A Survey on the Use of Visiting Nurses in Child Day Care Centers

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to contribute children's health care and health promotion by surveying the use of visiting nurses in child day care centers. METHODS: This study is a descriptive study, and the study period covers July to September, 2010. The research subjects were 27 public health center managers, 166 visiting nurses and 137 child care teachers. RESULTS: Teachers' need of visiting health care services and visiting nurses' work performance of were statistically significantly different. The teachers' need of visiting health care was higher in all areas (health examination, health life practice, infectious disease control, safety accidents and disaster management, emergency measures and linkage, nutrition, parent education) but the visiting nurses had a low level of work performance. CONCLUSION: Child care teachers are not health professionals for child health care, and therefore they are in need of professional help. Thus, for the current public health centers in need of customized visit health care, new visiting nurses in charge of professional child health care need to be developed. Also, new models need to be developed for visiting nurses and child care teachers through the connection of community child health care.