Current Conditions of Support Provision for Nurses at Hub Hospitals in Remote Areas
- VernacularTitle:へき地医療拠点病院におけるへき地の看護職への支援の実態と課題
- Author:
Yuka KUSUMOTO
1
;
Rika YATSUSHIRO
2
Author Information
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2022;70(5):460-473
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
- Abstract: This study aimed to clarify the actual conditions and issues of support provided to nurses working in remote areas (“remote nurses”) at hub hospitals in remote areas in Japan. We mailed self-administered questionnaires to 294 hub hospital facilities in remote areas across Japan, and responses were obtained from 64 (21.8% recovery rate). These nurses in remote areas were provided support in the form of dispatch and training/consultation services at 19 of these 64 facilities (29.7%). A large majority affirmed that there was a social role (93.2%) and need (93.8%) for remote nurse support. Moreover, nearly one-third of the hospitals (30.2%) had no experience in dispatching nurses to rural areas but reported that they may do so in the future, indicating high recognition of the roles and necessity of remote nurse support. Issues in remote nursing support included nurses shortages at hub hospitals for remote areas, difficulties in building coordination and support systems, limited information and knowledge about remote healthcare, poor understanding of the roles of remote medicine centers, selection and management of nursing staff providing remote nursing support, and assistance in providing remote nursing support. Some departments took creative measures so that remote nurses would not have to leave their workplace for training or medical/nursing consultations. Expanding support for nurses in remote areas will require interventions by national and local governmental authorities to systematize both hospital staffing to better prepare for remote nurse dispatch and the support provided to remote areas. Furthermore, practical reports and fact-finding surveys should be conducted on remote nursing support, and information should be disseminated to all parties involved in rural and remote healthcare.
