JNA News Release2017 March Vol.22

JNA News Release
Japanese Nursing Association

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

Message from JNA President, Dr. Suga Sakamoto
My term as the President of JNA will come to an end in
June. When I first assumed this position, I was confronted
with the question how nurses should address Japan’s
super-aging society, and felt the need to propose a vision.
In 2015, we issued a document named “Future Vision ofNursing: Nurses’ Endeavour toward 2025 – Nursing
Supports and Sustains Human Life, Living and Dignity,”
which describes our plans toward 2025, and also clarifies
the direction of the activities to achieve this Vision. The
Government is restructuring the social security system inpreparation for the year 2025, when the first babyboomer generation will be 75 years or older. In the“Future Vision of Nursing,” we have clearly indicated therole of nurses at this time of social transformation that nurses can manage care integration throughproviding care from a broad perspective with the viewpoint of “healthcare” and “living” which nurses
possess. In this way, we have been successful in raising public awareness about our policies to expand
our activities settings from hospital to community and home-based care.
I am also glad to see that many matters I had been dreaming about, even before becoming the President,
are steadily taking shape with the support of JNA and its members: (1) the promotion of work-life balance,(2) a system to evaluate and improve the quality of nursing, and (3) a system to evaluate the competencyof individual nurses. For the rest of my term, I commit myself to promote enhancement of basic nursing
education, such as extending the period to 4 years. If we look ahead and give due consideration to those
who will have to confront the as-yet-unknown or unimaginable challenges after 10 to 20 years’ time, it isclear that “education” needs to be addressed right now. As the role expansion of nurses are required,nurses must be equipped not only with knowledge and skills but also with the ability to make their own
decisions and judgements, and to act responsibly. I hope that more nurses will grow into leaders who caninitiate changes, and as the President, I will continue to make efforts to moving forward. ■1|

JNA News Release2017 Vol.22

The Wage System of Nurses Employed by Hospitals
In June 2016, JNA published the JNA’s proposal forhours.

“the wage system of nurses employed by hospitals”.

These proposals are made to encourage nurses toWhen JNA conducted a survey of the wage ofshape and enhance their careers as professionals

nurses for the first time in 2012, various issues cameand to support them to continue working withto light e.g., slow wage increase with age, andmotivation and fulfillment. These proposals also

dissatisfaction with wage are important reasons foraims to help hospitals ensure the retention of nurses,

leaving job. JNA believes that it is necessary to

promote the securement and utilization of diverse

promote a fair and acceptable wage and treatment.

human resources, and provide high quality nursing

We think the wage system should support nurses,care.

who contribute to people’ health, to provide highlyAlthough it is not easy to change the wage system,

valued care as professionals, so that nurses can

JNA hopes that hospitals will look into all possibilities

work comfortably throughout their entire career andand move forward in ways that match their own

realize the work style meeting their needs.

situation.■

The first proposal is “the wage system model” (seeTable 1 on the next page). It proposes to categorize
nurses according to their competencies and roles(multi-track personnel promotion system), namely,“professional group,” “administration/managementgroup,” and “highly skilled professional group.” Eachgroup will also be sub-divided into several steps
according to the level of competency and expertise(grade system). The mechanism to set thewage/treatment by category and step is the core
concept of the proposed “wage system model.” Thesteps can be formulated based on the clinical ladderfor nurses.
The second proposal is “the wage/treatment tosecure and utilize diverse human resources.” We
propose an additional point reward system based on
the working arrangements and limitations of working

Frog for change
JNA started Kaeru Project for Nurses in 2009 toimprove working conditions for nurses. Thesymbol of the project is a frog, which called“Kaeru” in Japanese. “Kaeru” also has several
meaning including to change, to return, toexchange and to hatch.
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JNA News Release2017 Vol.22
Multiple-track personnel promotion
Professional Group
Example ofClinical ladderlevel of nurseofcareer
competencies
development
for midwifery
ladderpractice®

Step

Level ofjob skill

M3

Class

G5

ExpertClass5Class4
Class3
Class2
Class1

Level IV

G4
G3

Level III

Level III

Director ofNursing
Vice Directorof NursingHead nurse

Vice headnurse, Chief(Class to bedeterminedthroughpost/role forvice headnurse orchief only)

Class to be
determined bycompletion of
the third level,and contribution
to organization
throughpost/role

Certified Nurse

Nurse who
completedtrainings fornurses toperform specificmedicalinterventions

Class to be
determined bycompletion ofmaster’s
degree ofuniversity/colle
ge of nursing,renewal, andcontribution toorganization
throughpost/role

Class to be
determined bycompletion ofmaster’s
degree ofuniversity/colle
ge of nursing,number ofareas oftraining, andcontribution toorganization
throughpost/role

S5
Class to bedetermined bycompletion of thesecond level, andcontribution toorganization
through post/role

Class to be determined by completionof the first level, and contribution toorganization through post/role

S4

S3

S2

Class to be
determined byrenewal, andcontribution toorganization
throughpost/role

S1

Level II

Minimum of 2 years required

Level II

G2
G1

M2
Level III, IV(Class to bedetermined byrenewal, and M1-2
contribution toorganization
throughpost/role)
M1-1

Minimum of 3 years required

Mid-level(Reference)
Level of curriculum for Certified Nurse StepAdministrator1)
Certified Nurse
Specialist

M4

Level V
(Class to bedeterminedaccording tocontribution toorganization)

Job title

MidwifeClass9Class8Class
7

Highly-skilled professional group
Post/role(The following qualifications are prerequisites, andclasses are determined depending on contributions of
posts/roles in specialty)

StepNurseClass
6

Administration/management group

Level I

Minimum of 2 years required

NewGraduate

Level I

Level newgraduate

Minimum of 1 years required1) Certified Nurse Administrator (CAN): A nurse is certified as a CNA upon accumulating a certain amount of experience after obtaining a national qualification for nurses, and then passing thecredentialing examination given by JNA after completing a master’s program at a graduate school or an education program for certification. There are three levels in the CNA curriculum which
are the first level, the second level and the third level.

Table 1. The wage system model
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JNA News Release2017 Vol.22

The 4th China-Japan-Korea (CJK) Nursing Conference
The 4th CJK Nursing Conference was held in Beijing,efforts to achieve the “Future Vision of Nursing:

China, from 12 to 14 November 2016. The

Nurses’ Endeavour toward 2025” and introduced ourconference is a joint initiative of the Chinese Nursing

endeavors to expand basic nursing education,

Association (CNA), Korean Nurses Association

enhance nursing career development, strengthen(KNA), and JNA. Five years have passed since thenursing competencies, and expand the roles ofprevious conference, and this time it was organized

nurses, to improve the quality of nursing care.

by CNA and co-hosted by KNA and JNA. Over 1,300

In the JNA session, consisting of our activities,

nurses gathered under the theme “Enhancing

presentations were given to explain the Clinicalprofessional

through

Ladder for Nurses (JNA version), our efforts toward

promoting academic development.” A total of 83

dementia nursing (including the development of thenurses attended from Japan.

Guidebook for Dementia Care), and JNA’s proposal

Keynote lectures were given by the Presidents ofregarding the wages of nurses working in hospitals.

CNA, JNA, KNA as well the President of theThe hall was full, reflecting the level of interest in ourInternational Council of Nurses (ICN). Dr. Sakamoto,activities. ■competencyofnurses

the President of JNA, made a presentation on ourKeynote speakers and moderators
Second from the left is Dr. Sakamoto, JNA
President

News Topics in JapanNew fields of Certified Nurse Specialists (CNS)
November 24, 2016: The board of JNA approved the addition of “Genetics Nursing” and “DisasterNursing”; therefore, there are currently 13 specialized fields for the qualification of Certified NurseSpecialist.
For more information on Certified Nurse Specialist, please refer to our English website.
http://www.nurse.or.jp/jna/english/nursing/education.html

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