The Great East Japan Earthquake
JNA activities
andPreparedness for Future
Hiromi Sanada, PhD, RN
Vice-President
Japanese Nursing AssociationMay 20th,2013
ICN 25th Quadrennial Congress2

Outline of the presentation
1. Disaster preparedness before the Great
East Japan Earthquake
2. JNA’s activities for 2 years since theEarthquake
3. Preparations for the future3

1. Disaster preparedness before theGreat East Japan Earthquake

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Japan: A land with frequent disasters
Due to geographically, topographically and meteorological conditions,Japan has many natural disasters, such as typhoons, heavy rains
and earthquakes.

Physically felt earthquake in Japan
January –December 2012

3139
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency monthly report of earthquake andvolcano, December 2012.

5

17 January 1995
the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

Source : City of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

6

JNA Relief Network System
in Times of Disasters
Communicating the situationand support request

The
Government

JNAsituation
report/supportrequestLocal
governments

Prefectural
Nursing
Association

Coordination andDispatch of
the Disaster Relief
NursesThe Nursing
Associationin theaffected
prefecture

Health carefacilities etc

DisasterRelief
Nurses72. JNA’s activities for 2 years since
The Great East Japan Earthquake

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The Great East JapanEarthquake
Time and date:

11 March 2011, 14:46(local time)
Scale: Moment Magnitude 9.0

Death toll: 15,880
The missing: 2,694(as of 27 February 2013)

Tokyo
Source: City of Miyako , Iwate Prefecture

Fukushima
DaiichiNuclearPowerPlant
9

The tsunami had impact on all over the world

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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Tsunami research

The tsunami debris crossed the Pacific Ocean
reached North America, 8,800km awayfrom Japan

Source : Oregon.gov Oregon parks and recreation department
http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/PARKS/pages/agatebeach_dock.aspx11Nuclear Disaster

Fukushima

Tokyo12

Disaster of Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Plant

Source: Tokyo Electric Power Company

Source : Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The number of evacuees from the area of evacuation orders
about 109,000
Source: Reconstruction Agency

as of 20 February 201313

JNA’s Activities

March 11,2011

Initial response

Medium-term

May 2013

Long-term

Dispatchdisaster relief
nurse
Fund-raising fordisaster relief
SurveyRefreshment support
Mental health care for nurses

Supportfor therecoveryof nursing
function

Discussion sessions withnurse managers

Support to secure nurses
Technical support
Support for local reconstruction activities

Reconstruction & strengthening home care service
Supporting public health nurses at nuclear evacuation area

Policy recommendation

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JNA’s Activities
Initial Response

Medium-termLong-term

Dispatch Disaster
relief nurse
Fund-raising fordisaster relief
SurveyRefreshment Support
Mental health care for nurses

Supportfor therecoveryofnursing
function

Discussion session withnurse managers
Support to secure nurses
Technical support
Support for local reconstruction activities
Reconstruction & strengthening home care service

Supporting public health nurses at nuclear evacuation area

Policy Recommendation

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Initial Response

Dispatch of Disaster
Relief Nurses
Reducing physical & mental
burden of affected nurses
by taking over their work at
the health facilities.

Prevention activities
against severe illness
and infection outbreakat the evacuation
centers for 24-hour

Maintain ADL andpreventions care ofcomplications of the16elderlyInitial Response

Survey of the condition of the members
andRecovery of nursing function
Survey of the condition of members

Urgency need to reconstruct
health care delivery system
Allocation of donation money
aiming to recover nursing function
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JNA’s Activities
Initial response

Medium-termLong-term

Dispatchdisaster relief
nurse
Fund-raising fordisaster relief
SurveyRefreshment support
Mental health care for nurses
Supportfor therecoveryof nursing
function

Discussion sessions withnurse managers

Support to secure nurse
Technical support
Support for local reconstruction activities
Reconstruction & strengthening home care service

Supporting public health nurses at nuclear evacuation area

Policy Recommendation18

Medium-term

Refreshment support for affected nurses
JNA supported 119 nurses to attend the JNA’s
professional nursing assembly and the social gathering

98% of the participants felt much refreshed• Took a leave from their daily life
• Catharsis: able to talk about the disaster• Solidarity: colleagues are with us

19Medium-term

Securing nurses
The number of evacuees from thearea of evacuation order
about 109,000
As of 20 February 2013

Fukushima

The number of hospital nurses
in the area around the nuclear power plant

Before the disaster(1 March 2011)
1.5-year after thedisaster(1 September 2012)

1,188
Drop byabout 40%738
source: Fukushima Prefecture20Medium-term

Support to secure nurses• Utilize current free job-placement website• JNA public relation newsletter• Matching job seekers with job offers

21Medium-term

Technical supportobjectives• Improve professional practice skills• Develop a feeling of self-efficacy• Prevent turn-overHospital• Support by JNA nurses specialized in
infection controlCommunity• Support by Public health nurses
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JNA’s Activities
Initial ResponseMedium-termLong-term

Dispatchdisaster relief
nurse
Fund-raising fordisaster relief
SurveyRefreshment Support
Mental health care for nurses
Discussion session with nurse
managers
Supportfor therecoveryof nursing
function

Support to secure nurses
Technical support

Support for local reconstruction activities
Reconstruction & strengthening home care service
Supporting public health nurses at nuclear evacuation area
Policy Recommendation

23

Long-term

Support for local reconstruction activities

Support for financial aspect oflocal activities

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Long-term

Reconstruction and strengthening
home care service

information for visiting
nursing stations to be wellestablished in the community

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Long-term

Support for activities of public health nurses
in the nuclear evacuation area
Only the mother and children
evacuate to avoid the effectof radiation

unemployment

alcoholrelated
problems

abuse

PTSD
anxietydisorderobesityhomeboundstatusdepression

Health issues facing population in the affected areas 26

3. Preparations for the future27

Future preparation

Future of the disaster relief activities
1. Program on Disaster Relief Nursing
2. Revision of the dispatch system
3. Increase of the budget28

Future preparation

JNA’s Disaster Preparedness
Considering how we will respond when JNA is struck by a huge disaster

Probability of ground motions equal to or larger than seismic intensity 6 Lower, occurring within 30 years
Source: Earthquake Research Committee

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Probabilistic Seismic hazard map 2012

Thank you!

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