JNA News Release2010 Vol.4

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 Hisatsune Delivered a Strong Message to the Heads of Associations
Nationwide
At the meeting of corporate members on July 27, JNA President Setsuko
Hisatsune communicated a strong message to the Heads of 47 prefectural
nursing associations.
Since assuming office, she has been devoted herself to the attainment ofJNA‟s three goals, as established by herself: (1) improving the quality ofnursing education; (2) creating a working environment for nurses to beable to continue working; and, (3) developing the scope of nursing practice.
Although this is the last year of her presidency, she announced that she
will continue working to create a working environment to be able tocontinuing working for nursing personnel, especially for strengthening
labor regulations on the frequency of night shifts, overtime, and wages. She will also make efforts to build
effective relationships with relevant groups and organizations.■

Fact-finding Survey on Nursing Practice Begins
A fact-finding survey, entitled “Study on the scope of
medical acts performed by nurses” will begin, withdoctors and nurses in practice as subjects. On andafter July 20, questions regarding 168 medical actions
during both acute and chronic phases will be asked on
the Web, concerning: (1) whether or not nurses are
currently allowed to perform the action; (2) whether
general nurses will possibly be allowed to perform theaction; or (3) whether specific practice nurses(tentative name) will possibly be allowed to performthe action. The results will be reported by the end ofAugust, to provide a basis for a discussion of thescopes of the practice of nurses and specific practicenurses (tentative name).

This survey will also

examine those parts of the current practice of nursesthat can be provided appropriately by other healthcare
personnel.

1|What are ‘Specific Practice Nurses?’Specific Practice Nurse (tentative name)is a new framework for nursing with theaim of authorizing nurses with special
clinical competency to provide, under
doctor’s orders ( ‘comprehensive orders,’
as appropriate), a wide variety of medical
actions that have generally been regarded
as not practicable by nurses.

JNA News Release2010 Vol.4

Background and Prospect of the Introduction of „Specific Practice Nurse (tentative name)‟
The Review Meeting for the Promotion of Team

Project for the Pilot Trial of Specific Practice Nurses

Healthcare was formed last year by the Ministry of(tentative name) by Governmental Request‟ in July.

Health, Labour and Welfare to study the manner inThe project expects feedback from these courses on

which collaboration and cooperation among medical,the curriculum and clinical training.

nursing and other healthcare personnel should

JNA supports the introduction of „specific practiceproceed, given the reality of healthcare delivery innurses (tentative name),‟ because they will contributeJapan.

to the reduction of the workload of doctors working inThe

Review

Meeting

proposed

theintroduction of „Specific Practice Nurses (tentativehospitals.

name),‟ as a new framework of nurse, in relation to theinstitutionalization and legislation regarding specificexpansion of nursing roles. This proposal is to bepractice nurses for the safety of healthcare and thetried and examined in the current fiscal year.

security of patients, as these nurses are expected toFor training specific practice nurses (tentative name),

performthe MHLW designated master‟s courses of fourinvasiveness. ■At the same time, JNA calls for early

medicalactions

withrelatively

highgraduate schools which had signed up for the „2010

Arab Delegates Visited Japan (the 25th Japan-Arab Women’s Exchange
Program)
From July 10 to 17, nursing educators from Jordan,

Vice President Kusama, representing the JNA,

Egypt, and Palestine were invited to the 25th

reported the current situation in Japan, and called forJapan-Arab Women‟s Exchange Program.

an enrichment of nursing education to provide aJNA

handled this program, in the same manner as the visit

higher quality level of nursing service.

of Japanese delegates in November of last year.

Inaam Khalaf, Dean, Faculty of Nursing, University of

The theme was “Health Care and Women‟s Roles”

Jordan, pointed out that nursing profession has

and the program was held in Tokyo and Oita,

gradually been recognized as an independent job,highlighting the importance of the unification betweenpartly due to the proposal of the King, but that they still

education and practice.

have various problems, including a shortage of female

Public forums were also arranged at both venues, innurses, excessive workloads, and friction with otherwhich the four countries including Japan gave reports

healthcare personnel. Professor El Karmalawy, Viceabout

Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, introduced

nursing

educationandpractice.

Professor

the status of the shortage of nurses in Egypt, andexplained the basic nursing education system, which
consists of a university education (with a four-yearbasic education and one-year of clinical training) andvocational school education. They are doing a reformof requirement for entrance into vocational schools.
Ms. Nasser, Advisor of an NGO in Palestine, reported
that midwives in the Palestine autonomous region
Public Forum in Tokyo ;From left; Dr. Kusama, Dr.Khalaf, Prof.El Karmalawy and Ms. Nasser2|

sometimes go to help pregnant women who are forced
to deliver a baby at the check point where they areJNA News Release2010 Vol.4

stranded, that nurses have only four options forcontinuous education, and that lack of clinical practice
instructors and nurses with a doctoral degree has anadverse effect on education.
In a courtesy call and field visits, the delegates
showed extensive interest in on-the-job training fornurses and training opportunities for students at
hospitals, and had a lively exchange of views. They
also visited JNA headquarters, where we obtained
feedback which indicated that they learned theimportance of reflecting the views of the nursing
profession in policy-making.■

Certified Nurses Reached 7,363 in 19 specialized areas
Since the establishment of the credentialing system

rehabilitation nursing‟ and „radiation therapy nursing‟for certified specialist nurse in 1994, JNA has been

were first included in the qualification review, and thecertifying

qualification now covers 19 specialized areas.

educational

institutions

andnursing

In

personnel who have completed specialist education.

addition, as a result of the 14th Certification Review

As a result of the 18th Certification Review for

for Certified Nurse Administrators, a total of 951

Certified Nurses, the total number of certified nurses

nurses have been certified to date. ■reached 7,363.

The specialized areas of „stroke

Credentialing System in NursingCertified Nurse Specialist
Certified nurse specialists possess in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of specializationfor efficiently providing a high level of nursing care to individuals, families, and groups that facecomplex and difficult nursing issues, and at the same time, contribute to the development ofhealthcare and welfare and the advancement of nursing science.

Certified Nurse
Certified nurses use matured nursing skills and knowledge to provide a high level of nursing practice,
and at the same time, contribute to the expansion and quality improvement of nursing care in various
nursing settings.

Certified Nurse Administrator
Certified nurse administrators aim to provide a high level of coordinated nursing service toindividuals, families, and communities with various healthcare needs, and at the same time provide
service to healthcare and welfare by contributing to the maintenance and improvement of the qualityof nurse administrators and the standard of nursing.

For information regarding the requirements for certification and the educational system, refer to the JNA
website: http://www.nurse.or.jp/jna/english/nursing/development.html

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Terms Used in the National Examination for Nurses
To obtain a nursing qualification in Japan, one must

similar in sound (e.g. „大野‟ for „Oono‟ (a common

pass the national examination for nurses, which isfamily name) and „小野‟ for „Ono‟ (another common

given only in the Japanese language.

family name)). Without sufficient understanding ofSince the landing of nurse candidates from overseas

Chinese characters, one can mix up affected areas

under the economic partnership agreements, theyor patients, and this will undoubtedly lead tohave had two chances to take the examination.

serious medical errors.

Unfortunately,

only

threeofthesecandidates

2. Nurses are required to handle technical terms

succeeded. Some observers say that the peculiarity

which are used as common language amongof medical terms, in addition to the difficulty of thehealthcare personnel

Japanese language prevents these candidates from

Many technical terms used in medical and nursing

passing the examination. In response, MHLW set up

science are part of a common language for thea panel to review medical and nursing terms to assist

whole healthcare field.

foreign nurse candidates to take the national

where each professional must make judgments

examination for nurses.

and apply procedures that can affect the life of

JNA has expressed its

In a medical setting,stance as follows:patients, these terms are indispensable to convey

1. Understanding of the Japanese language andpromptly and accurately what kind of treatment is

Chinese characters are minimum requirements forto be given to which part of the body. It is quite

safe healthcare.

appropriatetoattempttoreplace

abstruse

To make up a team with Japanese healthcaretechnical terms with easy-to-understand words forworkers and to provide nursing care to Japanesethe public. However, this should not be discussed

patients, one must understand the Japanese

only in the framework of the national nurse

language, at the very least.

examination, but should be treated as a common

Some important

Chinese characters indicate the site are similar inissue for all health care professionals. ■shape (e.g., „右‟ for „right‟ and „左‟ for „left‟), orOn August 24th,the panel had concluded and made suggestions for the national examination.

The keysuggestions are to put down the diseases in both Japanese and English and give the reading of difficult Chinesecharacters by attaching „kana‟ letters which shows pronunciation of Chinese characters. However, medical andnursing technical terms are not subjected to writing neither languages nor attaching kana letters.

The result will

be reflected to next national examination. ■News Topics in Japan
Review of the length of working years for foreign nurses
The Ministry of Justice has commenced studies towards the elimination of the period of working for foreignnurses who have obtained a license in Japan. At present, foreign nurses can work for only seven years at
most in Japan except those who obtained the license in the framework of EPA.

Regarding foreign doctors,

such a limitation was eliminated in 2006 aiming at replenishing the supply of doctors.
4|As of June 2009, there are 75 foreign nurses staying in Japan in the resident status of „medical services,‟
which is subject to this limitation.

JNA News Release2010 Vol.4

Nursing in Japan
Q: What are the standards for qualifying to take the national nurse examination in Japanfor those who graduated from a nursing school abroad or obtained a nursing licenseabroad?
Those who fulfill all of the following criteria are entitled to take the national examination for nurse:(1) Course term at a nursing school
The concerned nursing school should:a.

require a high school diploma for admission (more than 12 years of education) or equivalentqualification;b.

have a course term of more than three years; andc.

provide the student with a total of more than 15 years or equivalent of education by the completion ofthe nursing school course.

(2) Hours of educational subjects
The total hours of the curriculum should exceed 97 units (3,000 hours), while the number of units and hours
required for „Foundation Studies,‟ „Specialized Basic Studies,‟ „Specialized Studies I,‟ „Specialized Studies
II,‟ and „Comprehensive Studies‟ provided by the Ordinance on Accreditation of Vocational Schools for
Public Health Nurses, Midwives and Nurses (Ministerial Ordinance of Ministry of Education and Ministry ofHealth and Welfare, No. 1, in 1951) should be largely fulfilled.
Note that for those who apply on and before August 31, 2010, the minimum total number of units and hours
required is 93 units (2895 hours).
(3) Environment of Education
The environment of the nursing school should be at least equivalent to the educational environment ofnursing schools in Japan.
(4) Accreditation by the government of the country concerned
The nursing school should be accredited formally by the national or state government of the concernedcountry.
(5) One should have a license or qualification for nursing, as a rule, in the country concerned, after graduationfrom the nursing school.
(6) National examination or equivalent qualification system should be in place in the licensing process.
(7) Japanese language ability
Those who do not graduate from a junior high school and high school in Japan must have Level One
certification in the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.
Resource by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/general/sikaku/5a.html

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