Challenges for Nurses Providing Medical Care to Children in Special-Needs Schools

Yuka HASEGAWA 
 Satomi TAKAMA 
 Yasuko KITOU 
  Rika HAYAKAWA 
    Hiroko INOUE 
 Wataru KIWADO

In this study
 we aimed to clarify the current situation and challenges of nurses providing medical care to children in special-needs schools. We surveyed nurses at special-needs schools throughout Japan; questionnaires were collected by mail. Questionnaire content included basic attributes
 overview of special-needs schools
 duties of nurses
 relationships and information sharing with other professionals and parents
 and work environment. The survey period was June through August 2021
 and the results were simply tabulated by us. Our survey included 215 facilities and 511 respondents. 86.3% of the respondents had more than ten years of clinical experience and 88.8% were non-regular employees. The most common skills that respondents stated they lacked when entering the profession and remained unsure of were the use of expectorant-assist devices and management of ventilators. Furthermore
 32.5% of respondents were dissatisfied with the training they received
 both on and off campus. Less than half of the respondents reported sharing information with the school principal
 vice principal
 school physician
 medical care supervisor
 or attending physician. We believe that it is important to respond to the increasing sophistication and diversity of medical care provided by nurses by providing additional training and creating a system of information sharing.

育療

一般社団法人　日本育療学会

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