Objectives

  The need to develop and produce human resources for global health is increasing. The objective of this study was to reveal through qualitative research as a first step of Discrete Choice Experiment, which job ‘attributes’ are considered important by Japanese medical and non-medical personnel in considering employment at health-related international organizations. We then sought to identify appropriate support measures that match the chosen attributes for those who wish to work for international organizations.

Methods

  We requested a total of 20 subjects from 3 groups of Japanese medical and non-medical personnel; 1. those who wish to work for health-related international organizations (applicant group), 2. those who are currently working (working group) and, 3. those who resigned (resigned group).

  Subjects were asked to choose and rank in order of importance, 11 pre-defined attributes when considering employment at international organizations, followed by semi-structured interviews.

Results

  All three groups chose job content, opportunity for self-realization and opportunity for capacity development as top three attributes. This was followed by duty station as second place tie for working group and fourth place for applicant and resigned groups.

  However, for applicant and working groups, emphasis on employee’s entitlements such as work-life-balance, salary, welfare, job security/long-term contract ranked mid- to lower-level between fifth to eighth places. Guaranteed job where one can return to when one leaves the current post, ranked ninth place and opportunity for children’s education and opportunity for spouse’s job ranked tenth equally.

  For the resigned group, work-life-balance and job security/long-term contract ranked fifth place equally but other attributes were not chosen.

Conclusion

  The study findings suggested that Japanese medical and non-medical personnel who aim for employment at health-related international organizations have tendencies to opt for utilization of their experiences and expertise, and search for capacity development and self-realization, rather than better employee entitlements or working/living conditions.

  According to the attributes ranking, we consider implementation of career development seminars on expected job satisfaction at international organizations as the primary support measure to encourage and dispatch more personnel. However, publicity highlighting employee entitlements such as work-life-balance, working environment for women and welfare alongside salary may also provide better incentive.

  Insecure contract terms, a lack of national organizations and hospitals that value the experience gained in international organizations present a challenge. There is a need to work with these organizations in the mid- to long-term to inform them on the benefits of accepting those staff wishing to return after a period working within international organizations.

Introduction

  This study aims to reveal the current status and issues on global health competency (GHC) education as well as the perceptions and opinions of nursing academics at universities and vocational colleges about providing GHC education to their students at basic nursing education programs.

Methods

  A Japanese open-ended questionnaire and qualitative content analyses facilitated the first-ever evaluation of Japanese nursing education by standard GHC items developed by Wilson et al. (2012) in the Americas. Using NVivo 11 Plus software, qualitative descriptions of the respondents obtained were coded and the data with similar content were organized into core categories.

Results

  A total of 331 Japanese nursing academics, including 66 deans, 135 principals, and other educators at universities and vocational colleges responded to the questionnaire. The academics recognized the importance of GHC education for their students in basic nursing education programs to adapt to globalization in Japan. On the other hand, they noted the difference in education curricula with the Americas and commented that advanced GHC indicators such as assessment and analysis skills were not feasible in current Japanese nursing education. Insufficient time and specialized instructors in GHC education were other reasons for the reluctance to provide GHC education for nursing academics.

Conclusions

  Incorporating GHC elements into existing courses and promoting nursing educators’ understanding and skills of GHC education through FDs may effectively alleviate their concerns about lack of time and personnel while providing GHC education to their nursing students. Promoting an open, detailed discussion and active conversation among educators is also necessary to reduce the barriers and gradually promote GHC education starting with what can be implemented.

Introduction

  It has been pointed out that in Japan the language barrier prevents non-native Japanese speakers from accessing medical services and health information. “Yasashii Nihongo” is considered as a way to overcome this barrier. This is not the language native speakers use but a version adjusted to suit the audience’s Japanese ability. This study aimed to describe nursing students’ skills in rewriting Japanese medical information for non-native Japanese residents and knowledge for the skills and to examine a trial intervention to improve their skills and knowledge.

Methods

  A cross-sectional study and an interventional study were conducted. In each study, data were collected through self-reported questionnaires targeting nursing students. Their skills and knowledge were summarized. The associations between skills and knowledge were examined, as well as the association between skills in rewriting two example sentences. In the interventional study, a workshop teaching “Yasashii Nihongo” was offered to participants. Changes in skills and knowledge after the intervention were also assessed statistically.

Results

  In the cross-sectional study, a median general score to assess skills was four out of five, and the number of knowledge items was two out of sixteen.

  In the interventional study, an association between skills in the two example sentences was found (p-value = 0.04). However, there was no significant difference in skills or knowledge before and after the intervention.

Conclusion

  In the cross-sectional study, participants suggested only few knowledge items of “Yasashii Nihongo”, but they suggested high skill scores. In the intervention study, we could not confirm the effectiveness of teaching “Yasashii Nihongo”. To increase the knowledge level of nursing students and to use the knowledge in actual rewriting, it is necessary to reconsider the teaching contents and to allow appropriate time for the intervention.

Objectives

  The authors conducted a technical assistance project on tuberculosis (TB) control in Bauleni, Chelston, and Chilenje, Lusaka, Zambia in 2012-2015. Herein we describe the project activities and achievements.

Methods

  We trained community health volunteers (CHVs) and organized their activities. We evaluated the project considering the trends of TB cases, particularly the percent of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases among the presumptive (suspected) TB cases, and treatment outcomes.

Results

  We organized training for the CHVs of three areas. The CHVs conducted a total of 160 community sensitizations attended by over 50 000 community members. They visited their assigned patients 23 716 times. At Bauleni, the number of bacteriologically positive (bac+) cases exhibited a decreasing trend (r = −0.55, p=0.03), whereas that of the presumptive TB cases exhibited an increasing trend (r = 0.70, p = 0.004). At Chelston, both the numbers of bac+ cases and the presumptive TB cases exhibited increasing trends (r = 0.52, p = 0.046 and r = 0.68, p = 0.005, respectively). At Chilenje, the number of bac+ TB cases exhibited a decreasing trend (r = −0.84, p < 0.001), whereas that of the presumptive TB cases did not change (r = 0.09, p = 0.76). In all three areas, the proportions of the bac+ cases among the presumptive TB cases exhibited decreasing trends (p < 0.0001 at all three clinics). The treatment success rates improved in Chelston and Chilenje from 50.7% and 61.9%, respectively, in early 2011 to 78.3% and 97.0%, respectively, in late 2014 (both p < 0.001). The treatment success rates of Bauleni maintained at over 85% in most quarters.

Conclusion

  The activities of the project contributed to the strengthened local national TB programme, resulting in the decreased burden of TB in the areas.