Training Needs and Issues Recognized by Public Health Nurses Involved in Prevention of Child Abuse

Background: The number of child abuse cases continues to increase in Japan. Under these circumstances, public health nurses (PHNs) who provide continued support to children and their families play important roles in dealing with child abuse. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the support that PHNs require to perform their duties. The purpose of this study was to clarify the training needs and issues recognized by PHNs involved in prevention of child abuse. Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered to PHNs involved in prevention of child abuse in municipalities and public health centers in Japan. Descriptions regarding training needs and issues were analyzed qualitatively. Results: The contents of training that PHNs required were diverse. Among them, the most common training need was “ways to approach and support parents”, followed by “case study” and “role and response as a PHN”. Training needs differed according to the duration of experience as a PHN. The issues recognized by PHNs were “improvement of necessary system for support”, “development system to support supporters”, “enhancement of human resources” and “advancement of cooperation with relevant organizations”. Conclusion: The training needs of PHNs involved in prevention of child abuse varied, but there were characteristics according to the duration of experience as a PHN. It is important to reflect these needs in training contents in order to implement effective training for PHNs. The issues recognized by PHNs cannot be solved immediately through personal efforts alone; therefore, it is necessary for entire organizations to approach the issues.