Four years at Otemae University broadened my horizons and potential

My mother is a medical professional, and my great-grandmother was hospitalized when I was in elementary school, so I often saw doctors and nurses working at the hospital, so I felt close to the medical field. Furthermore, a few months later, I saw footage of the Great East Japan Earthquake on television and felt the dignity of the job of saving lives, so naturally I decided to become a nurse. When I was deciding on my future career path in high school, I was confused by the number of schools where I could study nursing, but I knew I wanted to go to a university where I could study "something" in addition to nursing. I decided to enroll at Otemae University because I was interested in it being the only university in Japan where I could study "international nursing."

At Faculty of Global Nursing, we learn nursing that takes into consideration cultural and language differences, including the care of foreign patients. What made the biggest impression on me was my overseas training. It was a valuable experience that allowed me to experience the characteristics and difficulties of local nursing. For example, in Japan, we place emphasis on nursing that is considerate of the patient's feelings, such as closing the curtains when the patient is using the toilet. In Singapore, instead of a national exam, you can become eligible to register with the national nursing board by graduating from a domestically accredited educational institution. Therefore, at school, we did practical learning using simulators with functions similar to those of a living human. I realized that nursing training is conducted in accordance with the characteristics of each country around the world, and there is no superiority or inferiority in this regard.

Outside of school, I worked part-time as a nursing Research Associate at a general hospital for four years. My main duties were cleaning and serving food, and to be honest, it was far from what I wanted to do, so I was unsure whether I should continue. When I consulted with my university professor, he said that I was learning about "action plans" and "priorities" that are also necessary for nursing practice through part-time work, and after I found meaning in it, I was able to approach it positively. At the same time, I also worked at an eye clinic, where I had many opportunities to interact with patients. Through my work, patients properly remembered the words I told them and the answers to their questions, and I realized that "this job has more impact on others than I imagined." During my training, my words and actions were "recorded," but in part-time work, I realized that they remained in the "memories" of patients, and I felt the weight of responsibility once again. I chose to work part-time in the medical field of my own volition, but just because you go into the medical field doesn't mean you have to work part-time in the medical field. Rather, I think that it would be better to try a different industry that you were interested in during your university days, as it would give you new insights.

During my university days, I had an experience that really made me feel "shaken, touched, and moved" when I met a patient during a five-day internship in a ward for the AYA generation (15-39 years old). He had a serious illness that required him to be hospitalized periodically, and he had to miss school every time. On the last day of the internship, I was heartbroken when he told me, "The reason I don't want to miss school is because I want to have friends." His painful experience was a harsh reality beyond my imagination, and it even made me question the origin of my desire to become a pediatric nurse, but at the same time, it was a moment when my future options were expanded. Thanks to this experience, I was filled with the desire to "support patients like him outside the hospital" and "support children living in the community who are undergoing medical treatment so that they can live like healthy children." I realized the significance of obtaining a public health nurse qualification and decided on the direction I wanted to aim for.

The "1-on-1 reflection" that is a feature of learning at Otemae University was also a big opportunity that influenced the direction of my life, and I consulted with the teachers many times. Sometimes they visited me without an appointment, and sometimes they talked to me kindly even if we just talked. The teacher who was in charge of my practical training in my third year was someone I respected very much for the way he interacted with patients and their parents, and he listened to me a lot. Before I met with the teacher, I had planned to attend a special course for only one year after graduation to obtain a school nurse qualification, but after hearing the teacher's experience of going to graduate school, I reconsidered and decided to go to graduate school where I could obtain a second-class school nurse license and a public health nurse qualification. If I had not gone to Otemae University, I might have only thought about becoming a nurse and unconsciously narrowed down my future options.

After graduation, I will go on to graduate school and aim to obtain qualifications while researching the difficulties nurses feel in coordinating with schools to enable sick children to attend school. After graduating from graduate school, I would like to gain experience as a nurse at a pediatric hospital and then become a "school nurse" who supports the health of not only students but also teachers and staff. After that, I would like to be involved in community medicine, and my goal is to be involved in nursing for sick children living in the community. In fact, I heard that my university mentor also has a vision of being involved in community medicine and visiting nursing in the future, so I would like to work hard to become a person who will one day be invited by my teacher to join, saying, "Komatsubara's power is essential to achieving what I want to do."

I was also very hesitant to decide on a nursing course because there are so many options for where to go. Now that I have studied at Otemae University for four years, I can say to those who are still undecided, "Choose a school that will broaden your possibilities and options even a little." All my friends around me said, "At this university, the teachers are close to you and you can get kind advice." After interacting with the teachers and patients, I was able to find a new goal that I had not anticipated before enrolling.

There was another good thing about my student life at Otemae University. That was, I had more opportunities to think about "diversity" again. During one of my training sessions, I found out later that a patient I was in charge of actually had reservations about male nurses. When I asked him why he accepted me, he said, "I'm a man, but I wanted you to take care of me because you're a man." At that time, I realized that trust between people can be built regardless of gender or nationality, and I felt the potential of diversity. On the other hand, there were times when I struggled with restrictions on hair color and clothing, which gave me an opportunity to think deeply about my identity and the rules of the world. I would like those who have questions about diversity to study at the "Faculty of Global Nursing," which is expanding its horizons not only to Japan but also to the world.