P-230 WORKING DIFFICULTIES AMONG UNLICENSED NURSING ASSISTANTS IN JAPANESE HOSPITALS -DIFFERENCES BY AGE AND HOSPITAL TYPES

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 74; no. Supplement_1
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Minako, Ito, Michiyo, Lee, Jung Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 05.07.2024
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqae023.0802

Abstract Introduction To maintain the healthcare delivery system in Japan, which is super-aged society, it is necessary to utilize unlicensed personnel as nursing assistants. However, there are few applicants for nursing assistants, and many hospitals have vacancies. We need to understand the difficulties they face in their job. Methods We examined job-related difficulties for nursing assistants by age and hospital type. We conducted a web-based survey of nursing assistants working in Japanese all hospitals in 2019. We asked the hospital nursing directors to select a nursing assistant randomly and to give a letter of request to the nursing assistant. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Review Board. Results and discussion Valid responses were obtained from 1,337 (16.0%) nursing assistants. Harassment from patients (32% on average, 40% in their 20s) and harassment from multiple professions other than nursing (9% on average, 16% in their 20s) were more common among those in their 20s. Harassment by patients was more common in long-term inpatient hospitals and psychiatric hospitals (32% on average, 36% in long-term inpatient hospitals, 51% in psychiatric hospitals). When crossed with the selection of “anti-harassment measures” by their hospital to keep working, 31% of those who answered they were harassed by patients, expected the measures. In long-term inpatient hospitals, the percentage of dementia patients are high, and psychiatric hospitals, it was thought that young nursing assistants were not coping well and had given up on the situation as something that could not be helped and quit their job. Conclusion Training and support systems for nursing assistants are needed.