Developing sustainable public health care systems for responding to COVID-19 in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Despite having prevented public health center (PHC) dysfunction in response to COVID-19 during the first wave, public health nurses (PHNs) who play a central role in preventing COVID-19 and supporting community people were unable to share practical knowledge with other PHNs immediately. This report aims to introduce the development of novel sustainable public health care systems with regard to COVID-19 in Japan: task sharing, securing staff, and task shifting. METHODS: A descriptive study. The Japan Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare enlisted good practices regarding resource allocation and developing full readiness for sustainable public health care systems in September 2020. RESULTS: Public health center developed systems for office support, infection control, hospital coordination, and outsourced inventory control. To reduce the workload of PHNs, a support team of three to four office workers developed a response manual for residents and a format for telephone consultations regarding COVID-19. Developing an infection control team and web-based system for hospital coordination decreased the workload of PHCs in each community to prepare for the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Public health center should consider managing limited human resources and focus on providing specialized care for COVID-19 patients. Task sharing, securing staff, and task shifting are crucial strategies for developing sustainable public health care systems.

School Nursing and Public Health: The Case for School Nurse Investigators and Contact Tracing Monitors of COVID-19 Patients in Massachusetts.

School nurses across Massachusetts and the nation rose to the challenges presented by the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). One of the many ways in which school nurses responded to the pandemic was to work in collaboration with their Local Boards of Health in a variety of capacities. The essential functions of a school nurse uniquely prepare them for the roles of case investigators and contact tracing monitors as a means to ensure population health. In addition to both individual and population health within the school setting, school nurses are effective partner in emergency planning and can help inform decision making and policy making within communities.