訪問看護師による高齢者の難聴ケアの実態

The Actual Situation of Hearing Loss Care For Older Adults by Visiting Nurses

要旨

　目的：訪問看護師による高齢者の難聴ケアの実態を明らかにする．

　方法：訪問看護師1,361名を対象に，難聴ケアの実態として知識，アセスメント，ケア，多職種連携，困難感，学習ニーズについてWeb調査を実施した．

　結果：難聴ケアの知識は，全項目で60〜90％の訪問看護師がもっていなかった．アセスメントは全項目で50〜100％，ケアは1項目を除くと40〜100％の訪問看護師が実施しておらず，全般的に低かった．多職種連携は全項目で60〜90％の訪問看護師が実施していなかった．困難感は，難聴の程度のアセスメント（約80％），耳垢の除去（約70％）実施時の困難感が高かった．一方，学習ニーズは全項目で90％以上の訪問看護師がさらに知識が必要と回答した．

　結論：訪問看護師による難聴ケアに関する知識やケアの実施率は低かったが，学習ニーズは高かった．今後の訪問看護師に対する難聴ケア教育の必要性が示唆された．

　Purpose: This study aims to clarify the actual situation of hearing loss care for older adults by visiting nurses.

　Method: We conducted an online survey of knowledge, assessment, care, multidisciplinary collaboration, difficulties, and learning needs with 1,361 visiting nurses to understand hearing loss care's actual situation.

　Results: On knowledge of hearing loss care, the percentage of visiting nurses who were uninformed ranged from 60 to 90％ across all items. Furthermore, results for assessment and care were low overall. The percentage of visiting nurses who did not perform assessment and care ranged from 50 to 100％ and 40 to 100％ across all assessment items and all but one care item, respectively. Additionally, the percentage of visiting nurses who did not practice multidisciplinary collaboration ranged from 60 to 90％ across all items. Finally, many visiting nurses experienced difficulties when conducting assessments of hearing loss severity (approximately 80％) and earwax removal (approximately 70％). More than 90％ of visiting nurses felt that "learning needs" related to hearing loss care were necessary.

　Conclusion: While the knowledge and implementation rate of visiting nurses required for hearing loss care were low, learning needs for hearing-impaired care were high. These results suggest the need for hearing loss care education for visiting nurses in the future.