Nursing Workforce Preparedness for Nuclear Emergencies in Japan: A National Facility-Level Survey of Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

To describe nursing workforce arrangements, training exposure, educational needs, and support needs for nuclear emergency medical care among Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals (NECHs) in Japan.

METHODS

This facility-level cross-sectional survey targeted all 51 NECHs. Questionnaire items were developed and reviewed for content validity through internal consensus by 3 study-team nurses or public health nurses; no pilot testing or recruitment reminders were conducted. Facility proportions included exact Clopper-Pearson 95% confidence intervals, and free-text responses underwent qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-two facilities responded (43.1%; exact 95% CI, 29.3-57.8%). Emergency departments (19/22, 86.4%) and DMAT membership (20/22, 90.9%) were common, while certified nurse specialists in radiation nursing were reported by 5 facilities (22.7%). Radiation basics and PPE donning/doffing practice were each selected by 21 facilities (95.5%). Free-text responses yielded 43 meaning units across 5 categories emphasizing recurrent training, workforce maintenance, organizational and financial support, and clearer staffing standards.

CONCLUSIONS

Among responding NECHs, nuclear emergency nursing preparedness relied heavily on emergency/disaster nursing infrastructure, while radiation-specific advanced nursing expertise was reported less frequently. Sustainable preparedness may benefit from recurrent practical training, broader access to radiation nursing expertise, organizational support, and policy-level staffing discussion.