Potential Departure of 21% of Nurses Looms Over Hospital in Earthquake-Affected Area of Japan

Around 20% of the nursing staff, totaling 133 individuals, at a major hospital in Wajima, a city severely affected by the Jan 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake, are either contemplating quitting or have already made the decision to do so, according to statements from the hospital.

This potential departure of 28 nurses, constituting 21% of the total nursing workforce, presents significant challenges for the hospital and three other medical institutions in the northern Noto region, which are also grappling with similar circumstances following the magnitude-7.6 earthquake.

The revelation of these figures came from Wajima Municipal Hospital’s workforce assessment for fiscal year 2024, commencing in April, subsequent to a survey conducted among its nursing staff regarding factors influencing their retention.

The nurses indicating their intention to quit or consider quitting are predominantly in their late 20s and 30s.

The hospital management reported in late February that some nurses find themselves compelled to resign due to damage to their residences or the necessity to relocate because of their children’s schooling or their spouses’ employment situations.

Certain individuals have contemplated relocating to areas less affected by the earthquake for the purpose of raising their children.

Even prior to the earthquake, the region faced difficulties in recruiting medical personnel amidst an aging population.

To mitigate further attrition among the staff, Health Minister Keizo Takemi announced during a February 20 press briefing that the government is exploring the implementation of a system enabling medical professionals to work at alternative healthcare facilities while remaining employed by hospitals in disaster-stricken areas.

This proposed scheme would allow staff to serve at public hospitals in relatively unharmed areas of southern Ishikawa Prefecture and subsequently return to their original workplaces as recovery efforts progress.

Typically, Wajima Hospital accommodates approximately 10 nursing staff on maternity or child care leave at any given time. With an additional potential loss of 28 personnel, it is anticipated that the hospital’s ability to cater to patients would be limited to around 50 to 60 beds out of its total capacity of 175.

Kuniyuki Kawasaki, the hospital’s administrative manager, expressed concerns stating, “Secondary evacuations are ongoing, and outpatient visits are declining as well, which currently we can manage. However, looking ahead, a rapid decrease in young personnel would severely impact our staffing structure.”