PhD Student Tsumura and Dean Broome Submit Yamaji Fumiko Foundation Fellowship Application

Kudos to Hideyo Tsumura, PhD student; and her advisor Marion Broome, dean and Ruby Wilson professor of Nursing, Duke University School of Nursing; vice chancellor for nursing affairs, Duke University; associate vice president for academic affairs for nursing, Duke University Health System; for the submission of her Yamaji Fumiko Foundation fellowship application entitled "Exploring the Developing Concept of Nurse Anesthesia in Japan." This proposal requests funds for a two-year period with a start date of June 1, 2019. 

In Japan, a critical shortage of anesthesiologists has created serious patient safety issues. In 2008, in an attempt to meet the demand for anesthesia services and to ensure access and quality care, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare identified a potential role for nurses in anesthesia practice as an innovative and radical solution to this shortage of anesthesiologists. Notwithstanding the strong opposition by Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists and Japanese Nursing Association, some motivated nurses and physicians have begun educating and training nurses in the anesthesia practice at a master’s (of nursing) level; however, there is not yet a nationally recognized licensure or certification. 

While the need for nurses to gain advanced nursing knowledge and skills to protect basic rights of Japanese citizens to receive safe and high-quality anesthesia care has been identified, the development of the nurse anesthesia practice has just begun, and much work remains. Three critical areas must be established in order for Japan to successfully develop a nurse anesthesia practice: (a) a conceptualization and development of an accepted definition of nurse anesthesia as an advanced nursing practice; (b) a development of national-level political infrastructure for nurse anesthesia practice, i.e., nationally recognized licensure, scope of practice; and (c) development of legal infrastructures, i.e., malpractice insurance. In this proposed study, the first area will be explored to provide a foundation for development of Japanese nurse anesthesia practice and research in this area for near future.