Yuko Yasuhara

Factors Associated with Discharge of Long-Term Inpatients with Schizophrenia in Japan: A Retrospective Study

Deinstitutionalization for people with mental disorders has only begun to be implemented in Japan. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine factors associated with discharge for long-term patients with schizophrenia. Seventy patients were judged capable of discharge with psychiatric rehabilitation (special staff service). As a result of rehabilitation efforts, 37 patients were discharged and 33 patients remained in the hospital. Significant differences were found in age, level of family agreement about patients disability, and length of the special staff service. These factors might be important to predict patients’ potential for discharge.

Measuring quality of sleep and autonomic nervous function in healthy Japanese women

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between quality of sleep and autonomic nervous functioning in healthy adult Japanese women using three measures, namely, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for subjective assessment of sleep quality, actigraphy for objective assessment of sleep, and heart rate variability using high frequency and low frequency domains. Participants were 31 healthy women in their 20s to 40s who met the selection criteria, including having normal monthly menstrual periods. Participants were categorized as good or poor sleepers according to their PSQI score. Median correlation coefficients of activity count and high frequency were −0.62 (range −0.43 to −0.84) for good sleepers and −0.45 (range 0.003 to −0.64) for poor sleepers. Good sleepers showed a significantly higher correlation of activity count and high frequency (Z=−2.11, P<0.05). Median correlation coefficients of activity count and low frequency/high frequency were 0.54 (range 0.29–0.73) for good sleepers and 0.41 (range 0.11–0.63) for poor sleepers. The PSQI, actigraphy data, and heart rate variability results showed positive correlations between sleep time as measured by PSQI and duration of inactivity as measured by actigraphy (r=0.446, P<0.05) and sleep time as measured by actigraphy (r=0.377, P<0.05), and a negative correlation between sleep time as measured by PSQI and the correlation coefficients of activity count and high frequency (r=−0.460, P<0.01). These results support the finding that sleep-wake rhythms can be monitored efficiently with actigraphy, providing accurate data that can support the diagnosis of sleeping disorders. Furthermore, actigraphy data were associated with heart rate variability and PSQI findings, but only in subjects who were poor sleepers. Actigraphy is an accurate, efficient, rapid, and inexpensive test for determining objective and subjective sleeping problems, and can also be used in clinical tests for sleep assessment.

Research on the possibility of humanoid robots to assist in medical activities in nursing homes and convalescent wards

In Japan, increasing attention has been given to using humanoid robots to solve problems concerning personnel shortage and to reduce duty workload in clinical and nursing situations. Currently, the development of robots is not yet at the level where they can function like human medical and health care professionals. For this reason, it is imperative to discover ways in which humanoid robots can be used to solve the issues of personnel shortage and duty workload. The aim of this research is to clarify the impressions nurse and care staff has toward humanoid robots. The research focuses on 1) whether there are any duties humanoids can undertake and 2) what is required of humanoids to perform clinical functions. This research was approved by the ethical review board of University Hospital A, and a mail survey was conducted between August and September, 2010. The respondents were 939 members of nurse and care staff working in nursing homes and convalescent wards. Among the reasons given by respondents who think that humanoids cannot do any clinical duty, the most common was “Not clear what and how much ability humanoids have,” chosen by 70.41 percent of respondents. Regarding the qualities required of humanoid robots on the aspect of ethical considerations, 63.79 percent chose “Not causing harm to humans,” making it the most common response. From the above results, it appears that personnel working in nursing homes and convalescent wards do not have enough accurate information on humanoid robots. It is therefore necessary that for future engagement of humanoid robots in clinical duty, advanced and detailed information on the ability and performance of humanoid robots be disseminated, so that not only patients but also medical staff can accept them without difficulty.

Needs and challenges of care robots in nursing care setting: A literature review

This study aims to identify needs and challenges of care robot in nursing care setting through an extensive search of the literature. As the result shows, there exists a shortage of information about results of the introduction of care robots, the needs of recipients and care providers, and relevant ethical problems. To advance our research and to introduce care robots into setting, there are so many things to do; consider the application of natural language processing technology by collaborating with researchers in the robotics field, carry out an investigation, extract the needs, clarify ethical problems and seek solutions, conduct the on-site experiment study, and so on.

PSYCHOMS®, An electronic nursing management system to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and improve patient outcomes in psychiatric hospitals

The purpose of this article is to introduce PSYCHOMS® (Psychiatric Outcome Management System, registered trademark, Tanioka et al.), an electronic nursing management system to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and improve patient outcomes in psychiatric hospitals and report on the agenda for commercialization of the PSYCHOMS® system. Our team has been developing the PSYCHOMS® system since 2006. This system has four major components: (1) Clinical pathway and variance analysis system, (2) Nursing manager and staffs daily recording system, (3) nursing care planning system, and (4) nursing management support system. Any interdisciplinary team member using this system can access the patients information. Therefore, each interdisciplinary team members expertise can be maximally utilized to achieve improved patient outcomes. It was necessary to conduct a survey on what standard items were common in different hospitals to allow for the development of PSYCHOMS®s data base. In order to improve psychiatric care, it is necessary to develop a database that shares common language with all psychiatric hospitals. This manuscript reports on the functions and agenda for the PSYCHOMS® system.

Elderly person’s forward-looking and self-fulfilling life while living with chronic Illness

Abstract Background: In contemporary Japan, the nuclear family continues to be the dominant family model which started during the high economic growth era (1955~1973). This situation diminished the opportunities for

Humanoid Nurse Robots as Caring Entities: A Revolutionary Probability?

The probability that humanoid nurse robots (HNRs) can be caring seems plausible. The question explored by this article is: what are humanoid nurse robots manifesting when they become more functionally advanced and human-like? Its discussion is grounded in several foundational philosophical and theoretical viewpoints such as Plato’s focus on “soul,” Rogers’ emphasis on human energy fields, Boykin and Schoenhofer’s assumption of persons as caring because of their humanness, and the prescriptive or predictive practice of nursing. Imploring logical explanations, the possibility of humanoid robots manifesting caring seems to become more likely. In future developments, to what end will HNRs be functional and able to manifest caring regardless of their human-likeness?

Comparative Examination between the Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (PITCCN) and the Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing Instrument (TCCNI)

Background: Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing Instrument (TCCNI) was developed by Rozzano Locsin (2013) to determine the expression of “technological competency” as caring in nursing among practicing nurses. While the TCCNI was translated into other languages, no instrument measuring the ‘technological competency as caring in nursing’ among Japanese nurses was developed and tested. Considering culture and social background influencing measurement of the phenomena, Kato et al. (2016) re-envisioned the TCCNI to focus on caring behaviors of nurses in acute care settings. The Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency of Caring in Nursing (PITCCN) was developed. Aim: The aim of this study is to perform comparative examination between the PITCCN and the TCCNI. Methods: The authors developed the Japanese version of the TCCNI from its original instrument subjecting this to reverse translation using a professional English-to-Japanese-to-English translator who clearly confirmed the accuracy of the translations. In this study, the contents of the item configurations were analyzed and discussed regarding instruments, and the summary of the similarities and differences among researchers who had been involved in the research of caring. The difference between the item configuration of PITCCN and TCCNI was clearly illustrated by a comparative table, and in the case where there was no corresponding item, it was left blank. Results: The commonality between the TCCNI and PITCCN was the holistic focus on patients using information obtained through technologies. Different question items were included to provide highquality outcomes for the PITCCN. Conclusion: Considered useful in order to perform high quality practice in using technology, and to provide high quality nursing. Measured Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing might be able to utilizing for in-service education of hospitals or formalized education in nursing universities.

Recognition and Status of Practicing Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing by Nurses in ICU

Aim: The purpose of this study was to survey how nurses who work in Intensive Care Units in Japan, realize and practice nursing based on the theory of Technological Competency of Caring in Nursing (TCCN). Methods: The survey was conducted from September 2016 to November 2016 by questionnaire entitled, “Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (PITCCN).” It was developed based on Locsin’s middle range theory on Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing. Copies of the Inventory were sent by mail to 426 ICU nurses working in hospitals within Japan. Three hundred eight questionnaire copies without missing values were returned (response rate was 72%). Results: (1) The scores about the practice situations of TCCN were significantly lower than those concerning the recognition of TCCN. Although ICU nurses recognized the need for TCCN, they thought that they had not practiced it enough. (2) In comparing the group having the education about caring and the group without the education, the scores concerning recognition of TCCN was significantly higher in educated group. However, no significant difference was found in the practice situation. (3) In comparing the variables “experience years of clinical nursing,” although this did not have a significant difference in the variable “recognition of TCCN.” However, the scores of the practice situation of TCCN was significantly higher compared between the group with 10 or more years of clinical experience than the group with less than 10 years’ experience. (4) In comparing years of experience, ICU nurses’ the scores concerning recognition of TCCN who had practice experience of 10 or more years was significantly higher than the group having less than fiveyears’ experience. Conclusion: By measuring nurses’ practical situation of TCCN, this focus will be to deliver high quality nursing through continuing professional education.

Availability of Thickness Estimation of the Subcutaneous Fat by Using the Near-infrared Ray Measuring Device

Gluteal intramuscular injection requires accurate needle insertion into the specific muscle area for accurate, safe, and efficacious delivery of medication for long-acting anti-psychiatric drugs. With ultrasonography, accurate evaluation of the