新型コロナウィルス感染症拡大時における特別支援学校の課題—特別支援学校で働く看護師へのアンケート結果から

Challenges for Special Needs Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from a Questionnaire for Nurses Working in Special Needs Schools

要旨

　目的：看護師が捉えた新型コロナウィルス感染症拡大時における特別支援学校の課題について明らかにし，今後の対策について示唆を得る．

　方法：全国の特別支援学校957校の看護師を対象に新型コロナウィルス感染症拡大時における特別支援学校の課題について質問紙調査を実施した．

　結果：回答が得られた282名を分析対象とした．結果，「児童・生徒は自ら予防行動がとれない」，「感染予防対策に必要な物品や設備の不足」，「正しい感染予防対策がとれているか確信が持てない」，「自分が感染源になるのではないかという不安」，「感染予防対策に伴う看護師の業務量の増加」，「教員との感染予防対策についての認識のずれ」，「看護師のワクチン接種の遅れ」，「保護者との感染予防対策についての認識のずれ」等の課題があがった．

　結論：新たな感染拡大が起こる前に外部専門家による感染予防対策の確認と保護者・教職員への啓発，感染予防対策に必要な環境・資材の確保，看護師を含む教職員や家族のワクチン接種を早期に進めることが緊急の課題である．

　Aim: To clarify the issues of special needs schools in the COVID-19 pandemic as perceived by nurses, and to make suggestions for future measures.

　Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among nurses at 957 special needs schools in Japan regarding the issues faced by special needs schools during the pandemic.

　Results: A total of 282 participants were included in the analysis. The following issues were identified: “children and students cannot take preventive actions on their own,” “the lack of supplies and equipment necessary for infection control,” “the lack of confidence that correct infection control measures are being taken,” “anxiety that they may be the source of infection,” “increased workload for nurses due to infection control,” “misunderstanding of infection control with teachers,” “delay in vaccination of nurses,” and “misunderstanding of infection control with parents.”

　Conclusion: It is urgent to confirm infection prevention measures by outside experts, educate parents and faculty members, secure environments and materials necessary for infection control, and vaccinate faculty members, including nurses, and their families as soon as possible before new infections spread.