Hospitals should improve working conditions by Keiko H.

               Japan is an aging society now, so we need enriched medical treatment and welfare for aged people, but now, many hospitals are in trouble because of a lack of nurses. In my opinion, hospitals have to improve or change working conditions. There are reasons for this. First, nurses are forced to do extremely hard work, and some even die from overwork. Secondly, many nurses quit their job at the hospital because of marriage, pregnancy and in order to care for aging parents.

First, nurses are working under too exacting terms. For example, at night time only about two or three nurses care for about forty or fifty patients. Sometimes they cannot take a nap. According to an investigation by the Japanese Nursing Association, one in twenty three nurses works are at risk of working themselves to death and many nurses worry about exhaustion. In such conditions, medical errors may be made by tired nurses.

              Secondly, many nurses quit their job when they marry, become pregnant or when their parents need care. According to the Japanese Nursing Association, a main factor in an increase of nurses who don’t work is such problems.

To conclude, hospitals have to make safe and comfortable conditions and surroundings for nurses. Now in Japan, we can easily expect that medical treatment and welfare will become more important for an aging society. I think that if many hospitals continue these working conditions, nurses cannot keep on working at hospitals.

References

Japanese Nursing Association (June 3, 2011). Retrieved February 10, 2013 from Japan Nursing Association Web site: http://www.nurse.or.jp/nursing/practice/shuroanzen/jikan/pdf/sukue.pdf