%0 Journal Article
%T Communication Training Improves Sense of Performance Expectancy of Public Health Nurses Engaged in Long-Term Elderly Prevention Care Program
%A Motoko Tanabe
%A Yoshimi Suzukamo
%A Ichiro Tsuji
%A Sin-Ichi Izumi
%J ISRN Nursing
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/430560
%X This study examines the effectiveness of a communication skill training based on a coaching theory for public health nurses (PHNs) who are engaged in Japan’s long-term care prevention program. The participants in this study included 112 PHNs and 266 service users who met with these PHNs in order to create a customized care plan within one month after the PHNs’ training. The participants were divided into three groups: a supervised group in which the PHNs attended the 1-day training seminar and the follow-up supervision; a seminar group attended only the 1-day training seminar; a control group. The PHNs’ sense of performance expectancy, and user’s satisfaction, user’s spontaneous behavior were evaluated at the baseline (T1), at one month (T2), and at three months (T3) after the PHNs’ training. At T3, the PHNs performed a recalled evaluation (RE) of their communication skills before the training. The PHNs’ sense of performance expectancy increased significantly over time in the supervised group and the control group , resp.). The difference score between T3-RE was significantly higher in the supervised group than the control group ( ). No significant differences in the users’ outcomes were found. 1. Introduction The service user’s motivation is a fundamental element in the success of health promotion services for the elderly [1]. Service users who proactively participate in the service provider’s health programs are better able to maintain or improve their health, and consequently, avoid the need for long-term care prevention program. Therefore, service providers should not only provide good health programs but also encourage service users to proactively participate in such programs. Increasing service users’ participation in health promotion programs aimed at preventing the need for long-term care is important. In Japan, a health care and rehabilitation service for preventing the need for long-term care, called “Long-term Care Prevention,” was established in 2005 [2, 3]. This service assesses elderly people living at home need to maintain or improve daily functions. The contents of this service are tailored to the user’s health condition and include programs for exercise (e.g., stretching, balancing, and muscle building), improvement of oral function, and dietary improvement as well as health consultation and guidance for homebound service users and those with mental disorders such as dementia or depression. During the first year of the program, only 0.05% of the elderly aged 65 years and above participated, far below the estimated 5% [4, 5]. This low
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.nursing/2012/430560/