Public Health Nurses' Perceptions of Their Roles and Activities Throughout the Phases of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: A Qualitative Study.

: To explore how Public Health Nurses (PHNs) in Fukushima perceived their roles and activities as necessary or inadequate from the immediate aftermath through the long-term recovery of the nuclear disaster. : We conducted a qualitative study using a self-administered questionnaire with open-ended questions to capture the perceptions of PHNs across three disaster phases: peacetime; nuclear emergency; and recovery. Responses were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.

Factors associated with work engagement of nurses in the radiology department, Japan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Radiology departments present unique challenges compared to other departments due to exposure to radiation and the specialized nature of the work. Nurses must not only manage typical nursing duties but also adhere to strict safety protocols to minimize radiation exposure. These additional responsibilities can significantly impact their work engagement and overall job satisfaction.

Evaluating the Impact of Reminiscence Therapy on Cognitive and Emotional Outcomes in Dementia Patients.

This study examines the impact of reminiscence therapy on cognitive and emotional well-being in institutionalized older patients with dementia. Conducted at the Long-Term Care Health Facility for the Elderly, the research involved 34 participants who underwent therapy sessions that included personalized discussions of past experiences. Using physiological markers such as electroencephalography alpha and beta waves, along with psychological measures such as the Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised, the study aimed to quantify the effects of the therapy.

Analyzing the challenges faced by recently qualified nurses in radiation therapy nursing at Japan's National University Hospitals: Uncovering the determinants of difficulty.

Objective: Newly graduated nurses embarking on careers in radiation therapy nursing at Japan's National University Hospitals face a spectrum of challenges, many of which have received limited attention in existing literature. This study aimed to uncover the primary difficulties encountered by these nurses, with a specific focus on their implications for training and systematic education.

Methods: Employing a survey involving nurses from five prestigious medical institutions in Japan, we explored the real-time experiences and challenges within radiation therapy nursing.

How Do Disaster Relief Nurses in Japan Perceive and Respond to Risks? A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study assessed the risk perceptions among disaster relief nurses (DRNs) in Japan by focusing on 15 risk factors associated with frequent natural disasters and the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study that targeted DRNs across six prefectures in Japan and explored nurses' perceptions of risks including radiation exposure, volcanic eruptions, and mass infections. The findings indicated a heightened perception of radiation and nuclear-related risks.

A Comparison of the Contents of Disaster Nursing Practices and Perceived Difficulties among Nurses Working at Welfare Evacuation Shelters during Natural Disasters and Multiple Disasters: A Qualitative Study.

In this study, we compared the disaster relief practices of nurses who worked in welfare shelters in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, areas in which only natural disasters occurred, and nurses who worked in Fukushima Prefecture, an area in which both nuclear and natural disasters occurred during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, in order to identify commonalities and differences between them. We conducted semi-structured interviews with two nurses from each prefecture. The results revealed that "nursing practice with minimal available materials and personnel" and "nursing practice based on knowledge and experience as a nurse" were common themes in the content of nursing practices, whereas "securing human resources during disasters and considering ideal welfare evacuation centers" and "recording the difficulties in dealing with nuclear disasters" were uncommon themes.

A low-birth-weight risk assessment scale: development and validation through a questionnaire-based survey.

Background: Birth weight is continuously decreasing in Japan since food satiation has become a problem in recent years. The present study aimed to develop and examine the reliability and validity of a scale for the assessment of risk factors for low birth weight in infants born at term.

Methods: A self-administered postal questionnaire survey comprising a low birth weight risk assessment scale was conducted on mothers with children of nursery school or kindergarten age.

Survey of Difficult Experiences of Nurses Caring for Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy: An Analysis of Factors in Difficult Cases.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the difficult experiences of nurses who cared for patients undergoing radiation therapy and factors related to patient feelings toward the progress and difficulties of treatment and the kind of care needed.

Methods: A descriptive survey using a questionnaire. Anonymous self-report data were collected from a sample of 228 nurses who had 2-5 years of nursing experience in a National University Hospital in Japan.

Comparison of rescue and relief activities within 72 hours of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Purpose: To clarify the factors and reasons for the differences in the outcomes of rescue and relief efforts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, mainly focusing on the numbers of rescue/relief staffs and casualties in the period within 72 hours of the atomic bombings in August 1945.

Methods: By retrieving the data and information from the records and reports concerning the disasters in the two cities, together with other publications as to the damages by the atomic bombings and subsequent rescue-relief activities, and restoration activities.

Results And Conclusions: It seems that there was less damage in Nagasaki, where a stronger atomic bomb was used than in Hiroshima.

Individual testimonies of nursing care after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945.

Purpose: To describe the situation with respect to nursing care conducted immediately before and after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945.

Methods: Nurses who were registered nursing staff in Nagasaki at the time of the bombing volunteered to participate in this research. Individual interviews were conducted to obtain information concerning the nursing activities in affected areas.

Individual testimonies to nursing care after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.

Aim: The aim of the present research is to clarify the nursing care conducted just before and after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.

Methods: Five surviving nurses, who were registered nursing staff at that time in Hiroshima, offered to participate in this research. Individual interviews were conducted in order to obtain the information concerning the nursing activities in the disaster-stricken areas.