Nursing & Primary Care
Open AccessThe Current Status of COVID-19 Dialysis Nursing in Japan: Includes “Listening and Writing”
Authors: Michiyo OKA, Satsuki TAKAHASHI, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO.
Abstract
COVID-19 has various adverse effects in patients with chronic kidney disease, but these effects have not been well documented in Japan. This paper aims to clarify the current situation, challenges, and psychological support for dialysis patients and dialysis nursing in Japan.
The fatality rate is currently over 10 times higher in dialysis patients than in the whole population in Japan. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, an oxygen saturation ≤93% is considered severe or moderate II and an indication for hospitalization. However, inpatient facilities are often full when there are many infected patients, and each dialysis facility handles the situation.
For anxious dialysis patients, "listening and writing," in which the nurse creates the patient's personal history by listening to the patient's story and writing it in a booklet, is an effective psychological support. Dialysis patients who received "listening and writing" from nurses showed recovery of resilience. The writing session may promote self-awareness among patients exhausted by COVID-19 and encourage them as they try their best to live their lives. Thus, we anticipate that their resilience will be enhanced.
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