Fundamental factors related to continuing education in family nursing in Japan: A mixed methods approach

In medical settings in Japan, where 25% of the total population is aged ≥65 years, an emphasis has been placed on homecare. Accordingly, nurses face the urgent task of interacting effectively with patients’ families, who are in a position to provide care for patients, in addition to the patients themselves. The aim of the present study was to obtain suggestions for continuing education that promote the practical family nursing ability of generalist nurses at medical facilities in Japan. A mixed methods approach was used to survey continuing education in family nursing in Japan. At 1,000 facilities accredited by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care, the implementation of lecture-style, in-house group training and its fundamental characteristics were explored through a questionnaire survey and interviews. Facilities with many hospital beds and personnel in charge of education conducted lecture-style, in-house group training on family nursing. The following four fundamental characteristics were identified: (1) an organizational culture of “the family as the target of nursing”; (2) the belief that “the patient lives at home”; (3) experience of “being useful to the family”; and (4) structures for “intersection of learning and teaching”. In summary, the study suggests the need to allocate personnel in charge of continuing education and, where this may be difficult, as in smalland medium-sized facilities, to adopt guidelines on continuing education through on-the-job training using the four fundamental characteristics identified in this study.