Diagnosis and treatment involving radiation are advanced and specialized, and the application range of radiation use is expanding year by year. Under these circumstances, nurses are engaged in caring for patients undergoing radiation for diagnosis and treatment in various clinical settings. Meanwhile, in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the importance of radiation education for basic nursing and continuing education was recognized. Therefore, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences has been holding “radiological nursing seminars” aimed at improving nurses’ knowledge of and practical ability in radiation. In addition to reporting on this activity, we examined the interests and needs related to radiological nursing based on the results of questionnaire surveys conducted on the participants of the seminars. The results of the surveys suggest that nurses have a high degree of interest in radiation and motivation for learning and that radiological nursing seminars are effective for helping nurses obtain a better understanding of radiological nursing.

A new nursing curriculum will be introduced from 2019, and it will include modules on radiation. Since 2005, Nagasaki University has launched lectures on radiological nursing for senior nursing students to better understand the impact of radiation in the atomic-bombed areas. Therefore, in this study, we reported on radiation component of nursing curriculum at Nagasaki University and obtained suggestions regarding the content after introducing the new curriculum. When launched in 2005, radiation lectures were allocated 15 hours within the program. However, we revised the lecture time to 30 hours after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The lecturers were various medical personnel such as medical doctors, registered nurses, public health nurses, dentists, and so on. The contents of this curriculum were basic radiation medical sciences, radiation health effects, nursing for the patients receiving radiation therapy, and nursing after nuclear accidents. Student responses on the original questionnaire before and after the lectures indicated increased total and content score. Through the 30 hours of lectures, students gained the knowledge of radiation. Nevertheless, we experienced several difficulties in setting the lecture time due to an overcrowded nursing curriculum and the lack of faculty experts on radiation. In the future, it will be necessary to organize classes at each university. For this reason, we hope this report will beneficial as a reference.

It has now been 73 years since the disaster of atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the situation surrounding the current modern risk society has changed dramatically: we are facing the decay and also difficult succession of the valuable experience and lessons learned from the atomic bomb survivors because of their aging and the decrease of the alive victims.

Radiation’s effects on the human body have always reminded us of the negative impact of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the competition in nuclear weapon development. What we should do now is to keep thinking about and practicing self-discipline to rebuild and maintain trust among people in various situations, even after the nuclear disasters.

Now, I would like to focus on the sprit and ideas of Dr. Takashi Nagai, which represent fully decent humanity rooted in Catholic beliefs, in commemoration of his 110th anniversary of his birth. As we approach the milestone of the doctor’s 110th anniversary, we have inherited the feelings of our predecessors who were deprived their lives by the atomic bombing. We will remember their will, recommit to our mission and role of undauntedly advancing studies on the after effects of radiation exposure, and explore proper reactions to be taken in the event of nuclear power plant accidents based on the lessons left by Dr. Nagai. Your understanding would be highly appreciated if you challenge to read this English version, preparing for globalization.