RESEARCH ARTICLE


Deficits in Radiation Health Affects Knowledge among Emergency Nurses in Japan’s Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals



Yuta Kawaoka1, Takumi Yamaguchi2, 3, 4, *, Nobuhiko Yanagida5, Yuko Matsunari5
1 Radiation Emergency Medicine Research Center, Nuclear Safety Research Association, Tokyo 105-0004, Japan
2 Research Administration Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
3 Visiting Researcher, School of Health Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0075, Japan
4 Research Advisor, Nuclear Safety Research Association, Tokyo 105-0004, Japan
5 School of Health Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0075, Japan

Article Information


Identifiers and Pagination:

Year: 2023
Volume: 17
E-location ID: e18744346272802
Publisher ID: e18744346272802
DOI: 10.2174/0118744346272802231124053544

Article History:

Received Date: 15/08/2023
Revision Received Date: 14/09/2023
Acceptance Date: 04/10/2023
Electronic publication date: 04/12/2023
Collection year: 2023

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Creative Commons License
© 2023 Yamaguchi et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Administration Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan; Research, School of Health Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0075, Japan; Nuclear Safety Research Association, Tokyo 105-0004, Japan; Tel:+81-49-276-1111; E-mail: takumi@saitama-med.ac.jp


Abstract

Background:

In the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station disaster in 2011, Japan established Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals (NECHs) to prepare for future nuclear incidents.

Objective:

This study investigates the knowledge and health anxiety related to radiation among nurses working in emergency units at NECHs in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Methods:

A web-based questionnaire was distributed to 36 nurses, utilizing a cross-sectional design with a response rate of 55.6%. The survey covered demographic details and posed questions about radiation health effects and nuclear disaster medicine.

Results:

Results revealed that only 30% had studied radiation health effects at educational institutions, and 95% expressed a desire for further training. The correct response rate for questions about nuclear disaster medicine was over 40%, but less than 10% for questions about radiation health effects.

Conclusion:

Despite limitations such as sample size and potential sampling bias, this study is the first of its kind. It highlights the urgent need for comprehensive training programs to improve nurses' knowledge and alleviate their health anxieties about radiation. Future research should extend this study to other regions and countries to validate these findings.

Keywords: Nuclear disaster, Radiological nursing, Radiation emergency medicine, Fukushima daiichi, Nuclear power station, The great east japan Earthquake, Nuclear emergency core hospital, Knowledge of radiation.