Educational Needs and Learning Needs of Visiting Nurses in Japan: Difference According to the Years of Home-Visit Nursing Care Experience

Objective:To explore the difference in educational needs and learning needs according to the years of home-visit nursing care experience.

Methods:Participants completed the Educational Needs Assessment Tool for Visiting Nurses (ENAT-VN) , the Learning Needs Assessment Tool for Visiting Nurses (LNAT-VN) and the Visiting Nurses’ Attributes Questionnaire.The ENAT-VN was used to measure the educational needs of visiting nurses identified through a qualitative study (Yokoyama & Funashima, 2010).It has 36 items on a 4 point Likert-type scale, and has satisfactory reliability and validity (Suzuki & Funashima, 2014).The LNAT-VN was used to measure the learning needs of visiting nurses identified through a qualitative study (Miura & Funashima, 2005).It has 25 items on a 6-point Likert-type scale, and has satisfactory reliability and validity (Suzuki & Funashima, 2012).Questionnaires were distributed to 906 randomly sampled visiting nurses working at Home Visit Nursing Care Stations in Japan. The answers were returned by mail and were analyzed statistically.

Results:Of 559（61.5%）responses,463 were valid and the data were analyzed.The mean total score of the ENAT-VN is as follows;visiting nurses with less than 1 year of home-visit nursing care experience(n=38) were 74.6(SD=20.1),visiting nurses with over 1year and within 4 years(n=122) were 73.0(SD=18.3),visiting nurses with over 4 years and within 6 years (n=60) were 70.5(SD=20.4),visiting nurses with over 6 years and within 10 years (n=109) were 69.6(SD=18.3),visiting nurses with over 10 years　(n=134) were 66.4(SD=16.6).The mean total score of the LNAT-VN is as follows;visiting nurses with less than 1 year of home-visit nursing care experience(n=38) were 132.8(SD=12.1),visiting nurses with over 1year and within 4 years(n=122) were 130.5(SD=13.3),visiting nurses with over 4 years and within 6 years (n=60) were 131.8(SD=11.8),visiting nurses with over 6 years and within 10 years (n=109) were 129.6(SD=13.4),visiting nurses with over 10 years　(n=134) were 131.6(SD=10.6).There was a significant difference between visiting nurses with less than 1 year of home-visit nursing care experience and visiting nurses with over 10 years on the mean total score of the ENAT-VN(p<.05).Among five groups, thirteen items had a significant difference on the mean item score of the ENAT-VN(p<.05).And it was one item that there was a significant difference on the mean item score of the LNAT-VN(p<.05).

Implications:The results suggested that there were some significant difference on the mean item score of the ENAT-VN and the LNAT-VN.Developing effective continuing education programs for visiting nurses based on the findings of this study will help to promote quality of home-visit nursing care.