T O M O DA C H I J & J Dis as t er N u r s in g T r a i n i n g P ro g ra m
C om m e m or a tive p ub lic a tion

*Please refrain from using information or images included in this publication or posting on social networking sites or other online services without the permission of the
U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) or Johnson & Johnson.

Stu d y
Dis a ste r N ur si ng
Japan is a nation frequently affected by earthquakes and otherdisasters. Many precious lives were lost in 2011 after the Tohoku
earthquake, the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, many lives
were also saved by the doctors and nurses from around the country
who rushed to the area to lend a hand.
The TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program
was launched in 2015, and in the following three years, a total of
28 students have joined the program to study disaster nursing.
The program provides them with a deeper understanding ofwhat it means to provide nursing care in a time of disaster, and theknowledge they need to do so. It is our greatest wish that thesestudents will lead the field of disaster nursing in Japan into the future.

Table of Contents
03

What is the TOMODACHI Initiative?

05

History of the Program

07

Program Participants

31

Special Thanks

13

Program Mentors

34

Sponsorship and Support

15

Program Flow
17
19
23

01

25

Future of the Program
27
29

Future Direction
Post-program Life for Participants

Pre-Trip Seminars
U.S. Study Tour
Post-Trip Seminars

02

W hat’s “ TO

MODACHI”?

The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S.
Embassy in Tokyo, with support from the Government of Japan. Born out of support for Japan’s recovery
from the Great East Japan Earthquake, TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese andAmerican leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs. The
initiative seeks to foster a “TOMODACHI Generation” of young American and Japanese leaders who arecommitted to and engaged in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, appreciate each other’s countries andcultures, and possess the global skills and mindsets needed to contribute to and thrive in a morecooperative, prosperous, and secure world.

Public-private partnershipwith the US Embassy in Tokyo

TOMODACHI Initiative
Organization & Funding

TOMODACHI Generations

TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program$

Many medical facilities were adversely affected during Great East Japan¥

Earthquake in 2011, and the residents of the region were exposed to someserious health concerns. In addition, even before the disaster, it had been pointed

Funding fromTOMODACHI donors

Supportfrom the Government of Japan

Implementing
Partners

Supported by a staff who has experiences and achievements in the field
PROFILEAya Hashimoto is a Program Manager for the TOMODACHI Initiative. She manages and executes
TOMODACHI Initiative programs geared toward developing high school, college students andyoung professionals. Prior to joining TOMODACHI Initiative, Ms. Hashimoto served with the U.S.

Aya Hashimoto
Program Manager,
TOMODACHI Initiative

Forces Japan. During her time with U.S. Forces Japan, she managed and was responsible forseveral projects and initiatives including a mentoring program that was recognized as a bestpractice. She participated in Operation Tomodachi in 2011 as a Logistics Coordinator. Ms.
Hashimoto has 20 years of business experience in the U.S. and Japan’s private and government
sectors holding positions directly reporting to senior management, including company presidents
and military high-ranking officials. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities from Keisen
Woman’s College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
［TOMODACHI Initiative Website］www.tomodachi.org

03

out that the coastal areas of Tohoku were suffering from insufficient medicalcare coverage, and the disaster only exacerbated the situation. These conditions
led to the realization that the cultivation and training of nursing staff who haveclose relationships with the people of a community can contribute greatly tofuture regional reconstruction and revitalization. In collaboration with Tohoku
University Professor Junichi Sugawara, a healthcare professional who is engaged
in community medicine, an educational program was created to develop theabilities and leadership skills of nursing students. The TOMODACHI J&J DisasterNursing Training Program was launched in 2015. The program consists of threemain components – Pre-Trip Seminar, a Study Tour in the United States, andPost-Trip Seminar. The program aims to provide nursing students with the
deeper, specialized knowledge in the field of disaster recovery, and to nurture thenext-generation of nursing leaders. During the final presentations given during
the Post-Trip Seminar, presenters share what they learn during the program with

Program Venue[Pre-Trip Seminars]

Miyagi Prefecture (Sendai,Minamisanriku, Ishinomaki), Tokyo[U.S. Study Tour]New York, New Jersey, Washington
D.C.
[Post-Trip Seminars]
Sendai

Organizers

U.S.-Japan Council (Japan),
TOMODACHI Initiative
Sponsorship and Support

Johnson & Johnson Family of
Companies in Japan
Implementation and Administration
Organization

Laurasian Institution
Children’s National Health Systemaudiences including nursing students, disaster medicine specialists, and otherswith an interest in disaster nursing.

04

H I STORYThe TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program was held each year from 2015 to 2017, with

History of the Program

many nursing students taking part. The program has evolved bit by bit over the course of these three

2015

From 10 August
2015…

Program launched.
Applications acceptedfrom within Miyagi
Prefecture only.
Information session
held in Sendai.

into how the program has become what it is today.

2016

1st Year

From February
2015…

years in an attempt to make the training provided even more fulfilling. This section provides a glimpse

From March
2016…

Learning the current state of
U.S. disaster medicine
through lectures and tours.
Visits to the JapaneseAmerican Association of New
York and the embassy.

2017

2nd Year

From 6 August
2016…

Applicant pool expanded toindividuals from Miyagi, Iwate
and Fukushima prefectures.
Applicant screening sessions
held in Koriyama, Morioka,
and Sendai.

From February
2017…

Visits to Toms River andother areas of the Jersey
Shore affected by the
Hurricane Sandy disaster
added to schedule for
future study tours.

Beginacceptingapplications

Pre-TripSeminars

U.S.
Study Tour

From 10 June
2015…

Disaster medicine specialists
invited to Tokyo to provide
program participants with adeeper understanding of the field.
In Sendai, fieldwork conducted in
the disaster area around
Ishinomaki.

U.S.
Study Tour

Hands-on practical learning
expanded across the board
with mass disaster triage
drills and hospital-based
evacuation shelter
management games.

Pre-TripSeminars

U.S.
Study Tour

Post-Trip
Seminars

Post-Trip
Seminars

Final
Presentation

From September
2015…

Final presentations given
in Sendai, Tokyo, andKochi. Workshops andpanel discussions held in
addition to student
presentations.

ME S S A G E

Megumi Komatsu, RN, MSN
Mentor & Advisor
Assistant Professor
Division of Fundamental Nursing,School of Nursing
Iwate Medical University

This program has been offered for the last three years(with each year’s students participating for approximately
eight months) in a three-stage structure. First is the05

Pre-TripSeminars

From 5 August
2017…

Applications opened evenfurther to all nursing students
living in areas affected by the2011 earthquake at the timeof the disaster. Applicant
screening session held in
Sendai.

Beginacceptingapplications
Beginacceptingapplications

3rd Year

25&26 June/
9&10 July 2016

Held in Tokyo and Sendai.
Sendai fieldwork includes
tours of businesses thathave grown since thedisaster, and exchangewith the mayor of the townof Minamisanriku.

Pre-Trip Seminars that the participants engage to prepare
for their visit to the U.S.A.; second is the two-week U.S.
Study Tour; and third is the Post-Trip Seminars (including
a final presentation), which serves to wrap up what theparticipants learned in the first two stages of the
program. The first year was operated through trial anderror as there were no precedent-setting overseas
training programs specializing in disaster nursing at thetime. As the only mentor, I did have a few concerns, but
I also remember that my expectations for this new
program were much bigger – I knew it could become

From September
2016…

Post-trip seminars held twice,and participants begin
planning and implementing
activities on their own.
Activities held in various
locations including schools
and local libraries.

24&25 June/
8&9 July 2017

Held in Sendai, HUG drills introduced. (HUG
acronym derived from the name of the drills
in Japanese: “hinanjō unei gēmu” or“evacuation shelter management game”.)
Fieldwork included visits to Minamisanriku
and the remains of Okawa Elementary
School in Ishinomaki.

something great. In the second year, we managed torefine the hectic training schedule, streamline thedestinations visited and training provided, and provide
more time for reflection. In doing so, participants wereable to gain a deeper understanding of the program content
and the experiences they had, and during the Post-Trip
Seminar, participants designed and implemented activities
as part of a plan to apply what they learned in the
program in their own communities. In the third year of the
program, lectures by mentors with experience in DMAT
and disaster recovery were added to the Pre-Trip Seminars,

From September
2017…

Group activities
essentially not allowed
this year, all participants
individually planned andimplemented a variety ofactivities.

and HUG implementation and other practical training
elements were prepared. The U.S. training regimen isalso evolving, allowing for the learning of both theory
and practice with the addition of practical work. Everyone
has been able to contribute to making the program
better, with content reviewed by stakeholders in the U.S.
and Japan, and student feedback being used to refine
the program. I believe that this program will satisfy therequirements of any active nurses looking to learn more
about disaster nursing. I greatly appreciate having had
the opportunity to participate in this valuable experience.

06

MEMBERThe TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program is open to nursing students studying in the

Program Participants

Tohoku region. This section provides profiles of the participants – 8 from Year 1, 12 from Year 2, and 8

Year 1
Ayana Iwabuchi
2nd year nursing student
Ishinomaki Red Cross
Nursing School
Hometown: Ishinomaki,
Miyagi Prefecturefrom Year 3 – along with their impressions of the program.
*School affiliations and year of study reflect status when participating in the program.

Participating in this program helped me get a clearer idea of my goals and myMari Miura

plan for the future, and I learned who I want to be and what I want to do. I

3rd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing
and Midwifery
Hometown: Sendai,
Miyagi Prefecturelearned more about disaster nursing and mental health care than I learn in myclasses, and because I learned it in a practical way, I’m hoping to be able toapply to my future studies, practical training, and further studies. I feel like I’ve
taken another step towards my own future, so I see this experience as an asset
as I continue to reach for my goal of becoming a nurse.

Nao Onodera
2nd year nursing student
Kesennuma City Hospital
Nursing School
Hometown: Kesennuma,
Miyagi Prefecture

I learned that it is important to try and bring my ideas to life, and not to think

Mikiko Satothat I am just a student and can’t do anything. In the future, I want to remainclose to the people I met through this program and actively participate in new

4th year nursing student
Miyagi University Schoolof Nursing
Hometown: Sendai,
Miyagi Prefecture

challenges my friends want to take up. And when I myself have something new
to start, I hope to make a good appeal and gather around myself lots of people
who will work together. I also want to be the kind of nurse that can take theinitiative to go to the people who really need nursing care and offer it myself.

First , I’d like to teach people what I have learned in an easy-to-understandway, and hopefully, bit-by-bit, help change the thinking that disasters are
something that other people need to worry about. I learned more about how
necessary it is to be prepared, and that’s something I’d particularly like toemphasize to people. I would like to be able to do my utmost to help save lives
in the event of a disaster, regardless of the scale, and be able to offer sustained
support in terms of assessing psychological and social needs.

It was a new realization for me that I could share what I have learned with thepeople around me, and I was able to learn more and find new goals for myself. I’dlike to use what I learned here when I work as a public health nurse, visiting
disaster areas and public disaster housing, interacting with residents and helping
them deal with emotional needs, and in planning disaster drills and otheractivities. I want to take the things I learned and apply them in real situations incooperation with the other participants, fellow nurses, and other professionals.

Looking back on what I learned during the training program, I think that I

Ikumi Hoshi
2nd year nursing student
Sendai Tokushu
Nursing College
Hometown: Sendai,
Miyagi Prefecture

I really learned a lot. I keep reflecting on the experience, and I will keep doing

Marina Sugawara

so until the day I become a nurse myself. After I become a nurse and look back3rd year nursing student
Sendai Seiyo Gakuin College
Hometown: Sendai,
Miyagi Prefectureon this program, I think I’ll get an even better appreciation for the amazing
facilities we visited and the amazing things I learned. I want to harness mynursing skills and the things I learned in this program to help save many lives

would like to use it all in the communities I work in in the future. Through theprogram as a whole, I met many people in the U.S. and in Japan, and webecame close. I wrote about the idea of “interpersonal thinking” in my
motivation letter with my application to the program, and I think taking part init helped me come to a new understanding of that idea as more of a concept of
people connecting with each other. I will continue to treasure the relationships

in times of disaster.

I’ve built so far and the relationships I will make in the future.

I had been interested in disaster nursing for a long time, but I didn’t really have a

Soyoka Fujisawa
4th year nursing student
Miyagi University Schoolof Nursing
Hometown: Sendai,
Miyagi Prefecture

Natsumi Miyakawa
2nd year nursing student
Ishinomaki Red Cross
Nursing School
Hometown: Ishinomaki,
Miyagi Prefecture

clear idea of how I could learn more about it. However, this program helped bringmy future path into sight. I think the potential of nursing to go to better places isunlimited, and I truly believed that I wanted to be one of the people who would
help tap that potential. I don’t think many nursing students get to take part inexperiences like this one, but I hope to contribute to the vitalization of the nursing
world through harnessing the experiences I share with various other people.

This program has given me various ideas for the future. When I become fully
qualified as a nurse, I hope to work around the world, and use my nursing skills
to try to reduce the number of people who are suffering to the best of myability. There’s no way I could completely express my gratitude to all of thepeople who provided me with this incredible opportunity, so I hope to takethat feeling of gratitude and return it to the communities I will work in. I also
hope that I will be able to offer opportunities to others as well.

07

Year 2
Miku Aihara
3rd year nursing student
School of Nursing,
Fukushima Medical University
Hometown: Fukushima City,
Fukushima Prefecture

Miki Akeshita
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Miyako,
Iwate Prefecture

Before I could only think about working as a nurse overseas, but this program
sort of stopped me in my tracks, in a good way. It made me question whether I
should really be this ignorant about my own hometown, and that maybe Ishould be trying to do more for the community. However, I was also painfully
aware that I still had a lot of growing to do. I think it is important for me to takethe initiative on my own, and work in medical care in Fukushima.

This program helped me distill my vague ideas into a real vision for the future, andat the same time, I was able to clarify the issues that I face myself. I also realized that
communicating clearly with others is a necessary skill in teaching others about
issues in disaster countermeasures and ways to prepare for disasters. I also felt thatthe participants in the program were learning from each other as we trained. My
future goals are to continue to face my own challenges as I improve my skills, andto take action to implement disaster countermeasures in the field of home care.

08

Program Participants

Rina Ishikawa
3rd year nursing student
Department of Nursing,
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Tohoku Fukushi University
Hometown: Shiogama,
Miyagi Prefecture

Kurumi Oikawa
3rd year nursing student
Department of Nursing,Tohoku University Schoolof Health Sciences
Hometown: Ofunato,
Iwate Prefecture

I joined the program and was stimulated by all the people I met, who provided
us with support. That helped me conﬁrm my desire to become a nurse capableof providing disaster support. The program is over, but I feel like I’m justgetting started. I’ll use what I’ve learned to take a leadership role in helping mycommunity and working as a nurse. I will never forget how thankful I am for thischance, and will use that to become the best nurse I can be.

I think that this program changed my attitude towards learning. Before I’dalways taken a passive stance to learning, but I’d like to learn taking a moreproactive path in the future. I also learned that in order to respond to disasters,
you have to be thoroughly familiar with the local area. I want to start bylearning more about my own community. Right now I am able to think about
what I can do in the future, and I will continue to try my best.

This training let me look back at my former self and think about what I want to

Chiharu Sasaki
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Iwaki,
Fukushima Prefecture

Haruki Sawada
2nd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing
and Midwifery,Hometown: Toda District,
Miyagi Prefecture

Aoi Suto
3rd year nursing student
Department of Nursing,Sendai Seiyo Gakuin College
Hometown: Motoyoshi District,
Miyagi Prefecture

be in the future. I think that for the future of Tohoku, we have to come up withand put into practice whatever we can for children and other people who have
had the same experiences as me. I want to help protect the physical and mental
health of people involved, be able to act on my own initiative, and become aschool nurse. Also, I want to stay in touch with all the people I met and helped

4th year nursing student
Department of Nursing,Tohoku University Schoolof Health Sciences
Hometown: Minamisoma,
Fukushima Prefecture

Nao Chiba
4th year nursing student
Miyagi University Schoolof Nursing
Hometown: Ishinomaki,
Miyagi PrefectureThis training program helped me come to the realization that when I become anurse, I want to be able to come up with disaster countermeasures for Tohoku.
From that, I started thinking about the things I personally can do right now. I want
to work hard using my own natural perseverance to pass on what I have learned
to the people of the community. I want to express my gratitude for having had thechance to meet the other 11 people on the program, who were both fellow
participants, but also friends who worked together to help each other grow.

I learned that I don’t always have to do everything perfectly, but that successcomes from starting from zero and building from there, bit by bit. That mademe want to challenge myself to try many things. In the future, I want to work in
a DMAT and register as a JICA Japan Disaster Relief Team member. I want towork as a nurse both in Japan and overseas, ﬂying to wherever disasters occur.
I can share my experiences and feelings and help people alleviate theDuring the ﬁnal presentation, I was told that even after the training program
was ﬁnished, we were just getting started, and that it is important for us tomake use of the things we learned in our work in the future. That left a great
impression on me. We learned about the differences and similarities in theﬁelds of medicine in the U.S. and Japan, and that nursing work includes many
activities outside of hospitals as well. I want to help lead and inspire the next
generation of health-care professionals.

During our training, I was shocked to learn that the sadness caused by 9/11 hascontinued for over a decade, and that made me profoundly understand that thesadness from the Tohoku earthquake would continue as well. However, that also
helped me reafﬁrm the importance of future mental health care. I will start mycareer as a nurse next year, and I think I’ll learn more about my own immaturity
then. But my goal is to take a broader perspective, and always remember thatthe work of nurses isn’t just done in hospitals, but also in the community itself.

Hitomi Baba
2nd year nursing student
School of Nursing, Fukushima
Hospital Nursing School
Hometown: Koriyama,
Fukushima Prefecture

I really didn’t know much about the ﬁeld of disaster nursing, but I think I was able
to get through it thanks to all the other people who participated in the programand helped each other. I also received the help of many people through theprogram, and feel that every encounter I had was a valuable one. Those people
will be important to me forever, and after I become a nurse, it would be great if
we could have a mutually-beneﬁcial inﬂuence on each other. I will never forget
what I learned here, and will continue to work hard into the future.

me during the program.

emotional issues that lead to stress.

09

Yuka Takae

Yuka Midorikawa
2nd year nursing student
Nursing Department,
Nursing School,
Shirakawa Kosei General Hospital
Hometown: Ishikawa District,
Fukushima Prefecture

Kaho Yokoyama
2nd year nursing student
Department of Nursing,Tohoku University Schoolof Health Sciences
Hometown: Natori,
Miyagi Prefecture

We went to various places and I really feel that we learned a lot. It was especiallymemorable for me to learn the different ways of coping with the different needsof people and the different ways of communicating in a multicultural country
like the U.S. My dream for the future is to be a nurse with an international
education, and to do that, I decided that I will continue to work hard, staying
close with the people I built relationships with during the program, and always
keeping in mind the knowledge I gained and the results I achieved.

Looking back, it felt like it was over before I knew it. It was a wonderfulexperience, and I will never forget any of it as long as I live. Also, through thisprogram, I had the chance to meet people who I wouldn’t have the opportunity
to meet through university, so I’m very grateful for that. I want to work hard toshare what I learn with others, learn how to provide disaster relief as a nurse,
and on a local and national level, gain a deep understanding of patient
backgrounds and provide medical care tailored to the needs of each individual.

10Program ParticipantsYear 3

I learned about the importance of collaboration and cooperation, and I want to

Misa Abe
2nd year nursing student
Ishinomaki Red Cross
Nursing School
Hometown: Minamisoma,
Fukushima Prefecture

help build an environment that will bring many people together to learn fromeach other. I learned to look at things from various perspectives, as things thateveryone can do together, which leads to big success, the gaining of
knowledge, and a broader mind. My future goals are to continue doing what
I do, and to work as an alumnus of the TOMODACHI program, to expand my

Naho Shigihara

appreciation for this chance as I continue forward every day.

2nd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing
and Midwifery,Hometown: Shibata,Miyagi Prefecture

I feel like I grew as a person, and also got a better idea of what kind of nurse I want
to be in the future. My dream is to help people live and stay healthy in times ofdisaster. I’m now sure that I want to be a public health nurse, and be able to lookat the many different ways people live, and come up with the most appropriate
way of providing each person with the support they need. The eight people who
participated in the program will all be taking different paths in the future, but if we

Kaho Kobayashi
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Inawashiro,
Fukushima Prefecture

Minami Shida
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Kamaishi,
Iwate Prefecture

meet again, I want to be able to tell them all about what I’m working hard to do.

It was the first time I’d faced my own earthquake experience. I realized that I was
unconsciously keeping my real feelings bottled up, and I learned more about
myself, I found it incredibly valuable being able to feel safe as I shared my emotions
with others, having a place where I could just cry, and learned how important it isfor people to share their feelings. I’ll start working as a nurse from next year, and I
hope I’ll be able to read and accept how my patients are feeling. I’m also going to
try hard to be able to understand how the people close to me feel as well.

as well. It has marked a big turning point in my life, and helped me get a better

understanding of my goals and direction, but it also showed me that it is important
2nd year nursing student
College of Nursing,to think about how I should act in accordance with those goals and that direction. I
St. Luke's International University
gained the ability to put things into practice, and to act on my own initiative, and I
Hometown: Minamisoma,
Fukushima Prefecture
will thoroughly use those skills to achieve my goals. I will never forget myown network and increase my opportunities to work in different places.

Kaoru Omiya

I learned a lot in this program, not only about disaster nursing but about other fields

Tomoka Yamaguchi
2nd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing
and Midwifery
Hometown: Osaki,
Miyagi Prefecture

The training program was a real trial for me, but what I gained from it was muchbigger than anything difficult I had to deal with. I learned how to give presentations,learned the importance of preparation, and learned some of the things I will need toknow after I graduate and get a job. The training program really taught a lot ofthings I didn’t know. I will work as a nurse in the future, and I want to make the mostof what I learned and pass it on to others.

The entire program was very densely-packed, and it was a lot of hard work, but I
found it a rewarding experience to learn and grow, and I’m really happy to havemade so many wonderful friends. One of the mentors told me that it is up to me toeither harness this experience or let it go to waste. I hope that I’ll be able to lend a
hand during the next disaster. I’ll use what I’ve learned, keep the people I’ve
connected to close, and with a broader perspective of the world, I’ll keep moving
forward and become the type of nurse I aim to be.

I was supported by the many people I connected with, was able to see the parts of me

Tomoyuki Sato
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Rikuzentakata,
Iwate Prefecturethat still need work, thought about what it means to be a leader, and was able to truly
think about the things I’d always avoided facing. I’ll finally start working as a nurse next
spring. This experience will sustain me as I work hard in clinical medicine in order toachieve my goal of becoming a DMAT nurse, and to gain the qualifications I need toas a specialist in the field of disaster nursing. I also hope I can serve as an example tothe students who will participate in Year 4 of the program and beyond.

B LOG

Check out the students reports on the blog!
The participant blog was updated as the program of Year 1, Year 2, orYear 3 was underway. Each post includes information about the training
program, and photos taken on site by the participants themselves. Read

Mika Sato
4th year nursing student
Miyagi University Schoolof Nursing
Hometown: Tome,
Miyagi Prefecture

Naturally I learned about disaster nursing, but many people also encouraged me
to think about what kind of person I want to be. When you start working as anurse, it’s a big, heavy responsibility to stand in front of patients in your role as a
medical professional. Next, it will be my turn to return something to society. I will
never forget what I learned here, and will continue forward in my career on my
own two feet. I will never forget the moment I wanted to become a nurse as I

about what they learned and felt in their own words.
AccessVisit the URL below or scan the QR code on the right.
TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Program

ht t p s : / / t j d n t 2 0 1 5 .w o rd p re s s . c o m/push on into the future.

11

12

MENTOR

Disaster nursing professionals provide their support to the students on the program. These nurses

Program Mentors

actively provided support after the Great East Japan Earthquake as well, helping a great many victims.
The mentors provided guidance based on their own experiences to make the training program truly
productive.

01

Mentor and Advisor / Years 1-3

02

Mentor / Year 2

03

Mentor / Year 3

04

Megumi Komatsu,

Chieri Yamada

Miki Kosaka

Chikako Sugawara

Mentor & Advisor
Assistant Professor
Division of Fundamental Nursing,
School of Nursing
Iwate Medical University

Professor, Disaster &Radiation Exposure Medicine
International Public Health Nursing
for Radiation Exposure course,
Graduate School of Medicine,
Fukushima Medical University

Research AssistantDivision of Fundamental Nursing,
School of Nursing
Iwate Medical University

Cooperative Doctoral Course
in Disaster Nursing
Graduate School of
Health Care Sciences
Tokyo Medical and Dental University

As the final year of the original program, I felt that we

Being able to join the program as a mentor in 2016 was a

I participated in the program as a mentor in 2017, andI first joined the program as a mentor in 2017. I am areally had to complete something. It was my third year

really good experience for me. I owe much to the otherI was very surprised and moved by how much each andgraduate student in disaster nursing, and so I learn

as a mentor, and as advisor, I was able to get a bettertwo mentors I worked alongside, and I think I sort ofevery student grew. I feel that the reason they wereabout various disaster phenomena every day, but it was

overall grasp on the program and communication with

served as a cheering section for the students that took

able to grow so much is because of their own passion

my first time to see firsthand what it is like in the U.S. In

the program staff became smoother too, which raisedpart that year. I didn’t do it intentionally, but because I was

and hard work, and also because of the support they

a way, I think might have been more excited to takeour expectations for the students too. It provided me

usually thinking that the students were already aware of areceived from those connected to the program staff

part than any of the students in the program. The

with the opportunity to think about the mentoring andlot. By encouraging them to put that into words, theyand the rich content of the program itself. The program

program itself was amazing and met all my expectations.

guidance I have provided up until now. I was able towould become more conscious of what they alreadyallows students to actively experience and participate

The content included fundamental lectures and practicalthink about how to best guide the students, throughknew, and would gain the skills they needed to explainin their learning through a study tour in the U.S., tours

exercises, and many people were involved with

how I taught and through interacting with the students

what they mean to others. Each of the students who tookof disaster areas, workshops on managing evacuation

everything from daily diet to providing emotional

in a way tailored to the personality of each person. I

part in the program had their own way of learning, level ofshelters, group discussions and more. Student-centeredsupport in order to ensure that the students would

realized that I couldn’t just rely on what I’d done before,

sensitivity and way of thinking, and showed a range oflearning can be difficult because it must be tailored tocontinue to increase their understanding. There are stilland I became more self-aware as an educator. All of thediversity that needed no standards of comparative

the individuality and level of proficiency of eachsome things that I think I could have improved upon as

students tackled difficult problems and worked very

superiority or inferiority. The students gradually absorbed

student, but I think that the multiple-mentor system ina mentor, but I was inspired every day by the passion

hard, but I think that the experience will have given

more and more of what the people from Johnson &place helped support it. The experience served as athat everyone brought to the program. I treasurethem a better understanding of the rules and etiquette

Johnson and other institutions provided them, and as thefoundation and launch point for learning, and help me

having been able to witness how much the students

they need to know as working adults in a specialized

program progressed, they became better able to put theirgain a deeper, more comprehensive understanding,

improved daily as they strived to meet expectations. I

profession, and I sincerely hope they will all becomethoughts into word and communicate. All of the students

but it was also difficult because it took a lot of time andam eternally grateful to everyone for giving me thetrustworthy individuals. They need to have the courageseem to have felt that they gained much from theeffort in communication and coordination, checking

opportunities to have such a great many precious

to face themselves, to clearly understand their own

program. They are all very happy about what they learned,

student understanding, teaching about etiquette andopportunities.

strengths and weaknesses, and be conscious of what

and are ready to take their next steps. It will help themother things. The people involved in the program

they are truly thinking. Only by doing so will they be

drive themselves forward, whatever stage of their career

provided the backup needed to ensure that it

able to understand what others are thinking. I will keep

they find themselves in. I expect that they will all maintainprogressed smoothly. I expect that the students who

my eye on them and watch them continue to grow.

broader perspectives as nurses as they become active

took part will playing leading roles in the future of themembers of society.

still-evolving field of disaster nursing.

RN, MSN

13

Mentor / Year 3

P RO F I L E

P ROFILE

P RO F IL E

P RO F IL E

Working in clinical nursing for 15 years before moving to the
US in 1999. Trained at Infection Control at St. Luke’sRoosevelt Hospital, began working at an NGO, then became
qualified as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state of New YorkState. Returned to Japan in 2007, entered Tohoku University
School of Medicine, and was awarded her master’s degree.
Worked as a nurse and as a teacher at a school of nursing, andhas been working on her Ph.D. at Tohoku University’s Graduate
School of Education since 2015. Has been an instructor at
Iwate Medical University since 2016.

Born in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Began working at St. Luke’s International
Hospital after graduating from Hirosaki University. Was later dispatchedto Paraguay in South American as a member of the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers corps. Returned to Japan, and worked in 12
different developing countries as a JICA technical expert. During that
period, she also completed graduate degrees in public health at UCLA
and the University of Tokyo. Began working at Fukushima Medical
University after joining the international cooperative efforts launchedafter the Great East Japan Earthquake. Teaches in a course on international
public health nursing for disaster and radiation exposure.

Graduated from the School of Nursing at Yamagata University’s
Faculty of Medicine, then worked as a hospital nurse and as
public health nurse. Earned her master’s degree in nursing at
Iwate Prefectural University’s Graduate School of Nursing.
Worked as a nurse at Iwate Medical University Hospital, Iwate
Prefectural Ofunato Hospital and other institutions (Emergency
Center, CCU, Chemotherapy Department, etc.). Took positionas assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Iwate
Medical University in 2017. Disaster Support Nurse with the
Iwate Nursing Association, and Iwate DMAT member.

Gained clinical experience at a general hospital in Tokyo, thentravelled to the Dominican Republic as a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteer nurse. Returned to her hometown ofKesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture to provide medical support
after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and is currently
studying disaster nursing at in the Graduate School of HealthCare Sciences at Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

14

03
S T E PThe Three Steps
to Improvement

Returning to the community
what they learn

The TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program isPost-Trip Seminars

comprised of three separate training stages. First, the students
learn the fundamental knowledge they need before travelling to

The goal of this part of the program is for participants

the United States. In the U.S., they tour and experience disasternursing in the ﬁeld, and then they return to Japan to present
what they learned. The goal of this three-step training program
is not only to help the participants improve their disaster nursing
skills. We also aim to cultivate their presentation skills, givethem a more international perspective, and teach them about
what leadership truly means, in order to nurture them into thenext generation of leaders. In the following section we take a

to give back to their communities by passing on what

they learn during the Pre-Trip Seminars and U.S.

02

Study tour stages, and each participant plans out

S T E P

their own activities. Working in collaboration withmentors and other program staff, they put their plans

into action, and learn more about the leadershipskills needed to motivate people.

P23

closer look at what the program offered each of the previous
three years.
Experiencing
cutting-edge disastermedicine in the U.S.

U.S.
Study Tour01
S T E P

P19

Students visit disaster relief
facilities and organizations in
New York and Washington,
D.C. and learn about cutting-edge disaster medicine. They
also get ﬁrst-hand experienceof the differences in U.S. andJapanese medical systems,

thereby gaining a moreinternational consciousness.

Preparing for
the U.S. Study Tour

Pre-Trip Seminars
Before the students travel to the U.S., they takepart in the Pre-Trip Seminars. During this stage,
they learn the fundamental knowledge theyshould have to take part in lectures while they are

there. In addition, they look back on their own
earthquake experience to reconﬁrm the goals

they hope to achieve by joining the program, as

they prepare for the summer study trip to the U.S.

P17

15

16

S T E P

01 P r e - T r i p S e m i n a r s

LectureLearning the basics
before the U.S.
Study TourThe Pre-Trip Seminars program can be generally
described as being made up of four parts: lectures,training, interactions, and site visits. In each part,
participants learn about disasters and disasternursing to prepare for the summer U.S. Study Tour.

VOICEY ea r 1~ 3

Y e ar 1 ~3

Reviewing the concept of disasternursing and mastering the basics
before the U.S. Study Tour

Gaining a multifaceted perspective by hearing the storiesof those who experienced the earthquake

During the Pre-Trip Seminars, the program

involved in life-saving operations after the Great East Japaninvited professors with a long historyof work in disaster nursing and thosefamiliar with medicine and nursing in the
U.S. to give lectures to the participants.
During the lectures, the students acquire
the fundamental knowledge they needt o know about disaster nursing andthe philosophical differences between

Participants are given the chance to hear the stories of individuals
Earthquake, and to speak with the mayor of the town of
Minamisanriku. Simply describing someone as having “experience
the earthquake” does not capture the sheer range of experiences
had by different people. Hearing the stories of many who went
through the disaster provided participants
with a broader understanding of theevents, and allowed them to reconsider

Misa Abe

2nd year nursing student
Ishinomaki Red Cross Nursing School
Hometown: Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture

During the Pre-Trip Seminars, we had thechance to talk with Seietsu Sato, who wasin charge of the disaster command unit inKesennuma. He told us that you can’t justthink; you have to act. If you don’t knowwhat to do, you just do something. Thatreally stuck with me. I realized that I’dalways been the kind of person who justthought about things, and never put theminto action. The program made me think
about what I personally can do, and that I
have to learn how to act as well.

the disaster from various viewpoints.

nursing in the U.S. and nursing in Japan.
With this knowledge, participants wereable to have an entirely richer learning
experience in the U.S.

Site visits

Site visits

Y e ar 1 ~3Y e ar 3

Year 2 , 3Visiting disaster areas and getting a hands-on
understanding of the scale of destruction

Speaking to disaster survivors
at Okawa Elementary School

Gaining practical knowledge through speech practice and HUG experience

To get a true understanding of the destruction wreaked by aThis visit to Okawa Elementary

Training

Participants began giving speeches during the U.S. Study Tour in Year 2 of the
program. To prepare, the students began learning how to convey their ideas to an
audience. First, participants each prepared and presented a speech on their own
earthquake experiences. Afterwards, the lecturers taught the presenters how facial
expressions and gestures can make a speech more effective, and about the effect of
speaking speed, intonation, and other auditory elements. In addition, Year 3 saw
the implementation of the evacuation shelter management exercises known as HUG
in Japan. These drills simulate the situation in an evacuation shelter at a school, andparticipants learn how to ensure the shelter operates smoothly, all while handlingthe continuous stream of evacuees arriving at the shelter and any events that may
occur. While they are only drills, they provide participants with the opportunity tothink about how best to act when in a realistically tense environment.
Interaction

VOICE
Minami Shida
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture

The HUG exercises taught me how important it is tomake decisions quickly and to pass on information
accurately when operating an evacuation shelter in adisaster area. It is difficult to respond appropriately
to problems as they arise, one after another, andthat really brought home to me how important it isto keep a broad perspective. I am going to keep
thinking about how I as a nurse working in an
evacuation shelter can support people who need
medical care and people who face special
challenges during disasters.

17

Interaction

Y ea r 2, 3

disaster, it is important to visit the disaster area. For that reason,
an important part of the program is to have participants visit areas
during the Pre-Trip Seminars that were heavily affected by the2011 disaster and get the opportunity to understand the scale
first-hand. In Year 1, participants visited Ishinomaki and toured
Hiyoriyama Park and Ishinomaki Red Cross Hospital. Year 2
participants visited temporary housing in Ishinomaki, and spoke
to an individual who launched an “aquaculture experience”
business in Minamisanriku after the earthquake, and actually took

returned from the U.S. This allows
participants to imagine how they
will grow over the coming year.

with a person whose daughter was
killed during the disaster. For thesestudents looking to get involved indisaster medicine, this experience
simply reinforced their resolve.

they toured various locations in the disaster area by bus, andgained a better understanding of the disaster. The locations
visited differ year by year, but these visits give participants achance to witness the damage caused and think about what they
can do.

VOICETomoka Yamaguchi

2nd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Hometown: Osaki, Miyagi Prefecturefrom the previous year. In addition, they have thethey have been doing sincelike post-disaster, where they spokelines of rescue operations after the disaster. After the lecture,

Participants hear speeches presented by participants

saw and learned, and about whatchance to see what the area looks

part. Year 3 students spoke to people who worked on the front

Gaining a deeper understanding of the program
through speeches by former participants

opportunity to talk about what the former participants

School provided students with the

Other tra ining
Talks by special lecturers
Dr. Tener Goodwin Veenema,
Johns Hopkins University
Krista D. Cato, Children’s National Health
SystemLecture by Professor Yasuhiro Otomo ofTokyo Medical and Dental University
Graduate School

Orientation for the U.S. trip
Visit to Ishinomaki Red Cross Hospital
Visit to Hiyoriyama Park
Visit to Onagawamachi Community
Medicine Center
Participant discussions
Discussion with Tamiko Abe, owner of
seafood business Tamiko no Umi-Pack

We got a tour of Okawa Elementary
School from a man named Toshiro Sato.
He taught me that to make the most of
my life, I have to take action, then passon information about the events andharness those experiences. At the Pre-Trip
Seminars stage, I still wasn’t sure I coulddo, but I knew I wanted to do something tohelp people, and this opportunity helped
motivate me.

18

S T E P

02 U . S . S t u d y T o u rExperiencing cutting-edge
disaster nursing

01 VA-Fairfax County Task Force 1

International Urban Searchand Rescue

Participants spoke to individuals who had experienced
terror attacks, hurricanes, and other disasters, and took part07 New York TourP21

in disaster simulation drills. In addition, they experienced
medicine as it is provided in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural

08 Georgetown University

country, which cultivated in them leadership skills that

02 03 04 05

ensure respect for other peoples’ cultures.

07 09 12 13 14

New York
03 NYU Langone Medical Center,

NYU College of Nursing(Current: NYU Rory Meyers School of Nursing)06 08 11

P21

09

Washington D.C.

01

United States
02 Rutgers School of Nursing

10

09 Site Visit to New Jerseyof America
10 Johnson & Johnson

P21

headquarters
P22

11 Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

12 Goldman Sachs

Val G. Hemming Simulation Center

headquarters

P22

P22

04 Japan Societyof New York

13 Mount Sinai

Hospital

05 9/11 Tribute Center(Current: 9/11 Tribute Museum),
National 9/11 Memorial and Museum
P21

14 United Nations

06 Children’s National

19

P22

20

01

Hearing the stories of rescuers

02

VA-Fairfax County Task Force 1
International Urban Searchand Rescue

Simulation training

Rutgers School of Nursing

06

Learning the history of improvements
made in environmental hygiene

Learning about disaster response
at a pediatric hospital

10 Johnson & Johnson

Children’s National

headquarters

Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1

Participants gained the knowledge they need toChildren’s National is one of the top pediatricParticipants visited the head office of Johnson &was established in Fairfax County, Virginia inwork in disaster areas through training such as

hospitals in the U.S., and participants put on

Johnson, the program’s sponsor, where they

1986. Participants learn how the task force

trauma simulations and drills in triage (theprotective clothing to learn how to handle

learned about the history of improvements madeoperates, from rescue request to deployment,

prioritization of which patients are treated first in

patients contaminated with chemical substancesin environmental hygiene and the company’s

and about what is important when rescuinga disaster). People playing the role of patientsand other dangerous materials. In addition,

contributions to the community. In addition, theydisaster victims. The team’s philosophy is towere put in special makeup which increasedusing a piece of evacuation equipment called aattended a talk given by an individual from theprovide what a disaster area is looking for, notthe tension as participants worked. In addition,

MedSled, they practiced evacuations in which

National Student Nurses Association, which works tosimply conduct the rescue operations they want

Rutgers University students also took part

they had to transport patients down flights ofadvance medical care from the perspective of nursing

to do, and left a particularly strong impression

during the two-week U.S. Study Tour. Living

stairs. A few of the students gave speeches

students, which addressed by “what student nurses

on the students, as this attitude is important for

together helped contribute to deeper international

during a large welcome party held in a hall at the

believe are important leadership qualities”. These

nurses to have as well.

understanding.

hospital, during which they spoke about theiropinions from an individual in a similar situation to thethoughts at the time.

participants gave them the opportunity to think about

Providing treatment
during triage drills

what kind of leaders they want to become.

Decontamination exercises
using rescue mannequins

Attending a talk given
by nursing students

Students also met rescue dogs.

U. S. S t u d y

03

Making improvementsby reﬂecting on past disasters

NYU Langone Medical Center,
NYU College of Nursing(Current: NYU Rory Meyers School of Nursing)

PICK

UP

U. S. S t u d yRealizing the importance of
keeping memories alive

05 9/11 Tribute Center ,(Current: 9/11 Tribute Museum)

National 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Tour

PICK

Drills simulating all types of scenarios

11

Uniformed Services Universityof the Health Sciences
Val G. Hemming Simulation Center

12

UP

Sharing disaster experiences
between people from different countries

Goldman Sachs headquarters

New York University Langone Medical Center

Participants visited 9/11 Memorial Museum andSimulations are conducted at this facility

The disaster experienced on 9/11 was one of the

faced many problems when Hurricane Irene struck

9/11 Tribute Center, institutions dedicated tousing actors playing patients, mannequins, andworst ever faced in the U.S., and participants

the area directly in 2011. The center used theproviding the details around the multiple terrorist

computers that make the training as close toheard stories about that day in an off ice atlessons learned during those events to implement

attacks on the 11th of September 2001. Visitors

real as possible, for what is important during

the Goldman Sachs headquarters near the site

improvements in patient evacuation methods by

can find exhibits of steel bent by the impact ofsimulations is to respond flexibly while imaginingof the former World Trade Center. In Years 2

the time Hurricane Sandy hit the area years later.

the aircraft, photographs of victims, and otherwhat sorts of people will be treated. In addition,and 3, students shared their own earthquake

Participants were taught how important it is to learn

displays that communicate the extent of thestudents also learned what sorts of approaches

experiences in speeches. While the details andfrom past disasters and implement those lessons

damage suffered. They also provide facilities for

medical professionals should take when an

locations of the disasters are different, what isin subsequent disaster response operations. The

people connected to or familiar with the events

emergency situation arises.

similar are the wounds left by experiencing such

School of Nursing at NYU sent students to lend a

to come together and share their thoughts. The

hand in the disaster response during the hurricane,exhibits provide a raw look at the result of theand program participants heard about how they

attacks, and students learned how important it issaved the lives of five elderly individuals.

to keep such memories alive.

Touring the center after
the talk

21

Tour

Multiple origami cranes show thebond between the U.S. and Japan

unpredictable events, and the pain of having lost
Checking emergency
Go Bags

loved ones. Students learned this throughcommunicating in this way.
Students were able toempathize with the pain ofother survivors by sharing
their experiences.

22

S T E P

03 P o s t - T r i p S e m i n a r s

Practicing the lessons learned in the U.S.
The program is nearing its conclusion, and during this stage, participants individually plan andimplement activities that will let them put into practice the lessons they learned during their trip in the
U.S. This stage is separated into three sections: planning, implementation, and presentation.

Putting lessons learned
to work in the community
in various ways
The students launched a variety ofactivities, from workshops andstudy meetings, to lectures. Eachand every one clearly reﬂected
how enthusiastic the students
were to share what they hadlearned through the program with

Planning

others. Here we look at examples

Giving presentations
about events being plannedof activities designed by two

Examples of activities run
Information sessions in various
locations
Study session on the nuclear power
plant disaster
Disaster education lecture for highschool students (conducted atstudent’s former high school)
HUG (evacuation shelter
management drill) workshop
Case study (on mental health careduring the disaster response)
Review of a disaster response manual(conducted at cram school whereparticipant was working part-time)Workshop on improving disasterawareness
Brieﬁng session on training/
Study group on disaster nursing
Go Bag workshop
Establishment of a disaster responseclub at an afﬁliated school (NS-ACT)Disaster response
workshop/presentations forinternational students
Introduction to Donate a Photo (a charity
app operated by Johnson & Johnson)
Workshop titled “What can you do tosave your own life?”

participants.

In the first part of the Post-Trip Seminars, participants
give presentations about the activities they are

Radiation hazard case study

planning at that point in time. Many of the students
struggled with this as it was their first time to create

After returning from the U.S. Study Tour, this student conducted a casesuch a plan, but they were able to polish up theirstudy titled, “Dealing with radiation hazards in nursing.” The study

work through feedback received from the mentors.

targeted 13 students from Sendai Medical Center, School of Nursing
and Midwifery, who gathered to exchange opinions. The student who

VOICE
We had to give a summary of our plans in three minutes, and I
hadn’t realized how hard it is to explain something in such ashort time. Other people offered their opinions, and throughthat I found areas that I could improve. I incorporated the things
I learned during the Post-Trip Seminars into my own plan, andreworked my activities to make sure they would have a positive

ran the case study spoke to an individual who had been affected by the

Naho Shigihara
2nd year nursing student
College of Nursing,St. Luke's International University
Hometown: Minamisoma,
Fukushima Prefectureradiation hazards in Fukushima Prefecture when creating the materials,
and passed that real experience on to the participants in the case study.

VOICE
I wanted to get across two things through this activity. First, only having correct
information isn’t enough to save people both physically and mentally, and second,

effect both on the people running them, and on the people

nurses can offer more intimate support to patients who remain anxious. I learned bothparticipating.

of these things during the U.S. Study Tour, and I was able to present these ideas in my

Kaoru Omiya
2nd year nursing student
Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Hometown: Shibata,Miyagi Prefecture

own words and share them with the study participants.

Implementation
Sharing what was learned in the program
to a large group of people

Triage simulations with ﬁrst year and fourth year university students

The students gave presentations and spoke about what

students from the School of Nursing at Miyagi University. Fourth year

they learned throughout the program, about events thatstudents conducted triage on real people during the simulation,left a strong impression, and about the thoughts they

while the ﬁrst-year students watched and learned the methods

wanted to share. Compared to the speeches they gave

being used. Student remarks included, “I couldn’t make the correct

at the beginning of the program, it was obvious thatjudgements because I was impatient and nervous” and “I saw how

their presentation skills had improved across the board.

difﬁcult it is to ﬁnd information in the chaos of a disaster area.”

VOICE

VOICE
During the final presentations, I spoke about relationships,
connections, and friends. I chose that theme because theconnections I’d made with others had helped me through theprogram, from our mentors, to the staff who worked on theplanning and administration, and the other Year 3 participants.

During the year I was a part of the program, I learned where I

Presentation
23

Triage simulations were conducted with ﬁrst year and fourth year

Tomoyuki Sato
4th year nursing student
Faculty of Nursing,
Iwate Prefectural University
Hometown: Rikuzentakata,
Iwate Prefecture

While I was at Rutgers University, I saw a patient crying and screaming but I couldn’t

do anything, and I really regretted that. You can’t learn something just from books,
so my activity was designed to get across the importance of conducting drills thatare as close to real as possible. I felt that I’d done my job well when one of theparticipants said that the practical training helped them realized that there’s a big
difference between that and what we learn in the classroom.

Mika Sato
4th year nursing student
Miyagi University
School of Nursing
Hometown: Tome,
Miyagi Prefectureneed to improve, and learned to really think about the things I’dalways tried to avoid thinking about.

24

The program helped me realize
I have lots of choices available
to me in the future.

The program teaches
participants about the ability
to empathize,
which is a necessary nursing skill.

I learned that talking about it
because it’s a disaster can help
with mental health care.

Whenever I feel confused
about what to do on the job,
I’ll remember my experience
with the program.

I joined a disaster recovery
training programwith other former participantsin the TOMODACHI program.

I starteda disaster response clubat my school
using my experiences.

There is no end
to learning
Participants don’t stop learning after they complete the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing
Training Program. In fact, it is only when the program is complete that they can take what
they learned and use it in real life. On the next pages, you will ﬁnd some of the participants
who learned about disaster nursing through the program. They are currently applying what
they learned through the program in their work and studies. In addition, at the end of Year 3,
it was announced that the program would continue. Our challenges will continue as we work
to further develop disaster nursing in Japan.

25

26

Future Direction

Aiming to further develop
disaster nursing
Phase 1 of the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program ran from 2015 to 2017, and Phase
2 will run from 2018 to 2020. Moreover, the program will expand such that there will be approximately
60 alumni by 2020. By regularly reviewing the structure and content of the program, we can ensure it
continues to evolve.

Around60
alumniby 2020

Leaders of
the Next Generation
Alumni

Participants
Program participants are expected
to become active leaders in theParticipants who complete theprogram are known as program
After participants are selected,
they take part in the program forapproximately eight months. They
learn about disaster nursing andleadership, and gain the skills
they will need to lead the next

alumni. These alumni share theknowledge they gain withﬁeld of disaster nursing in Japan.
This is why it is important foralumni to continue learning evenafter the program is complete.

participants in subsequent years,
and harness what they learned tohelp their communities over the
long-term.

generation of disaster nursing
professionals.

27

28

Post-program Life for Participants

Alumni apply their new knowledge
in the future
Learning about the wealth of options available

When I work, I think it’s very important to always be

2015, I got a real feel for how I am not limited to becoming a

ready for an emergency and to prepare as best I can.

nurse in the future – I have a lot of options open to me. The

Children come to the nurse’s ofﬁce for various reasons. I

program showed how I have to think about my options not only

always have to be ready to make a judgement right then

now but in the future, and about the necessity of being prepared.

and there, and when I don’t know what to do, I think

Also, the other participants who I spent that year with all have
Even now, I still get updates on what the other students in myyear are doing, and the students from Year 2 and Year 3, and thatkeeps me on my toes. Since the program ended, I started
studying to become a midwife. I’m learning about various
new things every day, including reproductive health, work-lifebalance, and the importance of educational outreach programs.

about how they have used what they learned in the program in their work and academic career.

When in doubt, use what you learned

When I took part in the disaster nursing training program indifferent ideal goals, and I got a lot of inspiration from them.

Former program participants remain active in various areas. We asked some Year 1 and Year 2 participantsback to my experience on the program. Back then, I
Miyakawa during the program (far left)
Year 1 Student

Natsumi Miyakawa

Currently at Department ofMidwifery nursing student
at Sendai Medical Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery,(Graduating in March 2018)

learned that it is necessary to have a good system inplace in the school, to prepare in a concrete way, and to

Becoming a nurse who can respond during disaster

important it is to remain connected to all the people

After I ﬁnished the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing

involved with the children every day, and I still feel thisevery day. I’m only started my job, but my goal is towork hard and always have a smile on my face, and to
motivation I received, and the people I met.

of weight of their minds. That’s when I really understandwhat we learned during the program about the importanceof talking. At the same time, I discovered that a lot of people

program with other TOMODACHI program participantsfrom around the country. I will continue to think about

Great East Japan Earthquake. I will start working at a
hospital in Tokyo in the spring of 2018. The program
teaches participants about the ability to empathize, which
Takae during the program
Year 2 Student

Yuka Takae

Currently employed as a nurse at Tohoku University Hospital

Sasaki at work
Year 2 Student

Chiharu Sasaki

Currently employed as a school nurse at a public elementary school

is a necessary nursing skill whether you’re responding to adisaster or working at a hospital during regular times. As aprofessional nurse, I want to make sure I try to be close withmy patients and their families, and always think about how
my work can improve patient quality of life.

don’t feel right because other people are in the same

Remaining aware while visiting facilities
on the U.S. Study Toursituation as they are. So, I have to actively try and give themAfter the program, I found a job as a nurse in a pediatricHarnessing lessons learned through club activities

ward. Every day is really busy at work, so it’s difﬁcult to say

This program taught me the importance of being prepared for

don’t want to bother the nurses by talking to us, or that theya place they can feel free to talk. I am going to keep working
hard to make sure I don’t look only at my patients’ physicalneeds, but also at their emotional needs too.

if I’m really conscious of what I learned or making the bestuse of what I learned during the program. But, I
sometimes think back to the visit to Children’s National
we made during the U.S. Study Tour, where I watched
how the medical staff interact with the children and about
how important it is to make sure the children live a normal
active life even while they’re in the hospital. Also, wesometimes have patients from other countries admitted,
so we have to show an understanding for cultural

Year 1 Student

Ikumi Hoshi

Currently employed as a nurse
at Tokyo Nishi Tokushukai Hospital.

29

Last autumn, I took part in the disaster recovery training

with disaster response as a nurse who experienced thedisaster, and that talking can help with mental health care.

many of them thank me and say that talking to me took a bitand started sharing what I learned there in the community.

viewpoints, and in the future, I would like to be able to help

you really have to talk to someone after you experience afeel free to talk to me. When I listen to what they have to say,Training Program, I took part in disaster-prevention events,

disaster prevention from the medical and nursing

The biggest thing I learned during this program was that

I’m a nurse now, and I actively tell patients that they should

Rina Ishikawa

Currently at Tohoku Fukushi University (Graduating in March 2018)

prepare myself mentally as well. I also learned how

never forget my experiences on the program, all the

Learning about the importanceof listening and using that on the job

Year 2 Student

differences. I think that’s when I really use what I learned
during the program. In the future, I hope to apply more of
the knowledge I gained through the program as I work.

disasters, and gave me the chance to think about what I can do now as
a student. I used my experience here to launch a disaster responseclub (NS-ACT) at my university. We go to school festivals and healthfairs at hospital and talk to people in the community about disasterprevention. We show them Go Bags to use when evacuating, show
them how to provide ﬁrst aid and make stretchers during disasters, andprovide people with a chance to learn about these subjects throughpractical training. We also made a unique disaster prevention manualfor nursing students. We are also working hard during practicaltraining to make sure nurses can protect their patients and themselves.
I hope that we keep working together to think of new things that we
can do, and continue to take up new challenges in the future.

Club activities
Year 2 Student

Haruki Sawada

Currently a nursing student
at Sendai Medical Center,
School of Nursing and Midwifery (Graduating in March 2018)30

SPECIAL THANKSMESSAGEMESSAGE

Professor Junichi Sugawara

Professor Shinichi Egawa

Tohoku University

Tohoku University

Director of Communityof Disaster Science

Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization

International Research Institute

Medicine Support Department

Professor of International Cooperation

Professor of Feto-Maternal Medical Science

S PECIA L
TH A NK S
Appreciation to people involved

The TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program wasonly made possible through the cooperation and collaborationof individuals from universities, NPOs, and other facilities andinstitutions. We received the support of an incredible number ofpeople over the three-year period from 2015 to 2017 that thefirst phase of the program was run in Japan and the U.S. We
would like to introduce some of the people who helped, andtake this opportunity to express our gratitude.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, I struggled day

In 2015, 187 countries agreed on the terms of the Sendai

and night in the Perinatal Center at Tohoku University

Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, in which the

Hospital to ensure deliveries went without issues and toprotection of people’s health was given high priority. Healthprotect the mothers and their children. I have used thosecare needs during disasters are not limited to deaths andexperiences to give presentations on disaster response

injury, they span a wide range of issues, including chronicin perinatal medicine and wrote a manual on how toand infectious disease treatment, mental health, maternal

treat expectant and nursing mothers living in evacuationand pediatric medicine, and rehab. Flexibility is needed in

shelters, and have written a paper on the effect of

responding to situations requiring special support. Disasterdisasters on mothers and their children. Since 2012,

response teams are comprised of professionals fromI have helped launch the TOMODACHI-GE Miyagi

multiple fields and when they are dispatched to fulfill thePerinatal Program, and have held counselling sessions

medical needs of a disaster area, nurses are the ones whoand seminars in the areas affected by the tsunami. In

are in closest contact with the patients, so are best placed to2014 and 2015, I was a part of bringing this program toact and communicate important information. Preparation islife. It has been run annually for three years, and I findan important step in making disaster response moremyself overwhelmed by the feeling of fulfillment at what

effective. I hope that our disaster nursing training program

we accomplished. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing thewill give participants the knowledge, skills and attitude (i.e.

alumni grow, and I hope to continue to contribute to theleadership ability) they need to help make our society

program in whatever way I can into the future.

healthier and more resistant to the effects of disaster.

P RO F IL E

P RO F IL E

A specialist in perinatal care, Professor Sugawara is anobstetrician and gynecologist, and since the Great East Japan
Earthquake, he has been actively working to better protect
mothers and children in times of disaster. After graduating fromTohoku University School of Medicine, worked as an adjunct at
the same School of Medicine, and at Stanford University
Medical Center (U.S.A.) and KU Leuven (Belgium), before
becoming a lecturer at Tohoku University’s Graduate School of
Medicine, and then taking his current position in 2012. Serveson the boards of numerous obstetrics and gynecologicalassociations, and continues to expand his field of activity.

Graduated from Tohoku University School of Medicine in 1987, andnow works as a surgeon specializing in pancreatic medical issues.
Worked at the National Cancer Research Institute and studied at the
University of Pittsburgh in the U.S. Served as an assistant professor ingastroenterological science at Tohoku University, before the
Tohoku earthquake on 11 March 2011 served as the catalyst to him
taking up his current position in 2012. Member of the World
Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, serves on theboard of the Japanese Association for Disaster Medicine, is on theeditorial board of the American Academy of Disaster Medicine, anda fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Tener Goodwin Veenema

Krista D. Cato

Michiko Lendenmann

Yasuhiro Otomo

Junichi Cho

Jin Sato

Tamiko Abe

Seietsu Sato

PhD, MPH, RN, FAA
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Director
Ishinomaki Municipal Hospital
Kaisei Temporary Clinic

Toshiro Sato

NPO Katariba
Collabo-School Onagawa Gokakukan

31

for Disaster Medicine

MHA, BSN, RN
Clinical Program CoordinatorChildren’s National Health System

Mayer ofMinamisanriku-Cho

Professor
School of Nursing
Iwaki Meisei University

Entrepreneur/Business Owner
Tamiko-no Umi Pack

Professor
Department of Acute Critical Care and Disaster Medicine
Tokyo Medical and Dental University

Earthquake Disaster Storyteller
Former Vice Chief ofMinamisanriku Fire Department

Akiko Koyanagi

President
NPO Chikyu no Gakkou*Titles reflect status when participating in the program.

32

SPECIAL THANKS

Sponsorship

Implementing Partners
Children’s National Health System
Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation’s children
since 1870. Children’s National is ranked in the top 20 in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News &World Report—one of only four children’s hospitals in the United States to earn this distinction.
Designated a Leapfrog Group Top Hospital and a two-time recipient of Magnet® status, thispediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based
primary care network and specialty outpatient centers. Home to the Children’s Research Instituteand the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of thenation’s top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise andinnovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regionaland national levels. The Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Children’s Medicine features an acuteJohnson & Johnson Family of the Companies in Japan*
Address
111 Michigan Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20010
U.S.A.
TEL+1-202-476-5000

Responsibility as a World’s Largest Total Health Care Company
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities andEstablished
1870

forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every

Description of BusinessChildren’s Hospitalcommitted to using our reach and size for good. To this end, we are committed to practice our business and fulfill

stage of life. Johnson & Johnson has a responsibility to advance good health care of people of the world. We are
our responsibility to the communities through social contributions as stated in Our Credo.

care hospital with 313 beds, a Level I pediatric trauma center which serves three states, and a criticalcare transport program that utilizes ambulance, helicopter and fixed-wing airplane transport.

STAFF

About Support for the Great East Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts

Sarah Birch, DNP, CPNP-PC, AE-C

John Walsh［Title］Director［Department］Advanced Practice Nursing［Academic Affiliation］
The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences［Academic Title］Assistant Professor of Pediatrics［Title］Outreach Coordinator［Department］Cardiology

Our company has actively engaged in relief efforts of various forms, identifying the changing circumstances andneeds of the disaster-struck area and catering to what’s needed at the time based on a long-term perspective of
the situation. Our efforts include debris removal and securing logistical routes immediately after the disaster inorder to deliver a steady supply of medical equipment and other products that we provide to affected areas,building a temporary clinic in the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, supporting community activities at temporary
housing facilities in Ofunato City, and planning baby support programs for mothers as well as growth anddevelopment programs for children in Fukushima Prefecture. Even after the disaster restoration process ends, theEmily J. Dorosz, MSN, RN, CPN, CPEN

Kenta Umetsu, MS［Title］Clinical Program Coordinator- EMS/Base Station［Department］Emergency Medicine & Trauma Center［Title］Manager, Facility and Biosafety［Department］Research Operations and Regulatory Affairs*Titles reflect status as of December of 2017.

process of revitalization is still ongoing. Johnson & Johnson will consider what kind of support is needed rightnow, in addition to what we can do in preparation for the future, and will engage in relief efforts that only ourcompany can provide.

SUPPO R T ME M BE R

MANAGER

Laurasian Institution
Laurasian Institution is a not-for-profit educational organization, specializing in meaningful, highquality, exchange and education programs driven by their curricular design. Annually, Laurasiansupports approximately 2,000 participants of varying ages on short-term and group programs. In
2015, Laurasian combined its expertise in Asia and programming breadth with PAX – Program of
Academic Exchange, a not-for-profit educational organization working with high school exchange
students from more than 70 countries, including those through prestigious U.S. Department ofState-designated Exchange Visitor Programs. Together, PAX Laurasian Exchange is uniquely
positioned to achieve the ultimate goal of providing transformative international experiences thattouch individuals and, through them, their communities. Tokyo office has been operating as
Laurasian Institution and has been the Implementing Partner of this program since 2016.

STAFF

Yume Hidaka

33

Yuki Shozaki

Program Manager

President
Johnson & Johnson K.K.／
Chairman,
J&J Contributions Committee

worked as an assistant to Chief Financial Officer for 10
Address
5-5-17 Shimomeguro,
Meguro-ku, TokyoTEL+81-3-3712-6176
Established1990

years and engaged to operate Contributions Committee
as well. From July, 2014, she is working as an dedicatedSawa ItoManager,
J&J
Contributions
Committee

manager to lead Contributions Committee. Mainly
support projects of NPO in the area, especially Women,

Keiko Tsuboi

Children and Support for the Great East Japan
Earthquake Relief Efforts. In addition of that, Sawa tries
to develop culture and system to join volunteer activities
easily and fun with a motto “Who can be, When can do,

Description of Business
Management of
U.S.-Japan Exchange
Programs

Kazuhiro Ida

What can do”, such as “Volunteerism by buying productfrom affected area” “Program which contribute to teambuilding internally”.
Address

Program Director

Tamotsu Hiiro

Sawa Ito joined Johnson & Johnson K.K. in 2004. She had

TEL

5-2, Nishi-kanda 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 101-0065 Japan+3-4411-6720*Titles reflect status as of December of 2017.
Established
Description of Business

1887
Manufacturing and sales, Medial Equipment,
Medicine and Healthcare Products*Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Japan
Johnson & Johnson K.K. (Consumer Company, Medical Company, Vision Care Company), Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.

34

T O M O DA C H I J & J Dis as t er N u r s in g T r a i n i n g P ro g ra m
C om m e m or a tive p ub lic a tion

*Please refrain from using information or images included in this publication or posting on social networking sites or other online services without the permission of the
U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) or Johnson & Johnson.