The role in supporting activities of the public health nurses at the time of a radiation disaster

After The Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the great disaster not only was a seismic hazard but also influenced health anxiety by the radiation in the nuclear power plant. The residents who lived in this area have been faced with strict dangerous circumstances still now. So this research is to clarify the substance of supporting activities of the public health nurses of a local government after a nuclear power plant disaster. Group interviews were conducted with public health nurses who were engaged in Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster experiences. The numbers of the public health nurses were 11 (3 belonged to prefecture governments, 8 belonged to local governments). Their mean tenure as a public health nurse was 30.7±3.0 years. They didn't have any training opportunity to get technical knowledge of the nuclear power plant disaster, so that they couldn't cope with the anxiety of the residents after the disaster. Therefore, it is necessary to improve 'the fundamental knowledge of radiation', 'a care of the heart', 'risk communication', 'organizations-concerned cooperation' and 'organization maintenance at the time of usual circumstances'. We found that the local governments which have a nuclear power plant institution have not been trained enough at the time of usual business, nor maintenance of operations required for accident preparedness, either. It was showed that from now on, the education for public health nurses is emergently required to cope with a radiation disaster, including a fundamental knowledge of radiation and resident support services from local governments regardless of whether their prefecture has a nuclear power plant or not. (author)