The Sentaku magazine article published in The Japan Times on Sept. 1, "Japanese nurses blocking skilled help from overseas," appears to give a very one-sided view. While the Japan Nursing Association may have objections to the introduction of foreign nurses, job protection does not seem to be the reason. Japan does not have a nursing shortage; it has a shortage of nurses willing to work as nurses.
Sentaku's opinion that JNA's attitude poses a threat to the health of the nation's residents seems misguided. These foreign workers are not "qualified' to work in Japan. They do not have a valid Japanese nursing license, they cannot speak medically technical Japanese, they cannot read the contents of a Japanese medical record, and therefore cannot command wages equal to what Japanese nurses earn. So how can they possibly work as nurses and promote the health of residents here?
There is no evaluation in foreign countries to assess equivalency to Japanese skills (except for language). Do Japanese patients want foreign trainee nurses at their bedside who are unlicensed, struggle with technical medical terms and cannot read the contents of the medical record? I think not.
The answer may be to accept foreign students with adequate language ability into Japanese nursing schools and colleges and let them get the education and skills they need in Japan. This seems better than requiring foreign nurses to train, study the language, learn technical language and cultural norms, then provide services at the same time for a low wage, only to fail the licensing exam and be repatriated.
JNA may be correct: This is a trade issue, not a practical answer to the "shortage" of nurses willing to work as nurses.
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