Professional Behaviors of Nurses in Geriatric Health Services Facility in Japan

Background: The characteristics of geriatric health services facilities (GHSFs) in Japan include provision of care focused on the life of the residents, and there is a need for cooperation between care workers and physical therapists responsible for the care. Our goal is to create an organizational system that allows nurses to succeed professionally. To do this, we must first discuss the professional behavior of nurses in GHSFs. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to clarify the professional behavior of nurses in GHSFs using a questionnaire survey. Method: We used a descriptive, cross-sectional design. The study was conducted in 1000 GHSFs all over Japan. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. The questionnaires consisted of 24 items for determining the professional behavior of nurses, the background information of respondents. The professional behavior of nurses was analyzed using principal factor analysis (Promax rotation). Results: A total of 1189 nurses participated. Of those, 91% (n = 1084) were women, and mean age was 48.2 years. Most participants were staff nurses (n = 791; 66%). We extracted 16 items by factor analysis, which were classified into four factors (professional development, autonomy, positive assertiveness to colleagues, and advocating for patient). Conclusion: The professional behaviors as identified in this study are similar to those reported in previous studies of clinical nurses in hospital. However, some subscale results are specific to the characteristics of GHSFs. The ability to understand professional behaviors has significant implications in terms of affirming and identifying sources of quality of care and creating a professional practice environment within GHSFs.