Aspects of Community Nurse Activities in Caring for Patients at Home

Dear Nurse,

Home care is one of the most important parts of the primary health care system and community nursing, provided by the community nurse. The purpose of the survey is to identify the aspects of community nurse activities in caring for patients at home. Your opinion is very important, so please answer the questionnaire questions sincerely.

This questionnaire is anonymous, confidentiality is guaranteed, and information about you will never be disseminated without your permission. The data obtained from the study will only be published in summary form during the final work. Please mark the appropriate answers with an X, and where indicated to express your opinion - write it down.

Thank you for your responses! Thank you in advance!

Questionnaire results are publicly available

1. Are you a community nurse providing home care services? (Please mark the appropriate option)

2. How many years have you been working as a community nurse with patients at home? (Please mark the appropriate option)

3. In your opinion, which diseases and conditions of patients most often require home care? (Please mark the 3 most suitable options)

4. Please indicate how many patients you visit on average per day at home?

5. Please indicate what percentage of your average daily home visits consists of patients with specific care needs:

Low care needs (including post-operative home care) - ....... %

Medium care needs - ....... %

High care needs -....... %

6. In your opinion, what knowledge is necessary for a nurse when caring for patients at home (Please mark one option for each statement)

NecessaryPartially necessaryNot necessary
General medical knowledge
Psychological knowledge
Pedagogical knowledge
Legal knowledge
Ethical knowledge
Religious studies knowledge
Latest nursing knowledge

7. Do your patients wait for the upcoming nurses? (Please mark the appropriate option)

8. In your opinion, is the home environment safe for nurses? (Please mark the appropriate option)

9. In your opinion, what nursing tools are necessary for patients receiving care at home? (Please mark one option for each statement)

NecessaryPartially necessaryNot necessary
Functional bed
Walker/wheelchair
Table
Scales
Feeding tools
Personal hygiene tools and equipment
Disinfection tools
Dressings

10. In your opinion, what technologies are necessary for patients receiving care at home? (Please mark one option for each statement with an “X”)

NecessaryPartially necessaryNot necessary
Electronic markers
Audio devices
Fall warning signs
Central heating
Computer systems
Communication tools
Telecommunication tools

11. In your opinion, what are the most important needs of patients receiving home care services? (Please mark one option for each statement)

ImportantNeither important nor unimportantUnimportant
Adaptation of the home environment
Patient hygiene
Communication
Feeding
Rest
Nursing procedures

12. What nursing services are most commonly provided to patients at home? (Please mark one option for each statement)

OftenRarelyNever
Measurement of arterial blood pressure
Pulse counting
Blood samples for diagnostic tests
Collection of urine/stool samples for diagnostic tests
Collection of sputum, gastric content samples, cultures
Recording of electrocardiograms
Measurement of intraocular pressure
Vaccination
Administration of intravenous injections
Administration of intramuscular injections
Administration of subcutaneous injections
Infusions
Measurement of glycemia
Care of artificial body openings
Care of wounds or pressure sores
Care of drains
Care of postoperative wounds
Removal of sutures
Suction of secretions
Catheterization and care of the bladder
Enteral feeding
Providing first aid in acute conditions
Reviewing and administering medications

13. Do you collaborate with the relatives of the patients you care for? (Please mark the appropriate option)

14. In your opinion, do the relatives of patients easily engage in training? (Please mark the appropriate option)

15. In your opinion, what is necessary for the training of the patient’s relatives? (Please mark one option for each statement)

NecessaryPartially necessaryNot necessary
Teaching to measure arterial blood pressure and evaluate results
Palpating the pulse and evaluating results
Determining the respiratory rate and evaluating results
Using an inhaler
Using a glucometer
Washing/dressing
Feeding
Changing body position
Caring for a wound
Teaching to fill out a diuresis monitoring diary
Teaching to fill out a diary for a diabetic/cardiological/nephrological patient

16. In your opinion, what situations in caring for patients at home can pose challenges for community nurses? (Please mark one option for each statement)

OftenRarelyNever
Unpredictable number of patients to be visited at home on a workday
Unpredictable time needed for the patient when performing manipulations
The likelihood that the number of scheduled patients during the day may increase due to the need to substitute a colleague by “sharing their patients”
Decision-making regarding patient assistance: complications, adverse effects of medications, or otherwise deteriorating health when the doctor is unavailable
Lack of time, rushing
Unreasonable demands from patients' family members
Insults from patients or their family members
Experiencing discrimination due to the nurse's age or lack of trust in the nurse due to short work experience (for young nurses) or ethnicity
Fear of making mistakes while providing nursing services
Threats to your health and safety that required calling the police
Working during the time when there is a right to rest (after working hours, during breaks for meals and rest)
Filling out nursing documents
Collaboration with social services and initiating social services
Transmitting information about domestic violence, injured or harmed individuals, child neglect
Lack of resources at work
Difficulty finding the patient's residence

17. In your opinion, what roles do community nurses play when caring for patients at home?

OftenRarelyNever
Provider of nursing services
Decision-maker regarding the patient
Communicator
Teacher
Community leader
Manager

We sincerely thank you for your time!