Public Health Nurses' Experiences in Caring for the Fukushima Community in the Wake of the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Accident

Abstract

PHNs supported people because of a compelling sense of mission yet it was a great burden. Education about radiation and radiation protection for nursing students and PHNs, two-way communication between PHNs and radiation specialists, long-term support by specialists, and the opportunity for PHNs to share their feelings and experiences is necessary.

An experiential approach to developing radiological content for public health nursing: Lessons from a nuclear disaster

“…Radiation is invisible and may affect people's daily life for many years to come while changing their daily pattern of life (Nukui, Midorikawa, Murakami, Maeda, & Ohtsuru, ; Ohki, ). There is evidence that the presence of radiation also caused emotional reactions ranging from vague uneasiness to major anxiety (Kawasaki et al, ; Kayama et al, ). The effect varied depending on the population such as the extent of anxiety, information requirements, and support needs (Kobayashi & Kikuchi, ; Mitsumori et al, ; Ono, Orita, & Asahara, ).…”

“…Radiation is invisible and may affect people's daily life for many years to come while changing their daily pattern of life (Nukui, Midorikawa, Murakami, Maeda, & Ohtsuru, 2018;Ohki, 2012). There is evidence that the presence of radiation also caused emotional reactions ranging from vague uneasiness to major anxiety (Kawasaki et al, 2015;Kayama et al, 2014).…”

“…Because PHNs had insufficient knowledge about radiation and radiation protection, they struggled with how to support people in the affected communities. Despite their inexperience and lack of adequate correct information, the PHNs still attempted to address people's concerns about radiation exposure and provide relief and safety to residents with a sense of strong mission (Kawasaki, Omori, Ono, Konishi, & Asahara, ). The uncertainties about radiation contamination during the emergency exposure situation lasted nearly 1 year (International Atomic Energy Agency, ).…”

Post‐Fukushima radiation education for public health nursing students: a case study

“…Brief descriptions of the research are shown in Appendix and the findings are reported elsewhere (Kawasaki et al. ; Konishi et al. ).…”

Analysis of the Training Effect of a Nursing Undergraduate Course on the Management of Radiation-Related Health Concerns—A Single Group Experiment

“…Regarding the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, nursing staff could not sufficiently help local residents because they themselves did not have enough knowledge or information about radiation [ 10 ]. Further, they demonstrated a lack of communication skills [ 11 ].…”