Predictors of a Desire to be Helpful to Professional Nurses Among Japanese Nursing Assistants in Small- to Medium-Sized Hospitals

• Published in: Journal of UOEH Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 119 - 128
• Main Authors: TSUTSUMI, Akizumi, MATSUHASHI, Ayako, KONO, Keiko, TOYOSHIMA, Yasuko, KUDO, Yasushi, SUGISAKI, Hitomi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Female; Forecasting; Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; Humans; Interprofessional Relations; Japan; licensed nurses; Linear Models; Male; Nurses - psychology; Nurses' Aides - psychology; nursing assistants; nursing management; registered nurses; Japan
• ISSN: 0387-821X; 2187-2864
• DOI: 10.7888/juoeh.38.119

Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses have been educated as professional nurses. Professional nurses can concentrate on their jobs requiring a high degree of expertise with help they get from nursing assistants.If professional nurses have improper attitudes toward nursing assistants, it is most likely that the nursing assistants will not help them to the best of their ability. We investigated nursing assistants’ impressions regarding professional nurses’ attitudes, and what effects nursing assistants’ impressions have on their “desire to be helpful to professional nurses.” The study design was a cross sectional study. Twenty-five small- to medium-sized hospitals with 55 to 458 beds were included in this study. The analyzed subjects were 642 nursing assistants (96 males, 546 females). Factor analyses were conducted to extract the factors of nursing assistants’ impressions regarding professional nurses’ attitudes. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the predictors of “desire to be helpful to professional nurses.” We discovered 5 factors: 1. professional nurses’ model behavior, 2. manner dealing with nursing assistants, 3. respect for nursing assistants’ passion for their work, 4. respect for nursing assistants’ work, and 5. enhancing the ability of nursing assistants to do their work. The “desire to be helpful to professional nurses” was significantly associated with “professional nurses’ model behavior,” “manner dealing with nursing assistants” and “respect for nursing assistants’ passion for their work.” Factors 1 to 3 are fundamental principles when people establish appropriate relationships. Professional nurses must consider these fundamentals in their daily work in order to get complete cooperation from nursing assistants.