Experiences and Countermeasures of a Perinatal Ward Nursing Manager Dealing with Family Members’ Problematic Behaviors

Background: When family members and/or patients behave in a problematic way, this hinders the provision of safe and secure medical care. During the perinatal period, a family’s relationships and functions change significantly, and each family member is prone to experiencing stress. As such, conflict arises easily between family members and medical staff. Aims: Therefore, we conducted this study to shed light on the following phenomena: 1) family members’ problematic behaviors;2) the concerns of a perinatal ward nurse manager (hereafter referred to as the manager) and ward nurses;and 3) countermeasures carried out by the manager, together with the ward nurses, based on the manager’s experiences. Methods: We conducted an 80-minute, semi-structured interview with the manager, following which we analyzed the content of her narrated accounts. Results: According to the findings, 1) family members’ problematic actions include verbal abuse;arrogance, unreasonableness, and selfish behaviors;and violent conduct;2) the manager’s and ward nurses’ fears and worries about family members’ problematic behaviors;responses to gradually becoming involved with family members;and resistance to staying involved with family members following patient discharge. In addition, we examined 3) countermeasures carried out by the manager together with the ward nurses: resolute and consistent responses to family members’ problematic behaviors;attempted enforcement measures taken to deal with family members who exhibit problematic behaviors;engagement while trying to avoid conflict with family members;preparation that anticipates the occurrence of problematic conduct;cooperation with the medical team;cooperation with the hospital organization;cooperation with social resources outside the hospital;and patient protection. Conclusions: With awareness of cooperation with the medical team toward family members who engage in problematic actions, the medical staff members try to unify their response and share their feelings of hardship with each other.

Nurses’ Perception of Privacy in the NICU and GCU: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that determine the nursing practices of nurses working in NICU and GCU to protect the privacy of the affected children and their families, and the perceptions that arise in relation to their practices. Further to obtain information on current issues and future suggestions for nursing practice. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six nurses of Clinical Ladder I or higher currently working in the NICU and GCU, and content analysis was conducted. Result: The study identified five categories, 16 subcategories, and 63 codes: “keeping in mind to act in accordance with the characteristics of the NICU and GCU”, “trying to secure a space only for the affected children and families depending on the situation”, “feeling the need for consideration for the affected children and families”, “feeling puzzled and frustrated through the relationship with families”, “having a dilemma between the environment they want to realize for the affected children and families and the fact that it cannot be realized”. Conclusion: In considering nursing care in NICU and GCU, including consideration for privacy, the need to reflect on daily nursing care and share it with other staff members was suggested.

Parenting Stress of Chinese Mothers Living and Child-Rearing in Japan and Related Factors

Background: Parenting stress causes physical and psychological problems for mothers during child-rearing and negatively impacts the growth and development of their children. We assumed that Chinese mothers living in Japan would experience particularly high levels of parenting stress and difficulty because they had to leave the environment in which they were born and raised in a different language and culture. Objective: The objective is to identify the actual situation and related factors of parenting stress among Chinese mothers in Japan. Methods: From July to October 2021, an online, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was administered to the mothers of children aged 6 months to 5 years, and the data from 93 mothers were statistically analyzed. Results: Mothers in the study had one (45.2%) or two (45.2%) children in their care, and 23.7% of the mothers’ husbands were Japanese. The average score of total PSI-SF-15 of the mothers in this study was slightly higher than that of mothers raising children in China. Additionally, “I think it is a shame not to practice Chinese customs”, “I feel that Chinese customs are not respected”, “the number of children with diagnosed diseases”, “Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) total score” and “father’s nationality” influenced the parenting stress of the mothers in this study. Conclusion: In order to reduce parenting stress among Chinese mothers in Japan, it is necessary to respect and support the practice of Chinese customs, create an environment in which it is easy to discuss children’s illnesses, and educate mothers to promote the use of social support.

Latina mothers feeding their children: A focus group pilot study

The purpose of this study was to better understand current knowledge of health and nutrition, barriers to improving eating habits, and preferences for school-based interventions among low-income Latina mothers. Qualitative research methods and analysis were employed. Eighteen mothers of preschool-aged children participated in a focus group interview. Findings indicate that mothers have an understanding of healthy eating, but identified issues with connecting food with weight and in understanding definitions of “obese”. Further, respondents identified barriers to incorporating healthier foods and cooking methods into daily life, due to family food preferences, cultural practices, and schedules. Mother’s concerns about the future weight and the health of their children appeared to motivate interest in improving feeding behaviors. Desired interventions of mothers highlight the importance of culturally relative solutions to behavior change towards healthy eating.

Development of a Training Textbook for Countermeasures to “Verbal Abuse, Physical Assault, and Harassment in Pediatric Medical Settings”

Background: Recently, abuse, assault, and harassment in pediatric medical settings have become more serious. We extracted typical problems from a nationwide simultaneous survey on abuse in the pediatric medical field and developed a training textbook to simulate or discuss these issues with colleagues. This study aimed to confirm the validity and usability of the contents of this training textbook. Methods: The textbook was mailed to the heads of 51 medical institutions affiliated with the Society of Ambulatory and General Pediatrics of Japan (SAGPJ) and the participants of the SAGPJ online workshop, who were asked to evaluate the textbook using a three-point scale to answer the following questions and provide opinions and impressions about the textbook. Q1. Do you think the whole content and structure of this textbook are useful? Q2. Would you use this textbook as a training textbook for all staff at your facility? A simple tabulation was performed on the evaluation using a three-point scale, while content analysis was performed on the opinions and impressions of the participants. Results: In response to Q1 and Q2, all 63 staff members from 55 facilities answered “3: Yes.” Opinions and impressions on the training textbook included “I think it can be used for workplace training” and “it is useful for exchanging various opinions among staff members and gaining a common opinion.” Conclusion: We developed a training textbook on abuse, assault, and harassment in pediatric medical settings based on a nationwide survey and confirmed the validity and usability of its contents.