Biomaterial Database

The sociocultural context of nursing in Japan. 1984

S O Long

Both by the standards of American nurses and in the eyes of the Japanese public, nurses in Japan appear subservient. In this paper I explore this situation from three perspectives. Most Japanese nurses lack a sense of professionalism which the nursing elite in Japan as well as sociological theory attributes to the low educational levels of the nurses. The second perspective investigates the nurses' functional role as intermediary between the medical world and the many patients who regard physicians as socially distant. Thirdly, Japanese nurses might be considered the "housewives" of the hospital in terms not only of their physical duties but also of their caretaking role. If the housewife analogy holds, the values, behavior, and attitudes that give Japanese housewives their satisfaction and their autonomy would considerably alter the role of the nurse in the delivery of cosmopolitan medical care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007400	Interprofessional Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more professional individuals.	Etiquette, Medical,Medical Etiquette,Relations, Interprofessional
D007564	Japan	A country in eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. The capital is Tokyo.	Bonin Islands
D007697	Kinesics	Systematic study of the body and the use of its static and dynamic position as a means of communication.	Body Language,Body Languages,Language, Body,Languages, Body
D007802	Language	A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings.	Dialect,Dialects,Languages
D008008	Licensure, Nursing	The granting of a license to practice the profession of nursing.	Licensures, Nursing,Nursing Licensure,Nursing Licensures
D009723	Nurse-Patient Relations	Interaction between the patient and nurse.	Nurse Patient Relations,Nurse Patient Relationship,Nurse Patient Relationships,Nurse-Patient Relation,Patient Relations, Nurse,Patient Relationship, Nurse,Patient Relationships, Nurse,Relations, Nurse Patient,Relations, Nurse-Patient,Relationship, Nurse Patient,Relationships, Nurse Patient
D009729	Nursing	The field of nursing care concerned with the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health.	Nursings
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D003469	Culture	A collective expression for all behavior patterns acquired and socially transmitted through symbols. Culture includes customs, traditions, and language.	Cultural Relativism,Customs,Beliefs,Cultural Background,Background, Cultural,Backgrounds, Cultural,Belief,Cultural Backgrounds,Cultural Relativisms,Cultures,Relativism, Cultural,Relativisms, Cultural
D004506	Education, Nursing	Use for general articles concerning nursing education.	Nursing Education,Educations, Nursing,Nursing Educations