Building Capabilities and Fostering Leadership in Nursing Students: Eight Japanese Students are Selected to Participate in the Sixth TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program

August 31, 2021

Press Release

U.S.-Japan Council (Japan)

 

Building Capabilities and Fostering Leadership in Nursing Students:
Eight Japanese Students are Selected to Participate in
the Sixth TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program

 

The TOMODACHI Initiative *1(hereafter referred to as “TOMODACHI”), operated by the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) (Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), has selected eight participants to participate in the sixth TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program. This program is planned and conducted in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Japan *2(Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) (hereafter referred to as “Johnson & Johnson”).

This program aims to deepen the expertise of students specializing in disaster medicine and nursing in Japan while fostering the next generation of leaders simultaneously. The program was launched in 2015 in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, a company that fully supports the mission of TOMODACHI. For the first four years following its inception, the program supported nursing students from or residing in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures, the areas that were most severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The program has targeted nursing students from across Japan from 2019 onward, providing learning opportunities for a total of 43 nursing students as of 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was canceled last year. However, TOMODACHI and Johnson & Johnson decided to resume the program virtually this year using their shared desire to foster the next generation of leaders as motivation despite the pandemic. (Please note that this is subject to change; some components of the program, except for traveling to the United States, may be conducted in person.

Like the original in-person program, the first online program will consist of three parts: the Pre-Trip Seminars, the U.S. Study Tour, and Post-Trip Seminars. The Pre-Trip Seminars portion of this program will take place from October to December; the U.S. Study Tour with institutions in the United States will take place in February. The Post-Trip Seminars and final presentations are scheduled for March. In addition, the training will include content pertaining to disaster relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the announcement of the selection of the sixth cohort of this program, Suzanne Basalla, Representative Director of the U.S.-Japan Council, commented, “Despite the pandemic, we are very pleased to offer this program that is geared toward deepening the field of disaster nursing in Tohoku to the motivated nursing students from all over Japan thanks to the generous support from Johnson & Johnson. It is our hope that the next generation of leaders will deepen their understanding of the possibilities within nursing during unprecedented events, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic through this program. We hope that these students will be future front-runners in the field of disaster medical care.”

 

TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program Schedule

▼Pre-Trip Seminars (October 23-24, November 13-14, December 11-12, 2021)

Workshops conducted by specialists and experts in the field of disaster medicine in preparation for the Study Tour with the institutions in the United States.

▼U.S. Study Tour with institutions in the United States (end of February 2022)

Interactions with American counterparts and institutions in the United States at the forefront of disaster nursing.

▼Post-Trip Seminars

Seminars (March 5-6, 2022)
Final Presentation (end of March 2022)
Present and share their findings from the Study Tour.

 

*1 About the TOMODACHI Initiative
The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, with support from the Government of Japan. Born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs. The initiative seeks to foster a “TOMODACHI Generation” of young American and Japanese leaders who are committed to and engaged in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, appreciate each other’s countries and cultures, and possess the global skills and mindsets needed to contribute to and thrive in a more cooperative, prosperous, and secure world. Visit us at www.tomodachi.org

 

*2 About Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Japan
Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Japan consists of Johnson & Johnson K.K. with Consumer Company, Medical Company and Vision Care Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., AMO Japan K.K. and Dr. Ci:Labo Co., Ltd. Johnson & Johnson has supported the  TOMODACHI Initiative since 2015.

For more information about Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Japan, please visit their website: www.jnj.co.jp

 

*3 Since its inception, the program has consisted of three main components: 1) Pre-Trip Seminars, 2) a Study Tour in the United States, and 3) Post-Trip Seminars. Participants visited Miyagi Prefecture during the Pre-Trip Seminars. During the Study Tour in the United States, they also visited areas impacted by disasters as well as the facilities and organizations specializing in disaster medicine and nursing in New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. respectively. As part of the Post-Trip Seminars portion of the program, participants planned and executed their own projects based on what they had learned during the Study Tour. They wrapped up the program with a final presentation where they discussed their projects and what they had learned in detail.

 

【For inquiries, please contact】
U.S.-Japan Council TOMODACHI Initiative:
Email: tomodachi@usjapancouncil.org

 

• Click here to meet the sixth TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program participants.