The purpose of this study was to examine the states and issues of foreign nurses and care workers working at long-term care facilities (LTCF) for the elderly. A survey of nursing/care managers at LTCFs in the Kanto region in Japan was conducted, using a questionnaire about foreign staff that asked about the experience of hiring them, their nationalities, job titles, and lengths of employment, the preparations taken prior to employing them, problems and difficulties related to employing them, and positive aspects of working with them. Of 1,830 questionnaires posted, 21% received valid responses.
　108 facilities (27.4%) had experience in employing foreign staff. 85 helpers (35.0%), 75 non-certified care workers (30.9%), 18 certified care workers (7.4%), 42 nurse aides (17.3%), 15 candidates of certified care workers via the Economic Partnership Agreement scheme (6.2%), 3 assistant nurses (1.2%), and 1 nurse (0.7%) worked in the responded facilities. Their nationalities were Philippines, China, South Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Peru.
　Reasons listed for employing foreign staff related to shortage of staff, as well as applicants' nursing/caregiving experience, Japanese language skills, good personalities, and competence. Problems mentioned included lack of Japanese communication skills, differences in cultures and customs, and relationships with other staff and residents. Respondents described the positive influence of foreign staff on their Japanese co-workers' attitudes toward work, opportunities to develop their teaching skills as mentors, and experience with different cultures. Facilities with experience hiring foreign staff were more likely to answer that they might recruit foreign staff in the future (chi-square test, p<0.01).
　In order for foreign nurses and care workers and Japanese staff to recognize and respect each other' differences, the development of individual cultural sensitivity and competence is essential. In order to encourage cultural competence among LTCF staff, the study suggests that guidelines and programs for improving cultural competence be developed, and that the sharing of experience between Japanese and foreign staff members be encouraged.

　The purpose of this study was to clarify support certified nurse specialists (CNS) require from their nurse administrators, and to discuss methods that facilitate good relationships between the CNS and their administrators and ensure CNS function effectively.
　Participants were CNS specializing in oncology, critical care, or gerontology with less than 5 years of experience as a CNS. In addition, the nurse administrators who were the direct supervisors of the CNS participated in this study.
　Data were collected by interview and qualitative analyses were conducted.
　The total number of participants was 16, including 8 CNS and 8 administrators. The mean duration of employment as a registered nurse was 18 years, and the mean duration of employment as a CNS was 2 years. Among administrators, the mean duration of employment from a position as a head nurse to the present position as a nurse administrator was 11 years.
　Analysis of data from CNS revealed the following support needs: <To work with the nurse administrators who can empathize with them>, <To enhance the understanding of their role within the organization>, and 4 other categories. Analysis of data from the nurse administrators identified the following types of support: <To consult and educate CNS to enhance their competencies>, <To regularly exchange information to better link the role of the CNS to the organization's needs>, and 4 other categories.
　In conclusion, the present results revealed that the support needs of CNS are important when preparing for the CNS certification exam. The primary role of the nurse administrators is to assess the organizational structure in the hospital and assist CNS in facilitating the development of a quality organization. In terms of Economical support, political action will be required to address this issue in the future. CNS must assess the organizational culture in their hospitals and establish good relationships with nurse administrators through skillful communication.

　This study aims to clarify problems facing post-disaster rehabilitation and nursing, and considers what learning curricula and methods are needed by nurses involved in post-disaster rehabilitation. It frames its approach by setting it in the context of the one-year aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, and is based on group interviews conducted with healthcare professionals. The interviews were qualitatively analyzed, and characteristics of victims were themed as <patients with many complications who need time for recovery and have little family support>, <rehabilitation's effectiveness in solving patients' psychological problems>, <differences in rehabilitation needs in urban and rural areas> and <have serious psychological problems>. The study explores difficulties in providing rehabilitation such as <the pre-existing lack of rehabilitation resources and the situation became worse after the earthquake>, <the workload of healthcare professionals increased>, and <the feeling of powerlessness among professionals based on their awareness of lacking rehabilitation knowledge and skills>. It finds that problems with the provision of rehabilitation include <responding to victims' changing rehabilitation needs>, <establishing a rehabilitation foothold in the stricken area>, <carrying out necessary practical training for service provision prior to the establishment of rehabilitation systems>, <providing education opportunities for patients and families>, <establishing a comprehensive medical care system including rehabilitation>, and <ensuring the availability of learning opportunities for systematic rehabilitation knowledge and skills>. It also recognizes problems in nursing such as <awareness of the importance of patient education>, <the development of rehabilitation nurses' communication skills>, <the acquisition of nursing skills for patients' functioning reacquisition>, <the establishment of professionalism in rehabilitation nursing>, <the standardization of rehabilitation nursing skills>, and <dealing with the cultural barriers to providing psychological support>. Based on these results, the study examines problems of post-disaster rehabilitation and suggests learning content and methods for nurses involved with it.