EDITORIALReducing the workload of monitoring the health conditions of contact persons with each new COVID-19 patient is an urgent issue.With rapidly increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, the number of contact persons are also increasing. Health monitoring apps and mail survey systems save time, allowing PHNs to focus on data analysis and assessment to identify new community health needs. | CON CLUS IONTo prevent the dysfunction of public health centres, Japanese PHNs have embraced the interim guidelines of the WHO (2020b).Managing limited human resources and task shifting are crucial strategies to develop sustainable healthcare systems. Maintaining essential functions of public health centres will contribute in saving the lives of community-dwelling people.

Child abuse and neglect prevention by public health nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan 1 | INTRODUC TI ON Child abuse and neglect are high-priority public health issues around the world, but it is known that early care for families with parenting anxiety and stress is essential for preventing abuse (World Health Organization and International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2006). In Japan, the country has created a national campaign plan called The Second Term of Healthy Parents and Children 21 (2015-2024) to address two prioritized agenda: (a) supporting parents with difficulties raising their children; and (b) preventing child abuse from pregnancy (Osawa, Akiyama, Yamagata, & Ojima, 2019). Public health nurses (PHNs) play a crucial role in pre

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the experiences of public health nurses (PHNs) in Japan during the first wave of COVID-19. Design and sample:Twelve PHNs in charge of responding to COVID-19 in X-city within Tokyo metropolis in Japan participated in this case study.Measurements: Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews on PHNs' experiences from January 2020 to May 2020.Results: Initially, only infectious disease control division (IDCD) PHNs experienced confusion due to the rapidly increased workload. Managerial PHNs attempted to explain the need for a dispatch system for the IDCD, using available statistical data from other managerial members, within one's maximum understanding of this unprecedented situation. Without having a clear and forward-looking understanding regarding the purpose and reasons for dispatching, some dispatched PHNs had concerns and frustrations; they did not view the COVID-19 pandemic as a disaster. In the never-ending, exhausting work, PHNs managed to modify the provision of conventional services to residents.Conclusions: Despite experiencing confusion, PHNs worked to continuously provide community services, re-considering the meaning of public health nursing. Prioritizing the work and shifting tasks to other professionals at an early stage of the pandemic may prevent organizational dysfunction.

This cross-sectional study aimed to (1) describe the unclassified contents of telephone consultation services provided by a public health center during the first wave of COVID-19 in Japan and (2) examine whether the contents required assistance from public health nurses (PHNs). We analyzed a total of 207 calls in which the purpose of the call was unclassified into pre-set categories. PHNs transcribed the exact text of the consultation conversations recorded from 25 March to 20 April 2020 in City A. Approximately half of the calls were from residents. Seven categories were extracted through a qualitative content analysis. The most common topic was infection control measures, where the presence of COVID-19 infection was assumed (n = 62); the second most common was extreme anxiety and fear of infection (n = 50). Questions about the COVID-19 response system (n = 30), discrimination and misunderstandings about COVID-19 (n = 24), and response measures for COVID-19 outbreaks within organizations (n = 18) were also included. The unclassified consultations included various topics, several of which required the expertise of a PHN. Each local government should consider sharing and task-shifting telephone consultation services among PHNs and other staff to reduce their burden and allow them to concentrate on conducting infection control more effectively.

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