The Role of NPs in Acute Settings in a University Hospital

30^th Global Nursing and Health Care Conference

May 23-24, 2023 | Webinar

Miyuki Hirosue

Fujita Health University Hospital, JAPAN

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Adv Practice Nurs

Abstract :

Japanese physicians work too much. It is a big problem in Japanese medical system. A result of one investigation by the Government of Japan in 2012 showed around 40% of physicians had worked over 60 hours every week. That meant they had high risk of KAROSHI, death due to overwork. Therefore, the government started “Work System Reform for Physicians”. It will be a duty for all physicians to reduce overwork within limitations which the government ruled. In 2014, the Government amended the primary law for nurses to create a Nurse Practitioner (NP) system like an American one. In 2012, in advance, Fujita Health University (FHU) had started the master's course for acute care NPs, the graduate school, major in Health Science. There are 38 kinds of specified medical interventions for Japanese NPs, which the government established. For instance, insertion of arterial catheters, adjusting the intubation tubes' depth, changing ventilator settings and insertion periphery inserted central catheters that Japanese nurses had not done before the NP system. They also do some medical practices under the physicians' direction. For instance, sutures, laparoscopes, and seeing patients in Emergency Department as well. Japanese NPs are allowed to do specified medical interventions depending on the curriculum of each NP course and have the curriculum for the full practice in FHU. However, Japanese NPs cannot prescribe medicine without physicians' direct order or in our clinics. Also, the NP qualification is still not national. It is certified by the Japan Society of Nurse Practitioners. Now, there are 33 NPs and 25 graduate students in our facility, of 760 NPs in our country. Physicians can focus on their job in their profession and that would help the overwork problem. As a result, Japanese NP system would work for better medical service for patients.

Biography :

Miyuki Hirosue is a chief Nurse Practitioner (NP) in Fujita Health University Hospital in Aichi, JAPAN. Also, she is a graduate student in General Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine. For the management of the department of NP, raising awareness of NPs and increasing staff are priority issue. For her research, incidental findings of whole-body CT scan in Emergency Department are a theme. She has her experience of a registered nurse for fourteen years and a radiological technologist for three years in neurosurgery hospital before the NP curriculum in Fujita Health University.