Monitoring Function in daily Nursing Care for Older Mentally Ill Patients with Somatic Complications

本研究旨在探讨老年精神病患合并躯体并发症的日常护理中，自我监控的功能。本研究特别针对长期住院精神分裂症病患之护理人员之诊断与监控功能进行探讨。进行了两项研究。第一个是对福岛县12家医院的48个精神科病房的调查。研究对象为1，495名服用主要镇静剂超过20年的住院患者。结果，27.8%的患者有躯体并发症（糖尿病、癣、高血压等）。研究二以访谈法对19位精神科护士进行研究。由护士描述14例肠梗阻和10例癌症。数据采用定性方法进行分析。从访谈资料中归纳出三种透过日常护理工作发现身体问题的模式：护士观察、出现症状、临床检查。研究结果将有助于发展对老年精神病患者躯体并发症的诊断和监测功能。

The purpose of this research was to identify the monitoring function in daily nursing care for older mentally ill patients with somatic complications. Particularly, this research was focused on the diagnostic and monitoring function of the nurses who take the physical care of long-stay patients with schizophrenia. Two researches conducted. The first was a survey for 48 psychiatric wards in 12 hospitals, Fukushima Prefecture. Subjects were 1,495 in-patients who take major tranquilizer more than 20years. As the result, 27.8% of the patients had somatic complications (diabetes, ringworm, hypertension, etc.). The second research was conducted by interviews for 19 psychiatric nurses. Fourteen cases with ileus and 10 cases with cancer were described by the nurses. The data was analyzed by a qualitative method. Three patterns of discovering the physical problems through everyday nursing practice were emerged from the interview data; nurses' observation, appearing the symptoms, clinical examinations. The results will contribute to develop the diagnostic and monitoring function for older mentally ill patients with somatic complications.