JNA News Release2012.October Vol.10

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

JNA receives 2012 Prime Minister’s Commendation to contributors for disasterprevention
In recognition of its efforts following the Great East

after the awards ceremony, then -Minister of Health,Japan Earthquake, including the dispatch of disaster

Labor and Welfare Yoko Komiyama told JNA’srelief nurses, JNA was named a recipient of the 2012

Executive Director Kumiko Ii, “We are grateful that you

Prime Minister’s Commendation to contributors for

dispatched nurses to the areas hit by the disaster, anddisaster prevention.

This award is presented to

we are counting on nurses to play an active role inindividuals and groups who have made outstanding

rebuilding the lives of communities and enhancing

achievements in contribution to disaster -prevention

their medical care .”activities at the disaster sites.

In a social gathering

Disaster Relief Nurses
Disaster relief nurses undergo training and practice to enable them to provide disaster evacuees withsuitable medical and nursing care to maintain their health, and nursing professionals affected by thedisaster with support t o alleviate their physical and mental burdens.

There are presently 7,378 disaster

relief nurses registered with the 47 prefectural nursing associations (as of June 2012).

JNA’s efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake are described on its official website:
http://www.nurse.or.jp/jna/english/ .
JNA activity report on the Great East Japan Earthquake in Japanese is now
on the JNA website http://www.nurse.or.jp/home/saigai/hokoku/index.html .
A summary of the report in English will be up on the JNA ’s English websitesoon.

Disaster Nursing Supervisors Conference held
In August, JNA held a conference for the person s inincorporated

charge of disaster nursing at the prefectural nursing

continuing education so that all nurses would beassociations.

capable of disaster relief.”

This conference held annually since

into

basic

nursing

educationandExecutive Director

2004, it seeks to augment and extend nursing relief

Kumiko Ii then a sked for participants’ cooperation inactivities during disasters.

continuing assistance to areas affected by the GreatJNA President Suga Sakamoto stated in her opening

East Japan Earthquake and securing the number ofaddress:

nursing personnel needed.

1|“Ideally,disasternursingwouldbeJNA News Release2012 Vol.10

Data released by the government make it clear that

conducted a joint exercise in coordinating the dispatch

Tokyo, home to JNA’s headquarters, coul d very likelyof disaster relief nurses in order to confirm procedures

suffer a large-scale disaster from an earthquake

and identify issues to be addressed in future.

subsequent to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

the simulation under hypothetical disaster required

Indeed, if the damage due to torrential rains and other

JNA and prefectural nursing associa tions to establish

causes are included, a disaster could well strike at any

contact and coordinate the dispatch of disaster relief

time and any place in Japan. In l ight of this, thenurses.

conference examined basic principles for disaster

previous joint exercises had proven usefulrelief activities and the registration of disaster relief

coordinating the dispatch of disaster relief nurses innurses.

the wake of last year’s Great Ea st Japan Earthquake,

Following this conference, JNA and prefecturalreaffirming the need for such training. ■This isSome of the participants commented thatnursing associations at the end of September

Disaster Prevention Day – September 1
Japan established September 1 as Disaster Prevention Day in 1960.
September 1 was the date on which the magnitude 7.9 Great Kanto Earthquake struck the Tokyo
metropolitan area in 1923, resulting in more than 100,000 persons killed or missing, and this date also
falls during the peak of the annual typhoon season.

Following Typhoon Vera, Japan’s most devastatingpost-war typhoon (4,700 dead, 401 missing), September 1 was originally designated in 1959 as a day toencourage people to make preparations against earth quakes, windstorms, and flooding. The week
including September 1 has now been labeled Disaster Prevention Week, and features disasterprevention events and exercises designed to boost public awareness of disaster prevention.
Source: Tokyo Fire Department (http://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/libr/qa/qa_59.htm )International Public Health Nursing Network Pre-conference
From August 27 to 29, JNA hosted a three -dayconference aimed at developing an international
network for public health nursing.

Symposiums

were held on the first and final days for exchanging
views on public health nurses’ activities in the UK,Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. On the second day,overseas participants and public health nursing
specialists from Japan visited Miyagi Prefecture,
one of the areas hardest hit by the Great East
Japan Earthquake, where they received briefings
on the activities of local public health nurses fromthe day of the disaster to the present and toured
affected areas and tempo rary housing units.
2|Affected Public Health Nurses in Yamamoto town with theparticipants at community support center built withtemporary housing in Yamamoto town, Miyagi.

inJNA News Release2012 Vol.10

The participants from abroad showed great interest

nursing and to share valuable information on thein the reports on the activities of local public healthroles and best practices of public health nursing

nurses who, acquainted with conditions on theworldwide. This three-day program also gave

ground, were able despite being disaster victims

participants a renewed sense of the need for anthemselves to support fellow residents with theinternational public health nursing network, andmutualdiscussions focused on constructing

assistanceofcolleagues;

these

explanations offered the participants opportunities

such anetwork in future. ■to gain insight into the true nature of public healthNursing in JapanQ What competencies are required of disaster relief nurses?
● Competencies required of nursing professionals engaged in relief activities
The following competencies are particularly necessary for emergency relief activities:
1. Judgment, 2. Ability to take action, 3. Ability to get things done, 4. Leadership, 5. Ability to adapt tosudden changes in circumstances, 6. Ability to coordinate human relations, 7. Cooperativeness, 8.
Independence● Years of experience required
Nurses must be able to perform a full range of general nursing practices, so at least 3-5 years of experienceis usually required.
● Areas of nursing specialty
The areas of specialty of the nursing professionals engaged in relief activities play an important pa rt inon-site activities. There is not enough time, manpower or space during emergencies to provide adequate
orientations or engage in preliminary discussions, and nurses must immediately set to work. As nursing
needs will likely to change over the course of a disaster, nursing professionals will be selected based on theareas of specialty needed at particular times.
[Nursing specialty needs over the course of a disaster]
Post-disaster time frame

Nursing/relief needs

Disaster – initial reaction(First 3 days after disaster)Emergency care nursing, Triage
Operating theatre nursing, Dialysis nursing, Surgical nursing
Emergency nursing management

Initial reaction – short-term response(3 days – 2 weeks after disaster)

Medical nursing, Chronic diseases nursing
Surgical nursing

Medium-term response(Several weeks – 3 months afterdisaster)

Mental health and psychiatric nursing
Community nursing
Nursing professionals knowledgeable on social resources andcapable of utilizing themAll-around nursing skill s across a variety of nursing specialties

Long-term response(More than 3 months after disaster)Community nursing,
Mental health and psychiatric nursing (dealing with alcohol
dependency, etc.)

3|JNA News Release2012 Vol.10● Physical and mental fitness
Relief efforts during emergencies place significant stress on care providers, making physical and mental
fitness a prerequisite. Nurses must be confident in their physical and mental fortitude.

Logo mark for Disaster relief nurses

Above: checking evacuee’s blood pressure
Left: break time with supply

News Topics in Japan
Website dedicated to “quality of employment” launched
On September 6, the Ministry of Health, Labo ur and Welfare has launched a website dedicated to the“quality of employment” of nurses and other health care professionals. Numerous efforts have been
pursued on the basis of a June 2011 report by a Ministry project team on improving the “quality ofemployment” of nurses, etc. Some of the efforts being made to improve the working environments at
health care institutions are described at this website.

Efforts made to improve the employment environment in health care settings
On September 25, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) announced that it w ould bebolstering efforts to improve the employment environment in health care settings for nurses,physicians and ot her health care professionals. “The Project team for Improving the Qua lity of Jobs inHealth” organized within the Ministry will study ideas to promote a diversity of work patterns, support
systems for rehiring unemployed nurses, etc. The Project Team will not be vertically -structured, butinstead will comprise personnel fro m various bureaus across the MHLW.

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