Address by the Chairperson
At the Board of Directors meeting that took place on June 17, 2024, I was appointed to the position of Chairperson of the Board. I look forward to further building on the accomplishments achieved under the guidance of the previous chairperson, and at the same time endeavoring to educate and support foreign nurses amidst the changes occurring at a dizzying pace in these current times. Your continued understanding and support will be very much appreciated.
In Japan, a shortage of doctors and nurses due to a declining birthrate and aging population has become an increasingly critical social issue. Amidst these circumstances, starting from 2005 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, based on the Three-Year Plan to Promote Regulatory Reform and Relax Private Sector Regulations, began making foreigners with residence permission whose range of allowable activities was limited under their residence status eligible to take national examinations.
Based on this policy of deregulation, we held an organizational meeting in December 2005 and were officially launched as an NPO in June 2006. Since then we have been engaged in ongoing efforts and activities, and as of April 2024, we have successfully produced a total of 471 nurses (out of 490 who took the examination) and sent them out into the medical field.
One feature of our NPO that we can highlight is that we don’t simply introduce foreign nurses who have passed the national exam to the medical field; we make sure that they have a thorough understanding of the sympathetic and emotional component of nursing in Japan. To do this, before concluding contracts with potential partner schools in foreign countries, we ensure that we share a mutual understanding thorough exchanges of opinions and facility tours. Another particular focus is helping nurse candidates who come to Japan understand Japanese culture by interacting with local residents and taking part in volunteer activities. When a medical facility demonstrates an interest in accepting foreign nurses, we conduct visits to the facility, assess the level of understanding on the part of management and in the facility, and look closely at various systems, and then introduce our nurses only to facilities that meet the standards set by our NPO. This is all done under certification standards we established that must be met by facilities before we assign foreign nurses to them.
Following this path, we have developed a comprehensive nurse training program that includes finding affiliated schools in foreign countries, helping nurses prepare to take the national exam after coming to Japan, providing support in their everyday lives, helping them become familiar with Japanese culture, and ultimately issuing certification to facilities where the nurses will be working. In addition, in 2024 we established an alumni association, ensuring that we continue to support graduates of the school who are working in Japan after they begin their work in the medical field, as well as providing a way for graduates to support each other and to continue strengthening the bonds among them.
A number of our graduates are already working as head nurses. We will continue to work towards ensuring the necessary number and quality of nurses, and contributing to the enhancement of the medical supply system, making sure that the people of Japan can take confidence in the medical institutions that serve as their lifeline.
