Nursing in Japan
In response to disaster relief, the Japanese Red Cross became an integral part of nursing development.
Nursing universities were established in the twentieth century and regulations were passed to develop standards for training and public health.
Care of the sick in Japan was primarily done in the home by untrained family members until the end of the nineteenth century.
Little training was given in how to care for the sick, but students were instructed in hygiene and sanitary conditions for hospitals.
[2] In 1887, the Japanese Red Cross (JRC) was founded[3] and by 1890 had begun teaching and recruiting nurses for training.
[4] Though their nurses were still studying when the Sino Japanese War broke out, the JRC decided to send trainees to help with relief efforts.
[4] Because the JRC was under government control, their hospitals spread to all the major cities and a uniformity of training made the organization a leader in nursing development.
[9] Nursing was not an established part of Japan's health care system until 1899 with the adoption of the Midwives Ordinance.
In 1927, St. Luke's International Hospital became the first college of nursing in the country and based its training program on the one offered at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
[7] By 1933, the organization had around 1500 members from throughout Japan[12] and joined the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
[10] In 1992, the Law for Securing Nursing Personnel created new university programs to address the aging population of Japan, establish a critical scientifically based approach to training rather than a pragmatic one, unify training and licensing requirements and overall improve the image of the field.
Public health nurses and midwives require a minimum of one additional year of specialized study.
[18] The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) regulates the curriculum of the colleges and universities, while the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare's Division of Nursing regulates nursing diploma programs.
[15] The two Ministries jointly establish core curriculum, though individual schools may vary on additional requirements.
[18] Upon completion of studies a national examination administered by the Division of Nursing of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare is required.
They may then perform specific medical interventions based upon those described in procedure manuals prepared by physicians.
[20] There is currently a shortage of nurses in Japan, in part due to the expanding population of elderly.
Other reasons for the deficit in nursing applicants are poor working conditions, an increase in assigned workloads, the low social status of nurses, and the cultural idea that married women quit their jobs for family responsibilities.
