national

Over 50% of nurses at COVID hospital wards in Japan have considered quitting

43 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

43 Comments
Login to comment

Can you blame them? The government, whose job is to protect the welfare of the people is actively working against them. On top of long hours, low wages and the bodies continuing to pile up?

23 ( +23 / -0 )

NO wonder those on the front lines in Japan must be under tremendous strain we simply cannot imagine!

We owe them all a LOT!

21 ( +21 / -0 )

But Suga "heard" many are on holiday. Such a conundrum who to believe? Think I will have a meeting to decide Nurses or the PM....conundrum indeed.

21 ( +21 / -0 )

But remember....The Olympics must go on!!!

20 ( +22 / -2 )

When I was in the hospital for a low-level skin cancer removal, I saw the DR. for 1 min on morning rounds and 1 min on evening rounds, and the hour I was in surgery. Not a bad guy, just busy.

The nurses did almost everything. Go to any hospital and nurses give well over 90+% of the care. They quit en-mass and we are all ducked. They are the backbone of the health care system.

20 ( +20 / -0 )

Who can blame them?

17 ( +17 / -0 )

My wife works in a major hospital in their nurse education department as a senior tutor and support worker. She has just read this article and said it is far worse than this. All of the above is 100% correct and the reason for it is simply the GOVT in Japan does not care at all about hospital workers and does not offer any after hours support for the stress involved in this situation. My wife spends all her after hours work at home taking private calls from the nurses at her hospital in tears and even some using the word suicide. The salary these nurses make for the jobs they do and the hours involved is appalling & the reason why there is a shortage. My wife has told anyone reading this to take very good care of your health currently as if you fall sick no matter what the reason or condition there is simply not enough staff to take care of you.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

Over 50% of nurses at COVID hospital wards in Japan have considered quitting

Don’t quit as yet.

That bogan John Coates needs you for the Olympics that no japanese wants.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Don't blame them, as they watch the government make one IGNORANT decision after another.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Feel sorry for these front line workers. All due to the inept government they have.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Of the respondents to the survey who are thinking about quitting, some mentioned fatigue, continued overtime and low income.

Again, priorities for the LDP. Paying nurses and increasing the benefits of this demanding and essential work in this pandemic have been less than an afterthought compared to subsidizing a paid holiday for restaurant and hotel owners and promoting the Olympics.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Golfer Hideki Matsuyama is thinking of the greater whole of the country:

“The situation in Japan is not good. If we think about health care workers, it should probably be canceled," Matsuyama said.” -

Cancel the Tokyo Olympic sham.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Fatigue is not going to improve soon, it is more likely to increase, too much of the system is dependent on people doing things because is their duty, without actual bonus for the extra time and risk, a couple of hospitals where nurses begin to quit may produce a chain reaction of disastrous consequences.

At this point what is necessary is to increase all available forms of support for health workers, vaccines and protection equipment are good, but not enough, real increase salaries so nurses and doctors can leave more profitable positions to take care of COVID patients even if temporarily, this would free the people working now to take some very necessary free time without having the need to quit.

But above all vaccinations for as much people as fast as possible, that is the real long lasting measure that should be taken to avoid having the health services swamped by too many patients treated by too few doctors and nurses.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Nurses are getting abused by the system, they deserve much better. Sad thing is probably a similar survey in most companies would garner the same results. Under paid, over worked, misery in the workplace seems to be a badge of honour a burden that's to be carried for the team benefit.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Last Monday Governors had on line meeting. But none of them can think outside the box. Anyone can be trained to give vaccination

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Sure, when nurses aren't getting what they deserve and do everything, whereas the gov't is getting WAY more than they deserve for doing nothing,

It's logic 101

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Alongfortheride...

My wife has told anyone reading this to take very good care of your health currently as if you fall sick no matter what the reason or condition there is simply not enough staff to take care of you.

Sadly, we have heatstroke on the way that will coincide with the overpriced spots meet.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

How about we cancel the Olympics, finish the Olympic village condo sales, save the money that is to pay for the stay of the bubble officials, etc... And the expenses like medical and testing, etc..

And used that money to give the nurses a nice summer bonus.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Japan is at a critical point in this pandemic. It's time to consider hiring medical experts from abroad.

4 ( +16 / -12 )

Nurses are undervalued worldwide, they need multiple skills and the job is harder than many appreciate. Not only do they look after the ill but they have to care emotionally for patients and their families. At times this is an extremely demanding and unpleasant profession. Nurses require adequate pay especially in busy and demanding times such as these.

Lack of pay and overwork are a problem worldwide for nurses and should be remedied

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I have the utmost respect and admiration for these nurses and all health care workers. The stress and strain must be exhausting, especially when it affects their family situations. It's a shame they don't have a government that works as hard for the public as they do.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

All front line medical workers deserve a pay rise. They did that in the UK, well England only got 1% compared to Scotland's 4%.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Sounds like a stike in the making

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Perhaps the article should have used a different title. Like "Nurses reaching their limits" or similar.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I find surprising is that only 50% were thinking about quitting. Doesn't everyone consider quitting their jobs?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Nurses are undervalued worldwide, they need multiple skills and the job is harder than many appreciate. Not only do they look after the ill but they have to care emotionally for patients and their families. At times this is an extremely demanding and unpleasant profession. Nurses require adequate pay especially in busy and demanding times such as these.

Lack of pay and overwork are a problem worldwide for nurses and should be remedied

On this I can agree with you 100%.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Just remind me, didnt the head of the Olympics want another 500 nurses to cover the games? how is this going to possible? judging by the amount of support on the J news this morning for the nurses, there is a lot of sympathy, and understanding.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If I were a Nurse, I would move to America and get paid the big bucks!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If they pay a big hazard pay of some sort for nurses working in covid hospitals maybe they can entice the many nurses who aren't busy in non covid hospitals.

Even at current pay levels, a lot of nurses from asian countries would be willing to work here but the language barrier mainly keeps them from doing that

2 ( +3 / -1 )

If you were to ask teachers, restaurant workers, real estate agents, haken or seisha-in workers at any company or field, about half of them or more would tell you that at some point they've considered quitting their jobs. Same for nurses even before pandemic, where their shifts were already 16 to 20 hours long, with "benkyo kai" being a mandatory non-paid part of the job.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

There's another wave coming. A different kind of wave.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Antiquesaving

Fantastic idea!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Philippine or other low paid, no training staff will fill the void.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Michael MachidaToday  08:20 am JST

If I were a Nurse, I would move to America and get paid the big bucks!

How, exactly, would they do that? Some special kind of visa status?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The pain and suffering caused by this virus that escaped from the lad in Wuhan that was doing gain of fucntion research is incalculable. Those responsible need to be held to account.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

That’s like what, 10,000 nurses nation wide? Of 130,000,000 people.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

But above all vaccinations for as much people as fast as possible, that is the real long lasting measure that should be taken to avoid having the health services swamped by too many patients treated by too few doctors and nurses.”

Absolutely incorrect. That is not the long lasting fix regardless of how much the Big Pharma cheerleaders want it to be.

The administration of a vaccine does not cure a chronic medical infrastructure deficiency that exists in the nation.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites