第2部

わが国の動物看護職の養成

Part 2: Cultivating Veterinary Nursing Professionals in Japan
池本卯典 日本獣医生命科学大学 学長
Shigenori IKEMOTO President, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University[Slide 1] Thank you for having me

the quality of veterinary nurses, 2. securing andhere today. I am Professor Ikemoto ofimproving their status, 3. their contribution to society,

Nippon Veterinary and Life Scienceand 4. their internationalization (to be more equitable

University. Today, I would like towith nurses in other countries).

discuss a strategy for establishingprofessional veterinary nursing as a

[Slide 5] In Japanese medical circles where nurses treat

public qualiﬁcation.

people, there are 280,000 doctors at the top of thehierarchy with 2.8 million medical personnel working in

The Director of the Research Institute for Higher

30 different medical fields. They care for 127 million

Education at Hiroshima University says that, to generate

citizens with medical budgets of 34 trillion yen. [Slide 6]

a new development “we should learn from the history

On the other hand, in veterinary medical circles thereof our predecessors and draw comparisons.” So,are a total of 31,000 veterinary personnel including

following this concept, I would like to make a proposal

veterinarians, pharmacists (who are counted amongfor establishing a law for the veterinary nursing

them because they process the prescriptions issued byprofession with comparative reference to the job roles

veterinarians), artificial insemination professionals,

of professional nurses and dental hygienists and,farriers, and veterinary nurses who care for 300 million

likewise, with comparative reference to the present andanimals and birds of various kinds.

future projections for the veterinary nursing profession.
Veterinary medical budgets are presumed to be about
The basic needs for the veterinary nursing profession

400 billion yen and, in terms of manpower, hardware

are: improvements to the unequal gender-basedand expenses, show an obvious gap compared to thesituation, an active promotion of women's participation

medical care that treats people.

in professions, a smooth development for veterinary
medical care, and an improvement in the services[Slide 7 and 8] The disparity between medical nurse andprovided to pet owners, etc. Due to poor recognition ofveterinary nurse compensation is especially signiﬁcantthe veterinary profession by the general public, there iswith the starting salary for medical nurses (those whoa huge gap in the social status afforded to medicaltreat people) being even higher than that of a first-professionals and veterinary nurses. I consider it

grade national government employee.

imperative to redress that disparity.
[Slide 9] The history of the medical nursing profession is[Slide 2] Florence Nightingale was known for her shortquite old. In 1897, we had the first midwives in Japantemper, but she was never angry with her nursing

and they contributed to delivering births in local areas.

colleagues. She was angry at the doctors andSince then the numbers of health nurses, midwives andadministrators who lacked an understanding of nursing.

nurses have increased according to the social needs. A

I would like there to be another Nightingale to be angry

nursing qualification based on regulations andon behalf of veterinary nursing professionals.

government ordinances was used up until 1947, after
which it was upgraded to the status of official law in[Slide 3 and 4] The needs for a prompt establishment of1948. Then in 2001, the term “kangofu” [which means

the veterinary nursing system relate to: 1. guaranteeing

female nurse] was changed to “kangoshi,” [a non-Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

33gender description] which resulted in remarkablenursing as a whole, relative to veterinary medical

improvements for the social status of nurses.

practice.

[Slide 10] Medical nurses and dental hygienists become[Slide 14] Let me give you an overview of the currentqualiﬁed by passing a national exam and receive theireducation system in Japan. Nursing education started inlicense from the Health Ministry. Any disciplinary actions

1885 at a hospital nurse training institution (two-yearare conducted by the relevant committee sectioncourse) followed in 1887 by a nurse training school(health, midwife, nurse) within the Medical Ethics(one-year course) at Tokyo University. In the present

Council. However, the exams and registrations areday, it is reported that there are now 179 colleges for

conducted by a commissioned company. Vocational

nursing, 707 three-year colleges and vocational

nurses are qualified by exam and receive their licensecolleges, 249 two-year colleges, 68 high schools forfrom a prefectural government. Unfortunately,

practical nursing and 1203 training institutions with ave t e rin ary n urse s ca n on l y ob t a i n n on -of f ic ia l

total of 182, 185 students, (according to Journal ofcertification and there is no plan to establish a more

Health and Welfare Statistics 2009).

oﬃcial license.
[Slide 15] In 1946, a plan for developing and promoting[Slide 11] A medical nurseʼs duties include looking after

a profession to support dental treatment was madepatients and women in postnatal care and supporting

under GHQ instruction and, in 1948 the Dental

medical treatment. Dental hygienists work in theHygienists Act was promulgated. By 1950, the firstprevention of tooth and oral disease, supporting dentalgeneration of dental hygienist graduates hadprocedures and providing dental health guidance undercompleted training school. In 1983, the required

instruction of a doctor or dentist. Veterinary nurses arenumber of years for dental hygienist training was set at

mainly engaged in the care and support of treatments

two years and above, and the total number of students

for sick animals. However, we have no clinical laboratory

reported at 8,622 enrolled in 162 two-year colleges,

technicians and radiology technologists specialized in

vocational colleges and schools.

veterinary practice and therefore need a substitute forthese services. Since treatments administered to farm

[Slide 16] As for the veterinary nursing profession

animals are different to those for pet animals, more(medical support professionals), in 1912, a one-year

appropriate training is also needed. Doctors andfarrier course began at Nippon Veterinary School (theveterinarians are entitled to hold exclusive rights topresent-day Nippon Veterinary and Life Sciencenames and operations while midwives and nurses are

University). In 1983 Yamazaki Nursing College and, inentitled to hold exclusive rights to operations.

1984, Nagoya Animal Health and Technician College
were established, respectively. At present, there are[Slide 12] In addition to the veterinarian support

reportedly 6 veterinary nursing colleges, 1 two-year

function provided by the nurses, this being a newcollege with 80 to 120 students in each school and 344

occupation within the modern era, new occupational

animal nursing and beauty schools (including approved

skills are needed such as medical facility management,

and non-approved schools, (according to Gakkou Soran,

general oﬃce administration, drugs maintenance, and2006).

veterinary medicine ﬁnancial management.
[Slide 17] However, it is diﬃcult to stay competitive and[Slide 13] The mutual relationship between asurvive in the school business so the exact number ofveterinarian and his/her veterinary nurse would be thatschools is unknown. It can be said that this unclear

the veterinarian is focused on veterinary medical

situation is a consequence of the nursing license status

practice as a whole, relative to the scope of veterinary

being so ʻabstractʼ.

nursing, while the nurse is focused on veterinary

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Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

[Slide 18] In the report, the employment status ofcommittee for re-considering the veterinary nursing

medical nurses (treating people) is considered to be

profession was established. In 2003 the committee

around 1 million in work, out of an estimated 2 million

presented a detailed report on the current situation.

license-holders. For dental hygienists the comparative

Within this report, there were a number of respondent

figures are 76,986 (about 36%) out of 222,417 license-

comments on how the profession should be, such as:

holders.

-It needs to involve universities (72.7%)-It needs to unify the curricula (92.8％ )[Slide 19] As for veterinary nurses, the real number of-It needs to unify certiﬁcation systems (83.4％ )certiﬁed nurses, (using ﬁgures of the Japan Small Animal
Veterinary Association, Japanese Society of Animal

In 2006, a veterinary medical profession research

Nursing, Japanese Animal Hospital Association, Japan

committee was set up to review the issues. However, inPet Care Association, All-Japan Animal Specialist

order to establish an oﬃcial certiﬁcation it is imperative

Training Association, and Yamazaki Gakuen, etc.) isto prepare an appropriate administrative infrastructure.

unknown. An estimate of the number in employment is

The setting up of a consultative body within thebetween 18,000 to 20,000 individuals. But the real

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries isnumber is uncertain.

desirable too.

[Slide 20] Now, I would like to talk about the future of[Slide 24] Our ultimate goal is to establish veterinary

veterinary nurses. I consider the following to be thenursing legislation. Some say that this can be achieved

important and urgent issues that need to be addressed:in the private sector. However, because veterinary
medical care is a factor that relates to and involves[Slide 21]

individual property, it is more likely that protection will

1) Securing nurse training institutions and standardizing

be provided by officially sanctioned legislation.

the curricula.

Malpractice issues are also increasing within veterinary

2) Legalization of the license (to the level of a national

medical care and the responsibility of the veterinarians

license)and nurses cannot be neglected. In this sense, it is3) Acquiring social recognition, securing occupational

better for the nursing qualiﬁcation to be an oﬃcial one,ﬁeld, and improving employment conditions.

as with the veterinarian license. In other words, we need4) Developing associations for the nursing profession,

to also demarcate that veterinarians and nurses areevaluating current status, planning improvements andprofessions that work together and share the samean evaluation system for the nursing profession.

responsibility in medical practice.

[Slide 22] The vocational schools that currently function

The strategies for establishing a system for theas veterinary nurse training institutions need toveterinary nurse profession are:continue being ready for the oﬃcial certiﬁcation exams-to establish a veterinary nursing law, suitable forthat will come into practice within the not-so-distantestablishing veterinary nurse regulations in the samefuture. The colleges should remember to adjust their

way as those for health nurses, midwives and nurses

curriculum for three-year course and make plans aimed

were established.

at irradiation, ME, clinical testing, farm animals, service-to interpolate the system within the Veterinary Practiceanimals, animal-assisted therapy. They must not forget

Act, or something equivalent to the case of the Act for

the added value they gain as a result of covering these.

Improvement and Increased Production of Livestock in
relation to artiﬁcial insemination professionals.

[Slide 23] I would also ask a favor of the Japan Veterinary
Medical Association. The need for veterinary nursing

As you know, in order to establish this system as law,professionals was already raised in 1965 and in 2001 athe government will have to deliberate the matter at

Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

35Diet level. Some official qualifications established bySo that a public qualiﬁcation can be established I want

the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ofto see, as quickly as possible, the realization ofJapan can also be used as reference. They are equivalentveterinary nursing professionals with qualifications,to the regulations on nursing profession before 1948. It

ability and principles equivalent to those of nurses

was established by committing veterinary nurse

working in medical practice. Thank you for listening.

legislation to Veterinary Practice Act and they aretreated the same way as in the regulatory related to the[Slide 27] Finally, I should add that it has been over 2

Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and veterinary medicalyears since I publicized this essay and, this March, a bill

supplies.

for the partial revision of the Act on Domestic Animal
Infectious Diseases Control was approved in the Diet

[Slide 25] The Dental Hygienists Act would be a usefulwith an additional resolution 12. This deﬁnes a review ofreference for the framework of a veterinary nursing law,

institutionalizing the qualiﬁcations for non-veterinarians

which covers:(such as veterinary nurses) who are engaged in1) Purpose and deﬁnition of the law.

veterinary medical practice. [Slide 28]2) Qualification (name, license, registration, operation,
name listing, criteria for disqualiﬁcation, etc.)
3) Designation of a registration agency (designatedcorporation, operation approvals, clerical work,
information storage and security, supervision ordinance,authority delegation, etc.)
4) Examinations (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries, exam candidacy qualifications, examinationcommittee, prohibition of injustice, etc.)
5) Obligations (prohibitions, confidentiality,
notiﬁcations, etc.)
6) Commissions (regulating institutions, etc)
7) Penalties[Slide 26] For your reference, I would like to explain theprocess for obtaining a qualiﬁcation within the medical
support profession and the history behind the training.
Training institutions for health nurses, midwives, nurses
and dental hygienists are all certified by either theMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (for schools) or the Ministry of Health, Laborand Welfare (which gives the right for a training facility
to call itself a school). Exam candidacy approval is given
so long as the applicant has fulﬁlled all the relevant anddesignated subjects at a college, two-year school,vocational school, or special institute. The same ideas
can be applied to the veterinary nurse profession. As
long as the schools and institutes are equipped withadequate course materials, there should not be anydisparities.

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