Characteristics of Difficulties in Providing Individual Support by Nurses in Comprehensive Support Centers for Families with Children during COVID-19 Pandemic

<p>Objective: This study seeks to explore the characteristics of the difficulties in providing individual support by nurses in Comprehensive Support Centers for Families with Children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.</p><p>Methods: We conducted an anonymous self-administered questionnaire mail survey with 652 Support Center nurses in 11 prefectures. The survey items included personal attributes and 40 items regarding difficulties.</p><p>Results: A total of 83 respondents (valid response rate: 12.7%) were included in the analysis. Regarding the respondents’ attributes, 68.7% were full-time, and 32.5% had more than five years of Center-based experience. For the question about the most common difficulty faced in providing individual support to families, most nurses identified implementing direct support (63.9%), sharing the role of support in cooperation with other organizations (44.6%), and cooperation during pregnancy period (38.6%).</p><p>Discussion: In the case of individual support for center nurses during the pandemic, face-to-face opportunities decreased owing to various restrictions. Therefore, a characteristic such that there was difficulty in providing direct support to the family, building a relationship of trust, and sharing support roles in collaboration with specialists in other institutions may have emerged.</p>