This paper presents an introduction to the brain death and the organ transplantation, the controversial points, and the tasks for health and medical sociologists. In conclusion, we should conduct (1) a study of a relationship between health workers and patients or among health workers, (2) a study from the viewpoint of health policies and medical economics, and (3) studies on the Japanese thinking death, the characteristics of Japanese medical care and Japanese patients’ attitude toward medical care.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problems of manpower of nursing and care worker from the viewpoint of nursing history.

First, problems regarding to status of education and training was discussd from the viewpoit of nursing education system

Second, problems of quarification of care worker that was legislated in 1987 were discussed from nursing history.

Last, a relationship between nurse and care worker was discussed.

To find present research subjects to be studied by social sciences on health and medicine in Japan, some recent social problems on chemicals, particularly medicines and food additives, in relation to our health were discussed.

This article was aimed at demonstrating how and how much sociology has contributed to nursing research by using citation analyses. References of all articles appearing in NURSING RESEARCH, a representative journal of the field, from 1987 to 1989, were examined.

The results were as follows: (1) One out of five articles in the journal cited at least one article in some sociological journal. (2) Many articles in journals regarding social behavior or family were cited often in NURSING RESEARCH articles, but those in other areas of sociology, for example, social group, organization, bureaucracy, etc., were seldom referred to.

Based on the results, it was discussed what kinds of sociology would be informative to nursing researchers in the future.

“Kijun-kango” is a system in japan related to the personnel necessary of ward-nurse (nurse and assistant nurse) and remuneration. In 1990, about 39 percent of total hospitals adopt this sysytem, however, large number of small and medium-sized hospitals do not adopt it yet. The purpose of this paper is to elcidate the acutual situation of ward-nursing jobs in hospitals which do not adopt “Kijun-kango” through my own case study at three hospitals in Chiba prefecture. An important result of this research is follows. In my three research cases, the major part of treatment assistants are carried by ward-nurses, but some parts of it devolve on nurse assistants and/or paid housekeepers. Almost of nursing care is tasks of housekeepers.

This paper clarifies the practical contents and viewpoints of Quality of Life(QOL) in medical fields, especially for cancer patients.

First, brief review of the background and definitions of QOL is presented. And several QOL indices for cancer patients and their dimensions are shown. With the result of that, practical meanings of QOL are discussed.

On June 18, 1988, “KAROSHI HOTLINE” were opened and a large number of people phoned to avail of this consultation service. This study is an investigation of the cases reported through the “TOKYO KAROSHI HOTLINE”. Its aim is to analyse (1) how individuals became overworked, (2) what problems they had in their daily lives, and (3) the relationship between their overwork behavior and the problems in their daily lives. Discussion of the consultation activity of the bereaved families and relatives is also presented.