Message
Recent years have seen an acceleration in both decreasing birthrates and increasing longevity. At the same time, health care needs are diversifying and becoming more complex. The number of people with lifestyle-related illnesses is rising, and, while the average hospital stay has shortened, the number of people receiving home medical care has risen. As both the need for disease prevention and advanced medical care increases our society is facing the challenges of medical economic realities and a shortage of doctors.
These factors mean that more will be expected from expert nurses and that they will take on ever more active roles in ever expanding fields. Some of these roles will be in the areas of improved nursing, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and the promotion of high quality care by highly specialized nurses - all of which are necessary for meeting the needs of the people of our country.
Certification of CNSs was begun in 1994. By April 2009 there were 451 CNSs active in ten different fields: oncology, psychiatry and mental health, community health, gerontology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, chronic care, critical care, infection control, and family care.
The CNS role is one of advanced nursing and may include such activities, for example, as guidance for the chronically ill or those whose conditions are unstable; or upon taking the history of a new patient, evaluating his or her needs for further and more detailed examination. In addition, the CNS must work in such a way as to improve the quality and efficiency of the working environment, staff, institute, and community medical services by having a thorough understanding of the organizational realities and changes in which they are involved.
At the present date, however, the number of CNSs is a relatively small percentage of the 1.2 million nurses now active, and their distribution throughout Japan is uneven. It is critical, therefore, that we develop an educational foundation that qualifies the many more CNSs necessary to meet health needs at the national level. Being very aware of the current status of service, the Japanese Association of Certified Nurse Specialists has initiated a series of activities for mutual support and growth, fully recognizing how essential the CNS can be to fulfilling Japan’s medical needs.
CNS responsibilities have evolved with changing medical care environment of Japan. The agenda of the JACNS includes upgrading CNS practice through training and education, raising awareness among citizens of the importance of certified nurse specialists in today’s society, and creating more opportunities for the CNS to serve the community. As the baby boom generation approaches old age a significant increase in the number of medical service providers will be necessary, as will a modification of the roles of those now in the medical care field.
It is our hope that the CNS will serve as a positive model in the discussions now being undertaken by the Japanese government as it weighs possible decisions involving the expansion of nurse discretion. We sincerely believe that CNS contributions to a Japan that is free from anxiety regarding health care must be realized.
Masako Yamada
President
The Japanese Association of Certified Nurse Specialists
1. The Japanese Association of Certified Nurse Specialists (JACNS) was established on April 7th, 2007 and has a membership of 239 as of April 1st, 2009.
2. JACNS members are clinically active nurse specialists certified (CNSs) by the Japanese Nursing Association. The purpose of the JACNS is to contribute to the improvement of nursing quality and, through JACNS initiatives, enhance the scope of advanced nursing practices and promote national health-maintenance and health policies through legislative action.
3. The executive members of the JACNS are:
〈Executive Members〉
①President:
Masako Yamada (The Research Center for Development of Nursing Practice: St. Luke's College of Nursing)
②Vice Presidents:
Satomi Yoshida (Shiga Medical Center for Adults)
Megumi Umeda
③Treasurers:
Akiko Osada (Yokohama City Univ. Medical Center)
Noriko Fukuda (Keio Univ. Graduate School, PhD. Course)
④Auditors：
Hiroko Asano (Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health)
Akiko Shimomura (Yokohama Stroke and Brain Center)
⑤Committee Chairs
(I) Clinical Skill Development Committee:
Akiko Yoneda (Hiratsuka Kyosai Hospital)
(II)CNS Practice Promotion Committee:
Fumie Kosako (Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital)
(lll)Research & Publication Committee:
Aiko Kitamura (Rinku Comprehensive Medical Care Center - Municipal Izumi Sano Hospital)
(lV)Policy Proposal Committee:
Megumi Umeda
(V)Secretariat:
Secretary General:Shiori Usami (Kumamoto Univ. School of Health Science)
Sachiko Matsumoto (Jusendo General Hospital, YUSA Foundation)
Secretary in charge of specific nursing fields〉
①Cancer Nursing:
Satomi Yoshida (Shiga Medical Center for Adults)
Kanako Kawachi (The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR)
Yukako Okude (Juntendo University Hospital)
Sanae Kishida (Dokkyo Medical University Hospital)
②Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing:
Masami Sato (Tokyo Musashino Hospital)
Yumi Shinogi (Tokyo Musashino Hospital)
Yuko Goto (Hasegawa Hospital)
Mari Gomi (Hasegawa Hospital)
③Community Health Nursing:
Masako Wada (Geisei Village Office, Health and Welfare Division)
Mami Kurita (Nara Nursing Association Sakuraga-oka Home-visit Nursing Station)
④ Gerontological Nursing:
Midori Nishiyama (Kobe Kaisei Hospital)
Kaori Takamichi (National Hospital Organization Kanazawa Medical Center)
⑤Women's Health Nursing:
Miyuki Yashia (Aomori Prefectural Chuo Hospital)
⑥Child Health Nursing:
Akiko Osada (Yokohama City Univ. Medical Center)
⑦Critical Care Nursing:
Akemi Utsunomiya (The Hospital of Hyogo College of Medicine)
⑧Chronic Care Nursing:
Atsuko Baba (Mitsubishi Kobe Hospital)
⑨Infection Control Nursing:
Yaoko Takano (Keio University Hospital)
4.The following are the procedures for applying for and withdrawing from membership in the Japanese Association of Certified Nurse Specialists (JACNS). The forms for membership application and withdrawal may be found here on this website. Please fill out the form and send it to the secretariat.
A) Application for a membership: The applicant must be a nurse specialist certified by the Japanese Nursing Association (CNS), or a nurse who supports the objectives and activities of JACNS. The completed application form must be sent to the secretariat.
You will officially be accepted as a member upon submission of the application and the annual membership fee: |\7,000/full-membership and \3,000/patron-membership.
Below is the contact and the bank account information for membership fee payment to the JACNS Secretariat. After confirmation of the deposit of your membership fee, you will be notified of the completion of your application procedure.
Secretariat:Shiori Usami
Kumamoto Univ. School of Health Science 4-24-1 Kuhonji, Kumamoto City
Postal Code: 862-0976
Tel/Fax: 096-373-5470
e-mail:susami@kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Bank Account (for membership payment)
Kumamoto Family Bank, Hakuzan-dori Branch
Account #:2131559
B) Withdrawal of membership: Submit the withdrawal form to the secretariat to terminate your membership.
5. The Articles of the JACNS are shown here on the website.
6. If you have any questions regarding the JACNS, please contact the secretariat or the secretary of the relevant field.
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