Annual Report 2024
Department of Nursing
Miho Kurihara, Kazue Hayasaka, Miki Kondo, Mayumi Hara, Megumi Yamagishi, Kaoru Komatsu, Akiko Maruta, Miyuki Manaka, Akitaka Tanaka, Harumi Miyazaki, Aya Yunohara, Mifumi Nakajima, Emiko Sasai, Makiko Suzuki, Nao Katagiri, Chisato Ichikawa, Emiko Yasukawa, Chiemi Saito, Yuta Hirano, Michiko Murata
Introduction
Under the nursing philosophy to “contribute as active members of the team working in state-of-the-art cancer treatment, and to participate in the development of cancer nursing at the core hospital providing cancer nursing care in Japan,” the Department of Nursing of the National Cancer Center Hospital East (NCCHE) conducts activities according to the following basic policies:
1. To provide nursing care founded on trust and reassurance, respecting the patient's rights and dignity of life,
2. To pursue the essential values of nursing and practice scientific and creative nursing,
3. To facilitate clinical studies and disseminate new information concerning cancer nursing,
4. To promote the development of leadership skills.
The Department of Nursing is responsible for ensuring a balance between providing high-quality medical and nursing care, business management efficiency, and actively participating in and contributing to managing the hospital’s management.
Routine Activities
1) Nursing activities
To provide the best nursing that is safe and reliable and that embraces the medical advances and the needs of patients and their families, with an awareness and sense of responsibility as nurses of the Hospital East, the Department of Nursing actively engages in the following activities: participate in hospital management in a coordinated, cooperative and collaborative manner beyond the boundaries of occupational categories; provide high-quality nursing while expanding the nursing specialty; and ensure appropriate personnel assignment so that we can handle an increasing number of patients and workload each year. We also promote decision-making and the division and transfer of operations in coordination and collaboration with doctors, nurses, aides, clerks, assistant nurses, and other medical staff. We are establishing a system to provide high-quality, efficient, and practical nursing services to improve operations, promote team medicine, promote medical cooperation within the region, and develop human resources.
We have strengthened the centralization of bed status and continued smooth bed management by the head nurse, resulting in an occupancy rate of 101.8% (101.3% in 2023).
At the WOC (Wound and Excretion Control) Outpatient, AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) Nursing Outpatient, Outpatient Radiology Nursing Outpatient, and Cancer Chemotherapy Nursing Outpatient, specialist nurses and certified nurses provide comprehensive support such as whole-body management and consultations to complete outpatient cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy, enabling patients to realize their goals in their own lives.
At the Hospitalization Preparation Center, which was established in the outpatient department, we are working to strengthen the hospitalization/discharge support system and PFM (patient flow management). We provide multifaceted support, including ethical considerations, even before admission.
To provide advanced, cutting-edge cancer treatment and ensure patient safety, we have strengthened our Rapid Response System (RRS) to address oncological emergencies.
2) Educational activities
We operate a career ladder system that evaluates the suitability, fairness, and appropriateness of career advancement based on each nurse's background and ability, and each nurse works on self-development and human resource development while assessing the level of their abilities, such as specialized nursing skills, practical nursing ability, and nursing management ability.
3) Nurse specialists and certified nurses
In fiscal 2024, we had the following nurses newly certified: one Certified Nurse Specialist in Cancer Nursing, one Certified Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, one Certified Nurse in Cancer Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Nursing, and one Certified Nurse Administrator.
There are 13 Certified Nurse Specialists in three areas, 50 certified nurses in twelve, and three Certified Nurse administrators who serve as role models in nursing practice in their respective specialties and provide education, instruction, etc.
Thirteen people in seven categories have completed the specific action training, contributing to the expanding role of nurses and the task shift of doctors' work.
The in-house education program for certified nurses in anticancer IV, which was launched to expand the specialties and operations of nurses, has entered its 11th year, and 136 in-house certified nurses in anticancer IV and 19 in-house certified nurses in radiotherapy and intravenous injection are currently working actively in the hospital wards, Outpatient Treatment Center, Department of Radiological Diagnosis, etc.
We provided an open Cancer Nursing Seminar,” Communication skill training,” and “Dementia Response Training” to help cultivate nurses outside our hospital. Many nurses from all over the country have been highly acclaimed.
Research Activities
In fiscal 2024, 42 presentations were made at academic conferences, with support from the Hospital East clinical research support team, the nursing research support team of nurse specialists and certified nurses, and the nursing research society. These research support teams provided advice during the research process and inspired nurses to take on challenges and tackle issues that arise during clinical practice. In the future, we intend to improve the quality of nursing research so that our nursing department can create and promote new, evidence-based methods of cancer nursing.
Future Prospects
As a core clinical research hospital, we are expected to progress, become a world-leading base for developing new drugs and equipment, and provide pioneering medical care and advanced treatment.
As a member of the team medicine, the Department of Nursing, Hospital East will continue to secure, cultivate, and appropriately assign nurses as the foundation for improving nursing quality and adapting nursing to meet the demands of medicine as it evolves. We will also provide pioneering medical care fit for a core clinical research hospital and advanced treatment hospital, promote clinical research and trials, and strengthen the medical safety system.
Recognizing that the philosophy and mission of a cancer research center cannot be achieved without stable management, we will keep improving our management in cooperation and collaboration with other departments.