Comparison of nursing education, nursing workforce, and public health nursing in Korea and Japan

Abstract

Aim: This paper compares nursing education, nursing workforce, and public health nursing in Korea and Japan with the advancement of nursing education and nursing services in mind. Methods: Relevant data and information were retrieved from government and institution websites of the 2 countries; key informant interviews were conducted for 5 officers from governmental organisations in Japan. Results: The study results indicate that the nursing education systems of both countries are comparable in many aspects and both have problems with the coexistence of the Diploma and Bachelor of Science programmes in Nursing. In terms of nursing manpower, the percentage of total registered nurses actively participating in the nursing workforce is 40.1% in Korea and 69.4% in Japan. Likewise, the population-to-nurse ratio in Korea is more than 3-fold that of Japan. Community health nurse practitioners in Korea, and public health nurses at the health centers and municipalities in Japan are the major providers of public health nursing. Community health nurse practitioners in Korea run clinics and treat acute and chronic health problems independently while public health nurses in Japan emphasise health promotion and resolve health issues at the population level. Conclusion: Despite their differences in population size and economic growth, both Korea and Japan face similar problems in nursing. Many issues related to nursing need improvement in the 2 countries and both stand to benefit from efforts aimed at addressing these issues. © 2007 Scientific Communications International Limited.