A Study on the Development of Guidelines on Visiting Nursing Services for the Management of Hypertension Patients in the Rural Areas of Korea

This study aims to develop some guidelines on visiting nursing services for the management of hypertension patients at home in the rural areas of Korea. Firstly, in-depth interviews were given to the eight staff in charge of visiting nursing services in the rural health centers from June 1, 1999 to August 30, 1999. And then, their five patients with hypertension were under participatory observation. At the same time, literature review was conducted. Through those methods, some preliminary items were derived and the initial guidelines were drawn up. They were referred to ten experts, so that their validity was tested with Delphi Technique. Through the verification of their validity, they were complemented into the final ones. The total number of the items in the final guidelines was 22. By areas, they could be categorized as follows; eight items as skilled nursing care, five as general nursing care, three as guidance for diet, two as guidance for exercise, one as hospice care, and one as connection with social welfare services. By methods of activities, 13 items were classified as assessment, two as intervention, two as demonstration, and 17 as explanation. On the basis of the guidelines, nursing services are recommended to be divided and performed; general nursing activities by nurse aids and skilled nursing activities by public health nurses.