JNA News Release2013 August, Vol.12

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

Tel: +81-3-5778-8559

Fax: +81-3-5778-8478

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

FY 2013 Annual General Convention
Japanese Nursing Association held its annual

Shinobu Ogawa, former Executive Officer in charge ofgeneral convention for the fiscal year 2013 on Juneinternational affairs, retired from the office at the end

4th and 5th. The convention was attended by a totalof the term, and Ikumi Nakaita is taking over asof 5,937 representatives and JNA members. During

Executive Officer for international affairs.■

the convention, reports on priority policies and main
projects and the work plans for the current FY werepresented, and attracted lively discussions.

TheBoard

themembers

havebeenelectedatIkumi Nakaita
Executive Officer in charge ofconvention, and the incumbent President, Suga

International Affairs

Sakamoto, was re-elected for a second term.

JNA Organizational Restructuring
JNA adopted a new organizational structure as of July 1st. The healthcare environment has been changing
dramatically, creating various challenges for our healthcare services in recent years.

Through thisrestructuring of the divisions and respective services and duties within our organization, JNA intends tostrengthen our capacity to formulate policies and to meet those challenges in a speedy and flexible fashion.
Under the new organizational structure, JNA will implement quality and fruitful work to create the work
environment in which nurses are able to continue working, to improve the quality of nursing, and to develop andexpand the areas of nursing, so that JNA’s missions can be achieved. ■Survey of Hospital Nurses Salary
In February and March 2013, JNA conducted asurvey of the salaries for hospital nurses.

Thiswas the first large-scale survey focusing on thesalary of nurses.

Contentsz

FY 2013 Annual General Convention

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JNA Organizational Restructuring

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Survey of Hospital Nurses Salary

1-2zEfforts to Strengthen Functions ofNursing at Long-Term Care Facilities

The mean monthly salary (for January 2013) of anurse (fulltime, permanent employee, working in aztax and insurance deductions, including various

1|Guideline for Developing Disaster
Response Manual in Birthing Facilities

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Nursing in Japan

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News Topics in Japan

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non-managerial role, mean age of 36.1 years) was¥254,583 (about $2,594). The total income before

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JNA News Release2013 Vol.12

allowances such as night shift allowance wasobserved when using the data from the “Survey on¥352,157(about $3,588). The mean rate of basic

Salary by Occupation 2012” published by National

monthly salary increase, although increasing with

Personnel Authority to compare the total monthlyage, remained 145% at 54 years of age compared

incometo the group between 20 and 24 years of age.

allowances with other healthcare professions. ■includingnightshift

andovertime

Note, the slow increase in nurses’ salaries is also(JPY)
Nurse
Pharmacist
Clinical Laboratory Technician
Occupational Therapist

550,000
500,000

Assistant Nurse
Medical Radiorogy TechnisianPhysical Therapist

450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
20-23

24-27

28-31

32-35

36-39

40-43

44-47

48-51

52-55 (age)Comparison of nurses’ total monthly income with other professions
1 JPY = 0.0102 US$ as of August 14

Efforts to Strengthen Functions of Nursing at Long-Term Care Facilities
Japan is faced with a rapidly aging society that has not been seen anyw here else in the world.

At long-termcare facilities, one of the options among the places where aged persons can spend their lives, the medicalcare needs of residents have been increasing.

Long-term care facilities with fewer nursing staff do not only

need specialized knowledge and skills, but also the management skills with wider perspective. However,there are not many training opportunities.

Even if trainings are available, it rarely offers systematicprograms. It is difficult to obtain the required competency in a step by step manner under the current
circumstances.

To strengthen the functions of nurses working at long -term care facilities, JNA developed a“Systematic Training Program for Nurses at Long-Term Care Facilities” in 2012.

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JNA News Release2013 Vol.12

In 2013, after review by a special committee and pilot projects, the “Guideline for Nursing Practice atLong-Term Care Facilities” has been developed.

This guidebook provides a specific and manageable

practical nursing guideline for the nurses working at long-term care facilities to deliver effective care while
collaborating with other professions.

This book focuses on i) special characteristics of elderly people, ii) therole of nursing and nursing practice, iii) the development of a system of nursing practice at a long-term carefacility, and iv) the establishment of a system of learning and improving specialized knowledge and skills, andis structured to be used effectively by practicing nurses on a daily basis. ■Guideline for Developing Disaster Response Manual in Birthing Facilities
As a part of our actions to utilize the lessons learned

manual AND routine drills enabled them to makefrom the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11,

decisions and to take appropriate actions when the2011,

disaster struck.

wehavepublisheda“Guidelinefor

Developing Disaster Response Manual in Birthing

This Guideline aims for wide range of interventions

Facilities.”

covering up to three months after the disasterA study conducted by JNA found that only a few

occurs including raising awareness of midwives tofacilities had established a manual with instructions

enable delivery under any circumstances suchon what to do if a disaster striked during delivery.

lifelines have been severed, and preparation to

There were also differences in level of statements

protect pregnant and parturient women and infant,even if the manuals included such scenarios. This

who are the vulnerable groups under disaster

result prompted us to publish the Guideline

circumstances. The guideline has three parts

providing ideas for each birth facility to use whenfacilitating the development of i) a manual fordeveloping its own manual, as a lesson from theeveryday preparedness, ii) a manual for theGreat East Japan Earthquake. The lesson learned

required actions immediately following a disaster,from the Earthquake is that preparedness should beand, iii) a manual for the required actions for mid-sought for anytime, and routinely when there’s noand long-term support . We hope that this

attack of disaster.

“Development Guideline” will be used at each facility

adisaster

Even if a facility is equipped withresponsemanual,staff

cannotto develop a manual suitable to each facility’snecessarily perform those actions at the time of arespective

disaster.

functions and that drills will be conducted according

It has become clear from hearing reports

from the disaster-affected areas that having had ageographicalcharacter,rolesandto the developed manual. ■News Topics in Japan
System of notification by persons holding a nursing qualification
On June 20th, a proposal, the “Creation of a system of notification by persons holding a nursing qualification
to the prefectural nurse center,” as a part of a revision of the Act on Assurance of Work Forces of Nurses
and Other Medical Experts, was proposed to the Healthcare Committee of the Social Welfare Council,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Related discussions are expected to continue.

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JNA News Release2013 Vol.12

Nursing in JapanQ How are nurses’ salaries determined in Japan?
A nurse’s salary is determined based on his/her age, number of years of continued employment,
educational background, job description and roles, according to the salary system at each facility.
• National hospitals employ a salary system stipulated by the Salary Scale for Nurses as National
Employees, while other publicly funded hospitals use a salary system stipulated by their respective localgovernments.
• Other hospital/facilities have their own salary system. This situation creates g aps in standard salaries
among regions as well as facilities.
When comparing the composition of the total income earned by nurses with that of other healthcare
professions, there is a visible trend that the addition of the allowance such as night shift and over -time
makes up a larger portion, while the basics alary constitutes a smaller portion.

News Topics in Japan
Florence Nightingale Medal
On May 12th, Dr. Setsuko Hisatsune, a former president of Japanese Nursing Association and Ms.
Aiko Kin, Deputy Director and Director of Nursing of Japanese Red Cross Ishinomaki Hospital, wereamong the 44th group of recipients of Florence Nightingale Medals. Dr. Hisatsune’s long -term
involvement in nursing education and her actions and achievements in disaster relief for thedisaster-affected areas in the aftermath of the Great Hanshin Awa ji Earthquake and the Great East
Japan Earthquake were recognized. Furthermore, as a former president of JNA, she was instrumental
in leading the partial revisions of the “Act on Public Health Nurses, Midwives and Nurses” and the “Acton Assurance of Work Forces of Nurses and Other Medical Experts,” which requires to make effort in
implementation ofa clinical training program for newly graduated nurses, and contributed to thedevelopment of nursing education.

Ms. Kin, as a Deputy Director and Director of Nursing at a one of

the hospital in devastated area, devotedly worked for the aid activities and played a key role in theaftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. And also her achievements of practical education anddrill for disasters in normal times were recognized.

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