title: Cultural characteristics of nursing practice in Japan.
abstract: The population of Japan has become multi-cultural, and there is more demand for culturally competent nursing care. The purpose of this study was to explore cultural characteristics of nursing practice in Japan focusing on behaviour. We interviewed 25 professionals with experience in or knowledge of nursing practice both in Japan and either the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Thailand or South Korea. Qualitative content analysis has yielded three themes for cultural characteristics of nursing practice in Japan: practice expectations, communication and relationships with patients. Practice expectations for nurses in Japan involved various aspects; nurses conducted a wide range of basic nursing tasks, including bed baths and toileting. They often relied on non-verbal communication to deliver thoughtfulness and perceptiveness. They typically show deference to doctors and colleagues, emphasizing building and maintaining harmony with them. This emphasis on a multifaceted, non-verbal, and harmonious approach seemed characteristic of practice among Japanese nurses.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Chiba University Graduate School of Nursing, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsujimura
authors.affiliation: Professor, Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishigaki
authors.affiliation: Professor, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto-Mitani
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Professor, Kobe City College of Nursing, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katakura
authors.affiliation: Professor, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.affiliation: Research Associate Professor, Chiba University Graduate School of Nursing, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Community General Support Center Senju-no-sato, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinohara
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009739:Nursing Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013548:Sweden; D013785:Thailand; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
keywords: Japanese nurses; behaviour; culturally competent care; professional practice; qualitative