Chikako Honda

Aim: This study aimed to investigate these aspects in female community‐dwelling cancer survivors. Methods: This secondary analysis of a community‐based cancer survey was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. Emotional well‐being (EWB) and functional well‐being (FWB) were measured using two subdomains of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐General. The sample comprised 163 survivors of breast and gynecological cancers. We used descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses to explore the association between the challenges and EWB and FWB. Results: All participants were women, of whom 118 and 45 were breast and gynecological cancer survivors, respectively. The most frequent challenges experienced but not addressed (referred to as “unaddressed challenges”) were “anxieties about progression and prognosis”, followed by “balancing hobbies and treatments”, and “depressed mood”. Although initial analyses suggested that the presence of challenges related to “depressed mood” and “balancing hobbies and treatments” was associated with lower EWB, these associations did not maintain statistical significance after adjusting for multiple testing. Conversely, excluding challenges related to “fertility preservation,” all unaddressed challenges related to diagnosis and medical treatment and finances remained robustly associated with lower scores in EWB and FWB. Among unaddressed challenges related to balancing daily life and treatment , “balancing housework and treatment” and “balancing hobbies and treatments” remained associated with lower scores in EWB and FWB. Conclusions: Female community‐dwelling survivors of breast and gynecological cancers face various unaddressed challenges that diminish EWB and FWB. Early identification and targeted public health interventions are required to address survivors' daily life challenges and improve well‐being.

Objective: Physical assessment by public health nurses is vital for childhood health, but its education remains unclear. This study examines the structure, process, and outcomes of physical assessment education for newborn and infant home visits in public health nursing schools. Design: Nationwide cross‐sectional study. Sample: Of the 280 public health nursing schools in Japan, 85 were analyzed. Measurements: Survey based on Donabedian's model: structure (e.g., program type), process (e.g., practice‐oriented education score), and outcome (e.g., proportion of graduates who achieved the graduation goal). Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were conducted. Results: Although 69.4% of schools rated physical assessment education as “very important,” graduation goals varied substantially: 11.8% targeted “Does independently with minimal guidance,” 32.9% “Does under supervision,” 50.6% “Shows,” and 4.7% “Knows.” Practice‐oriented education scores ranged widely across schools (9–80). Higher graduation goal levels were significantly associated with greater practice‐oriented education (B = 5.669, p = 0.024). Greater practice‐oriented education was positively associated with higher proportions of graduates achieving graduation goals (B = 0.029, p = 0.042). Conclusions: Substantial variability exists in the structure and delivery of physical assessment education for newborn and infant home visits. Strengthening practice‐oriented, competency‐based education may support more consistent competency development in foundational education. Trial Registration: Clinical trial registration was not required for this study.

Home visits require students to integrate clinical reasoning with environmental assessments; however, most virtual reality (VR) studies focus on hospital s

Background: Nurses’ assessment skills during home visits remain tacit. Few studies have used home‐visit virtual reality (VR) simulations to compare the eye‐tracking behaviors of nurses and nursing students. This study aimed to elucidate the assessment characteristics of nurses with home‐visit experience and nursing students without experience by comparing their gaze movements using VR simulations of home visits. Methods: This descriptive study compared gaze patterns of five nurses and 39 students from a university in Tokyo. Participants viewed three VR scenarios, including immersive 360‐degree images while recording their gaze movements through a head‐mounted display. The three scenarios, including a single older person, an older couple, and parents with an infant, reflected practicum training, life cycles, and the size of households. Because the groups were small and unbalanced and students were observed in three waves, the analysis focused on inexperienced students in the first wave, who experienced the VR without prior observation, while later students observed a session first. The analysis employed robust, distribution‐free tests, effect sizes, and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Nurses exhibited significantly more saccades than students. This effect was consistent across wave structures and held despite the non‐normality of the data distribution. The head‐rolling speed differed between nurses and inexperienced students in the initial data but not in later waves. Regarding fixation behavior, nurses showed more consistent fixation duration and count in areas of interest, such as a small table, compared to students. Conclusions: Nurses tend to focus their gaze more consistently on cues relevant to patient health, while students examine the rooms more inconsistently. This indicates that expertise in home‐visit assessment is shaped by both what is observed and how the environment is searched. VR‐based eye tracking can help reveal these tacit skills for nursing education. Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN‐CTR): UMIN000049037

Aims: Early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns and infants is essential to ensure lifelong mobility. As several municipalities conduct nurse‐led hip ultrasound screenings during newborn and infant home visits, nurses must acquire the accurate technique smoothly and effectively. Clarifying the challenges nurses face when performing ultrasound procedures helps support effective education. This study aimed to identify challenges inexperienced nurses face when performing basic ultrasound using the Graf‐method in home settings. Design: Descriptive case study. Methods: Ultrasound training was provided to 22 nurses in Japan to enable use during newborn and infant home visits. We analyzed 25 video cases from three nurses who required > 180 s to obtain a standard plane image. Videos were transcribed and inductively analyzed to identify challenges with reference to Yin’s case study methodology. Results: Conditions of the challenges were categorized into knowledge, skills, and attitudes with reference to Bloom’s taxonomy. The knowledge gap led to the failure to correctly judge whether the femoral head/standard plane was captured. Skill deficiencies led to failure to move the probe vertically and difficulty maintaining the infant’s straight lateral position. The combination of inadequate knowledge and skills resulted in failures to (1) place the probe directly over the femoral head, (2) display the image in the correct position and orientation, and (3) move the probe correctly regarding direction and range while maintaining the image in the correct position and orientation. Regarding attitude gaps, nurses failed to improve the procedure. Conclusions: Improving ultrasound proficiency for developmental hip dysplasia detection requires training in anatomy integration, sensory experience, and probe‐screen coordination while addressing posture, equipment handling, and motor skills. Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry: UMIN000051929

Japan’s rapidly aging population necessitates new approaches that enable citizens to actively participate in caring for themselves and others. However, a comprehensive framework defining the specific competencies needed for this critical community role has not yet been established. This study, therefore, aimed to define the novel concept of “care competency” and establish a consensus on its comprehensive component list for community citizens. We defined care competencies and developed a list using a modified Delphi technique (RAND/University of California, Los Angeles) involving 10 nursing researchers. Items were adapted from Japan’s Model Core Curriculum for Nursing Education, and a total of 528 items were evaluated and refined. In this study, care competency was defined as the complex ability to acquire and utilize knowledge and skills, based on evidence and intentional choices, to maintain the well-being of oneself, loved ones, and people in the community. The Delphi process identified 151 care competency items. This study thereby presents a novel framework that provides a foundation for developing globally applicable educational programs to foster mutual support and effective caregiving.

Aim: To clarify how public health nurses allocate their time across various tasks and compare time‐use patterns between prefectural and municipal public health nurses in Japan, where distinct administrative mandates define their roles. Design: A self‐reported, prospective time study. Methods: Public health nurses from two municipalities and one prefecture recorded their daily practices and time allocations using Kintone. Time allocation differences by administrative level and job position were analysed using linear mixed‐effects models. Results: Overall, 121 participants contributed 9502 person‐days of data. Participants spent an average of 463.6 min/workday on work‐related activities. Municipal public health nurses dedicated more time to application paperwork (64.0 min), health examinations (57.6 min), and individual coordination (48.3 min). Prefectural public health nurses allocated more time to business management and organisational operations (69.0 min) and traveliing, particularly in rural contexts. Managers spent less time on direct care and more on administrative tasks. Conclusion: This study provides the first quantitative, self‐reported evidence of task distribution among public health nurses across administrative levels and positions. The findings reflect structural differences in role expectations and underscore the need to reallocate workloads to better align with each level's mandate. Implications for the Profession: Task prioritisation, information and communication technology tool integration, and administrative support are essential in optimising public health nurses' contributions to community health. These strategies can reduce non‐clinical workload and enable public health nurses to focus on high‐impact, value‐added public health services that promote health equity. Impact: This study closes a longstanding gap by quantifying PHNs' time allocation, revealing the hidden burden of administrative work, and providing critical insights for workforce planning and sustainable public health service delivery. Reporting Method: This study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline. Patient or Public Contribution: No Patient or Public Involvement. Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry; UMIN000051509 ( https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi‐open‐bin/ctr/ctr_his_list.cgi?recptno=R000058761 ; August 1, 2023)

Objectives: This study demonstrated the usability of a co‐designed benchmarking dashboard for supervisory public health nurses (PHNs) and their staff and identified supervisory PHNs’ management challenges and strategies for system use. Design: Descriptive case study. Sample: Fifty‐seven PHNs from three municipalities participated in the study using snowball sampling. Measurements: Feedback was collected before, during, and after the dashboard development on the Kintone app. Participant attrition and System Usability Scale (SUS) scores were used to evaluate the dashboard's feasibility and usability using descriptive statistics. Content analysis was conducted to identify supervisory PHNs’ management challenges and strategies for system use. Results: There were no dropouts. The dashboard achieved an SUS score of 67.5, slightly higher than that of the existing system (66.0). Management challenges included human resource development, managing numerous individual cases, and conducting communityased activities. Dashboard use strategies included advancing evidence‐based human resource development and strengthening data‐driven management. Conclusions: Per the findings, strategies for developing the benchmarking dashboard supported evidence‐based workforce management and promoted reflective practices, suggesting that dashboard systems can enhance supervisory PHNs’ leadership and improve the quality and equity of community health services. Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000051509 [ https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000058761 ].