Nurses working at their patients’ homes: Mastering the space and time of a professional exercise (a French-Japanese survey in four regions: Picardy, PACA, Nagano, and Fukushima)

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Introduction: this article presents the main results of a survey comparing the work and opinions of nurses working at their patients’ homes in France and in Japan. Context: previous studies on hospital nurses have shown some differences mainly linked to the way the tension between cure and care is managed in the two countries. Objective: the hypothesis is that this tension involves nurses beyond their professional practices. At stake are the characteristics of the two professional spaces and the mobility they make possible. Method: an original questionnaire was given to 200 nurses working at their patients’ homes. Four regions were chosen (two in France, two in Japan) in order to take into account environmental differences. Results: it appears that representations as well as relations to the work itself are heavily shaped by each nurses’ past experience, the hospital setting being the main point of reference. However, the way this experience is included in the professional trajectory depends mainly on private choices. Discussion: based on a qualitative study, these results need to be confirmed using a larger survey.