JNA News Release2011 Vol.5

JNA News Release
Japanese Nursing Association
5-8-2 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, JAPAN

Tel: +81-3-5778-8559

Fax: +81-3-5778-5602

http://www.nurse.or.jp/jna/english/index.html

President’s Message
I have served as JNA President for five years and seven months,
and only have five months remained at the office. My goal as
the President was to establish new criteria for the staffing ratio ofnurses, and to reform basic nursing education.

In 2006, a newbasic hospitalization fee was introduced in the medical feesystem, and standard patient-to-nurse ratio was raised to 7:1.
In 2009, a bill for the partial revision of the Act on Public Health
Nurses, Midwives and Nurses passed the Diet in order to reformbasic nursing education.

In Japan, a bill is usually proposed by

the government and voted. In the case of the revision in 2009,
JNA took the initiative in lobbying to the ruling party, resulting in
the enactment of the bill introduced by a project team ofvoluntary Diet members.

I am proud of this revision, which was pushed forward and achieved by ourselves.

During the remaining months at the office, I would like to continue efforts toward the improvement of nurses’
working environment and the expansion of the scope of practice, and prepare for these efforts to be taken overby the next president and bear fruit in the future.

At the ICN Conference slated for May 2011 in Malta, I will

have an opportunity to make a presentation at the session “Shaping and Evaluating Health and Nursing Policy”.
I hope to share my experience on nursing policies that I have had as JNA President, with nurses from all overthe world.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you in Malta. ■Day Shift and Night Shift Hours of Nurses
JNA has considered it important to protect the healthAt the end of December 2010, the MHLW set up anand safety of health care professionals, in order tointernal project team (PT) aimed at improving theensure the health and safety of patients.

working environment of nurses, and seeks to review

Therefore,

JNA has worked for the improvement of nurses’

theirworking environment, and led lobbying to the Ministry

associations and other stakeholders have announcedof Health, Labour and Welfare and other agencies

objection to the establishment of a PT dedicated totoward appropriate working hours.

At present, efforts

nurses, and to reducing their night shift hours, JNA

are in progress toward the establishment of alooks forward to the outcome of the PT and follows its

regulation to relieve the load of shift work by nurses.

discussion. ■1|nightshifthours

etc.

Although,hospital

JNA News Release2011 Vol.5

Background of nurses’ working environment in Japan
According to a survey by JNA, reasons for nurses tohours after the day shift.

This means that theyleave their job are categorized into personal reasons,continued working all day and night without sufficientsuch as marriage and giving birth, and reasons due torest. The survey also revealed that more than 4.3%

the working environment.

The typical examples ofof shift workers did overtime for 60 hours or longer per

the latter include long working hours and overtime,

month. It is critical to establish baseline criteria forload of night shift, and difficulty in taking leaves.

working hours to relieve extreme physical and mental

According to the same survey, 57.9% of nurses whostress of nurses, who are required to maximize theirwork in three shifts experienced, during the one monthabilities under continuous tension around the clock,before the survey, a midnight shift starting within six

thereby ensuring safe health care services. ■JNA Code of Ethics for Nurses
On its website, JNA published an English version ofcode of ethics to discipline own practice. The Codethe Code of Ethics for Nurses, which JNA presents aswasthe bases for nurses to make appropriate ethicalsurrounding nursing profession changed substantially,decisions.

JNA created the Code of Ethics foras healthcare practice became more advanced andNurses in 1988, considering that it is one of thecomplicated, and people became more conscious ofprerequisites for a profession to have professional

their rights for health care. ■revisedin2003,because

thesituation

The 2nd Japan, China and Korea Nursing Conference
On November 20 to 22, 2010, the 2nd Japan, China

Korean Nurses Association, and scheduled on

and Korea Nursing Conference was held in Tokyo.

October 2011. ■This conference had been held between Japan andChina originally, to which Korea joined in 2010.
Under the theme “Role Expansion of Nurses andImprovementofProfessionalStatus”,

nursing

associations from Japan, China and Korea madepresentations, 63 oral presentations and 89 poster
presentations were made. 199 nurses from Japan,
29 from China and 81 from Korea respectively
deepened their relationship at the conference andbanquets.

The third conference will be hosted by theThe ICNWFF was HeldOn September 16 and 17, 2010, the ICN Work Forcepension of nurses.

Forum was held at JNA’s building.

In addition to thecommon issues in working conditions, including thedelegates of Japan and five other countries, tworegulation of working hours, bullying at workplaces etc.

countries participated as observers.

Due to the

Two guests from Japan made respective speeches on

economic downturn since the fall of 2008, influence“the future outlook of health, labor and welfare policies

was reported on the employment, payment andin Japan”, and on “impact of the economic downturn”.

2|Opinions were exchanged on

JNA News Release2011 Vol.5

Questions and opinions were exchanged as to thethe financial deficit, the low unemployment rate, andgovernment’s expenditure that remains high despiteother issues. ■Nursing in JapanQ.

Is there a regulation concerning the night shift of nurses?

In 1965, the National Personnel Authority determined that the night shift of a nurse should be kept eighttimes a month on the average, which has been a numerical target for the number of night shifts of nurses.
In 1992, the Act on Assurance of Work Forces of Nurses and Other Medical Experts was established.
Although the basic guideline for this act, “Basic Guideline concerning Actions for Promoting the Assuranceof Nurses and Other Medical Experts”, provides “within eight times a month”, this is only a guideline andhardly legally binding.

Allowance for night shift work by nurses is stipulated by the rules of the National

Personnel Authority.

News Topics in Japan
Fact-finding survey on nursing practice
September 27:

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare overviewed the results of thefact-finding survey on nursing practice at the Nursing Practice Review Working Group.

Scatterdiagrams for each survey item clarified that both physicians and nurses are proactive in the medical
acts performed by nurses.
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/shingi/2r9852000000sk2r-att/2r9852000000sk5k.pdf
Change in curriculum credits for public health nurses and midwives
October 4:

The Review Meeting on the Content and Method of Nursing Education of MHLW

formulated a proposal to increase required credits from 23 to 28 in the education curriculums tobecome public health nurses and midwives. In the curriculum to become public health nurses, inparticular, programs were added to train students on various roles of public health nurses, because
the Review Meeting considered that students could not reach the required baseline before
graduation in the present basic education.

The relevant ordinance was issued by MHLW on

January 6, and the new curriculums will take effect on April 1, 2012.
Elimination of restriction on the years of working by foreign nurses etc.
November 30 Foreign public health nurses, midwives and nurses who are licensed in Japan had
been subject to a restriction on the years of working in Japan; within four years of licensing for publichealth nurses and midwives, and within seven years of licensing for nurses. The Ministry of Justicerevised the relevant ordinance and eliminated this restriction on the years of working.

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