title: Barriers to continuing education and continuing professional development among occupational health nurses in Japan.
abstract: As Japan's industries pursue technical innovations, the responsibilities of occupational health nurses are becoming increasingly complex. With such change, continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing education (CE) are crucial to the provision of appropriate care for workers. This study examined current practices of occupational health nurses and identified barriers to conducting occupational CPD and CE activities. A survey questionnaire was sent to 2,077 occupational health nurses late in 2010, asking about factors affecting attendance at and participation in CPD and CE activities, including challenges for occupational health nurses in practice. Findings demonstrated that many occupational health nurses do not work for companies that support CPD and CE. A significant finding was that occupational health nurses in Japan desire CPD activities and recognize the importance of attending CE activities. Continuing education is viewed by occupational health nurses as essential for their professional development and advancement with broader practice responsibilities and authority. Findings from this study are useful in crafting recommendations to increase occupational health nurse participation in both CPD and CE, leading to improvement in overall workplace health and safety in Japan.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizuno-Lewis
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Desmond R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hagi
authors.forename: Mitsutoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashikawa
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires