This study aimed to clarify the current status of and factors related to support by general ward nurses for transition to home care settings for end-stage cancer patients. A questionnaire was sent to 1,019 general ward nurses. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine related factors. The 17-item scale to evaluate nurses’ decision-making support for transition to home care settings was used as a dependent variable. A total of 653 valid responses were obtained (valid response rate: 64.0%). The following factors were correlated with decision-making support for transition to home care settings: “experience supporting transition to home care settings” (β=0.26), “professional autonomy in nursing: concrete judgment” (β=0.23), “professional autonomy in nursing: performance” (β=0.18), “learning experience with home care nursing” (β=0.13), “belief in an afterlife” (β=0.12), and “learning experience with family nursing (β=0.07)” (adjusted R2=0.27). The results suggest the practical abilities of nurses, i.e., relevant experience, knowledge, and views on death and dying are related to nurses’ decision-making support for transition to home care settings for patients with end-stage cancer.

　　The Tsurumi Hospital introduced a state-of-the-art, multifunctional cancer radiation therapy system in April 2011. When a new building was completed. The cancer radiation therapy started in September of the same year. Our hospital as a cancer treatment hospital provides high-quality care, and can deliver radiation therapy of high performance and high precision in safety, and aims to be trusted by society and patients. In a cancer radiation therapy, it is important to work in teams made up of doctors, radiological technologists and nurses having a high degree of professionalism. In such circumstances radiological technologists have to play various roles and shoulder responsibility. For example, they have to take responsibility for dose distribution creation and calculation of monitor units according treatment plans, systems, positioning radiography, creating a fixture and immobilizer, verification of irradiation, setup of patient, quality assurance and quality control of related equipment for the radiotherapy system, explanation to the patient, medical safety and radiation maintenances etc. Since the introduction of the cancer radiation therapy system, radiological technologists have had to carry out work required for radiation therapy such as verification of creating specifications, determination of equipment, procedures based on the relevant laws and regulations, acceptance test, acquisition of clinical data, commissioning and verification of treatment dose. This paper describes the role and practice of radiological technologists to lead a cancer radiation therapy, based upon our experience.

The objective of this study was to develop a scale that measures job satisfaction in public health nurses (PHNs) employed in the public sector and to test its reliability and validity. Results of semi-structured interviews with PHNs employed in the public sector and findings in literature review were assessed for content validity. A preliminary scale consisting of 74 items was thus developed, and its reliability and validity were tested in 1,030 PHNs employed in the public sector. Valid responses obtained from 422 PHNs (valid response rate, 41.0%) were subjected to item analysis followed by exploratory factor analysis using the principal factor method with promax rotation. Accordingly, 3 factors and 18 items were extracted, and the hypostatic factors were named “duties and responsibilities of PHNs”, “senior staff's understanding and environment facilitating personal development”, and “thoughts and trust in residents”. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the goodness of fit of the hypothetical model. Cronbach’s t was 0.907 (0.847-0.900 for subscales), confirming the reliability of the scale. The intraclass correlation coefficient (r) by the test-retest reliability method was .847 (.727-.830 for subscales), confirming stability. The criterion-related validity was confirmed by positive correlations of the draft scale with a general job satisfaction scale (r = .642, p.001), a self-esteem scale (r = .452, p.001), a self-efficacy scale (r =.411, p.001), an interpersonal support ability scale (r = .452, p.001), and a scale for ability to support and manage the community (r =.532, p.001). In sum, we developed a scale consisting of 3 factors and 18 items that measures job satisfaction in PHNs employed in the public sector. The contents of this scale will contribute to aspects of job satisfaction in diverse human resource development of the future. Thus, this scale is expected to be useful as a human resource development tool for PHNs employed in the public sector.