[Mental stress of visiting-nursing staff in cases of severely handicapped children with respirators].

We evaluated the actual condition of work and mental stress on visiting nursing staff, for the purposes of establishing a suitable visiting-nursing system for severely handicapped children. The subjects were 13 visiting nurses involved in the care of two children with Werdnig-Hoffman disease. The visiting-nursing staff was examined by questionnaire. Of these staff, 77% felt a burden from their work. They felt a burden due to the special needs of pediatric patients and the relationship between the staff and parents. The relationship between visiting-nursing staff and other medical staff, including doctors, was another main factor in this burden. The younger nurses felt this burden more strongly.