions on the safety of medication for elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease in September 2017. We analyzed 248 responses (valid response rate, 56.9%). Their average age was 72.2 years. 173 (69.8%) answered that they would “not self-adjust their drugs,” while 75 (30.2%) responded that they would “self-adjust their drugs.” We compared the attributes, contents of treatment, symptoms, and medical care-obtaining behaviors of those who “do not self-adjust their drugs” and those who “self-adjust their drugs.” The average age and average age of onset were both low, the average duration of illness was long, and the average number of drugs as well as the average number of days of residual drug were long among those who answered that they did “self-adjust the drug” (p <0.05). Following binomial logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for self-adjustment of the drug and insomnia was 3.56 (95%CI = 1.740-7.271); for off-symptoms, 2.44 (95%CI = 1.224-4.864) ; for having trouble telling a doctor, 2.85 (95%CI = 1.136-7.131) ; for not telling the doctor what he thought about the drug, 0.34 (95%CI = 0.131-0.896) ; and for wanting to reduce medication, 2.33 (95%CI = 1.045-5.174) (p <0.05). The specialty of the attending physician, satisfaction with treatment, and difficulty in dealing with the physician were not associated with the self-adjustment of the drug. For patients with insomnia and off-symptoms, optimizing their respective living environments may be just as important as receiving support for medication. Patients who have their own perception and actively participate in their treatment are at a high risk of self-adjusting their drugs. Therefore, it is suggested that medical staff should be encouraged to carefully understand each patient’s perception and commitment towards treatment.

Previous studies in interventions for frail elderly people have reported that increased protein intake by nutrition supplements with exercise training improved grip strength. However, there are few intervention studies that demonstrated whether increased the amount of protein intake by the dietary foods improved frailty. In this study, we examined the combination effects of providing high animal protein foods (20 g of protein/day) and exercise on body composition and physical function in the elderly person cared. Providing high animal protein foods significantly increased the estimated animal protein intake evaluated by the brief self-administered diet history questionnaire, compared to that of before intervention. The muscle mass and grip strength (right hand) were significantly increased and the body fat percentage was significantly decreased, following increased high animal protein foods intake plus exercise once or twice a week (180 min each time) for 3 months, compared to that before intervention. However, 3-months after interruption of food intervention, muscle mass was significantly lower than that after food intake plus exercise intervention. There was a significant positive correlation between the changes of muscle mass and estimated dairy products intakes increased by food intervention. Furthermore, our hearing survey indicated that 78% of subjects ingested high protein dairy products at breakfast. Previous studies demonstrated that increased protein intake at breakfast is better for the maintenance and enhancement of muscle mass. Therefore, we considered that consumption of the high protein dairy products in the morning was partially related with the increases in muscle mass. These results suggested that having the high protein at the right time of the day with proper exercise is important for preventing frailty in elderly people.

We aimed to clarify the definition and characteristics of homebound older adults and evaluate interventions for improving their social lives. To achieve this, the attributes and consequences as well as the necessary prerequisites of “homebound older adults” were identified by performing Rodgers’ concept analysis on 31 Japanese studies that mainly examined homebound older adults. The results showed four categories of attributes and consequences and six categories of necessary prerequisites. Based on the four categories of attributes, homebound older adults were defined as “those unable to go outside the home due to deteriorated mobility function associated with aging, or those with normal motor function who left the home less than once a week because they voluntarily avoided leaving the home and restricted their living activities within it.” The six categories of necessary prerequisites revealed that an interaction of physical, mental, and social factors led to a homebound status in older adults. The four categories of consequences showed that homebound older adults experienced a decrease in physical and mental function as well as social interaction. This study suggested interventions for improving the homebound status of older adults, such as improving their motor function, motivating them to go out and expand their living activities, and encouraging them to go out more than once a week. Nurses with medical knowledge need to pay careful attention to older adults and identify a decrease in their physical and mental well-being to provide timely intervention, which is important to avoid life-threatening conditions resulting from being homebound. Furthermore, nurses can explain the negative effects of being homebound to older adults and facilitate their behavioral transformation, which is also an important intervention.

This study is a follow-up to the first report, which examined the relationship between awareness of late-stage medical care and views on life and death among older people living at home in the Izumo region of Japan. The study aims to qualitatively analyse and clarify aspects relating to the reasoning regarding views on life and death of older people living at home in the Izumo region, thereby gaining insight on how to support the spread of advance care planning for older people.

An awareness survey was distributed to 800 senior citizens club members, yielding a total of 550 responses. Of those, 252 responses were analysed, excluding those where participants failed to fill in the fields on their personal attributes and views on life and death in both yes/no and open-ended response fields.

The analysis generated 23 categories: ‘death is inevitable’; ‘everything ends when you die’; ‘some deaths cannot be controlled’; ‘I am prepared for death’; ‘I take a philosophical view on death’; ‘it’s no use thinking about death’; ‘I have a vague idea of death’; ‘I have some regrets in this world’; ‘I don’t want to think about death because it frightens me’; ‘I believe in the teachings and experiences of religion’; ‘this world and the afterlife are connected’; ‘I expect physical and mental pain’; ‘the world [of death] is unknowable’; ‘there is no suffering in the afterlife’; ‘death doesn’t seem real to me’; ‘I value each day as it comes’; ‘I do not run away from suffering in life’; ‘I contribute to my family and the community’; ‘life can be extended through individual effort and medical progress’; ‘I strive to find a mission’; ‘I don’t think about what happens after death’; ‘not knowing when I will die enables me to live’; ‘I hope my descendants will prosper’. These were grouped into three core categories: accepting the inevitability of death; reconciling one’s feelings to avoid the fear of death; and living life to the fullest, up to the end.

A survey using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was conducted on first- to fourth-year nursing students at public and private universities to clarify the relationship between the financial situation of nursing students and self-care for menstrual symptoms during the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The survey contained questions about financial situation, presence or absence of cohabitants, living expenses paid by nursing students, impact of COVID-19 on part-time work and the financial situation of parents, presence or absence of menstrual pain, a Visual Analogue Scale for menstrual pain, satisfaction with self-care for menstrual symptoms, and a self-care scale for menstrual pain.

The questionnaire was distributed to 550 nursing students and 343 (62.4%) questionnaire forms were recovered, of which 334 (60.7%) contained valid responses. Of the students, 36 had financial difficulties and 139 were financially comfortable. The greater the impact of COVID-19 on part-time work and the financial situation of parents, the greater the financial difficulties of the nursing students (p < 0.001). No significant difference was seen between financial situation and menstrual pain, but satisfaction with self-care for menstrual symptoms among those with financial difficulties was low (p < 0.01) and the predicted burden until improvement of menstrual pain was large (p < 0.05).

COVID-19 was associated with financial difficulty through its impact on the incomes of parents and part-time work of students themselves. The greater the financial difficulties of a student, the greater the perceived burden of self-care for menstruation. Support therefore needs to be provided for the healthcare of students, including financial assistance.

The purpose of this study was to develop simulation education for nurses to help them build their clinical judgment skills. Training programs for newly qualified nurses were designed employing the GOLD method, and reviewed for any improvements after implementation. The results of the GOLD method-based programs confirmed that the Level 1, Level 2, and part of Level 3 of Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation model were achieved. The following were identified as the areas for improvement. ①Setting of the case patient based on the nurse’s experience (e.g., difficult cases). ②Presentation of perspectives to judge changes in the medical condition, age-related risks, and medical history of the case patient. ③Confirmation of knowledge to recognize the signs of predicted changes. ④Separate training days scheduled for the GOLD method Level 1 and Level 2 or higher. To ensure continuous support to new nurses after the training, it was suggested that support for clinical staff involved in the training of new nurses is also critical when universities and clinics cooperate in the new nurse education.

In this study, obesity-related genetic analysis was conducted on pharmacy staff to confirm whether genetic analysis affects prevention awareness. Subsequently, three groups were disclosed : wild-type disclosure, wild-type non-disclosure, and mutant-type disclosure. Pre- and post-disclosure questionnaire (pre- and post-questionnaire) surveys on obesity prevention were conducted and scored. The post-questionnaire score was significantly higher than the pre-questionnaire score, indicating improved awareness of obesity prevention. After categorizing the participants into low and high consciousness groups based on the pre-questionnaire scores, the pre- and post-questionnaire scores were compared among the disclosure and consciousness level groups. Additionally, we examined detailed lifestyle habits (lipid, sugar, salt, total calories, supplements, drinking, smoking, and exercise) that indicated a change in consciousness. No change in consciousness was observed between the groups. However, there was a significantly increased awareness of obesity prevention in the wild-type non-disclosure and mutant-type disclosure groups with low consciousness levels. Evaluation of low consciousness levels revealed significantly increased consciousness concerning obesity prevention in the lipid intake of the mutant-type disclosure group. The results suggest that genetic analysis for obesity prevention improves awareness in individuals with low consciousness “when their own gene polymorphism is unknown (non-disclosure)” and “when their own gene polymorphism is found to be mutated (mutant-type disclosure).” Furthermore, mutant disclosure raises awareness of improving the lipid components of diets for obesity prevention.

This study aimed to examine the factors associated with quality of care management. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted by mail for all 3,162 care managers in a city with large population at metropolitan area. The number of valid responses was 808 (valid response rate : 25.5%). After conducting an exploratory factor analysis on the execution of care management, we calculated care management practice score that reflected quality of care management. Bivariate analysis was performed using care management practice score, care manager’s attribution, training, and considerations when practicing care management. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the degree of association to their quality of care management. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed the following in order of strongest contribution : (1) Consideration when practicing care management; (2) Duration of work experience as a care manager ; (3) Training related to multi-professional collaboration, supportive decision making, and nursing ; and (4) Knowledge of the code of ethics of care managers.

The purpose of this study is to explore the significance of general employment for persons with schizophrenia. The subjects were twelve persons who were generally employed at the times of the study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, and the transcripts were analyzed by content analysis. The subjects’ transcripts revealed two major themes : (1) confronting self as an employee with schizophrenia and (2) an urge towards becoming a member of society. This qualitative study enables us to understand that for persons with schizophrenia, general employment can cause such persons to simultaneously confront the self as an employee with schizophrenia and regain pride.

We conducted a prospective study on older adults needing support, who did not have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to examine the relationship between hearing loss at baseline and development of either cognitive decline or MCI one year later.

Data were collected at baseline and after one year. Tests used were pure tone audiometry, a cognitive impairment screening test, and a self-administered questionnaire. Hearing loss of the subjects was assessed and categorized according to the side with better hearing, and they were divided into 40 dB or lower (no or mild impairment), and 41 dB or higher (moderate to severe impairment) groups. We defined cognitive decline as a decrease in one point or more from baseline in the follow-up cognitive impairment screening test after one year and MCI was defined based on the criteria of the cognitive impairment screening test. Logistic regression analysis was performed with cognitive decline or development of MCI as the dependent variable, and variables that were shown to be associated with hearing loss in χ ² tests (p＜0.1) as the independent variables, to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for cognitive decline or development of MCI.

Of the 34 subjects, 21 (62%) had no or mild hearing impairment and 13 (38%) had moderate to severe hearing impairment at baseline. In the follow-up study after one year, cognitive decline was confirmed in 18 subjects (53%) and MCI in 10 subjects (29%).

Subjects with moderate to severe hearing impairment at baseline had an OR of 6.67 (95%CI : 0.92-48.18) of developing cognitive decline one year later, compared to subjects with no or mild hearing impairment, which was marginally significant. No associations were observed with development of MCI.

This study aimed to clarify the current status of changes in anxiety and living conditions of elderly people due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to registrants of a human resource center for elderly people in November 2020. The questionnaire included questions on personal attributes and living conditions. The answers were analyzed using chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests to examine sex differences in changes to living conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The degree of anxiety about the novel coronavirus was significantly higher among women (7.60±2.19 points) than men (6.80±2.32 points ; p＜0.001). Furthermore, significantly more women than men answered that their frequency of outings and motivation for outings had decreased (75.1% and 50.0%, respectively). The inability to pursue hobbies was the most common problem arising from a lifestyle restricted by the coronavirus pandemic cited by both men and women. Women experienced greater anxiety about the coronavirus than men, and more women than men answered that their frequency of outings and motivation for outings had decreased due to the pandemic.

The living skills and interpersonal skills of nursing students have declined due, in part, to the spread of e-mail in modern life and changes in family structure. In nursing education, learning support is needed to encourage the acquisition of appropriate lifestyle habits and the improvement of interpersonal skills in parallel with nursing technology education. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp nursing students’ ability to live in society. The ability to live in society is assessed through activities and participation based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Scale on Functioning in Activity Aspect for Nursing Students. This scale measures an individual’s ability to carry out a task or action from a positive perspective. Two questionnaire surveys were conducted twice for 138 first-year nursing students. Each survey was carried out twice with a 1-week interval between the pretest and posttest in June and July of 2013. The contents of the questionnaire were background, such as age, and the Scale on Functioning in Activity Aspect for Nursing Students. Reliability and internal consistency were measured by the test-retest method and split-half reliability method. Construct validity was measured by exploratory factor analysis.

The results confirmed the reliability and validity of the 16-item Scale on Functioning in Activity Aspect for Nursing Students. The scale was useful for measuring the ability of nursing students to carry out a task or action in society.