|
Japanese
Nurses Coming to Shadyside Hospital
For Week-Long Educational and Cultural Exchange
Eighteen
nurses representing several hospitals and clinics across Japan
will arrive at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, on Monday, September
25 to begin a week of classes, clinical experiences, and conferences
covering the latest developments in nursing.
This educational
and cultural exchange, arranged by Kazuo Kodero, D. Sci, director
of the English Society Institute in Tokyo, marks the third visit
by Japanese nurses to Shadyside Hospital in seven years. Previous
visits took place in 1989 and 1993.
"We are pleased
to welcome another group of nurses to Shadyside Hospital to learn
and share ideas about nursing, and to continue our relationship
based on mutual respect and a common goal of providing quality,
innovative nursing innovation and care," said Gail Wolf, RN, MSN,
DNS, vice president of patient care services at Shadyside.
The nurses
are scheduled to arrive Monday for an 8:00 a.m. breakfast, followed
by a full day of conferences led by Shadyside nurse educators,
nursing unit directors, and other staff members. At the end of
the day, a welcome reception will be held in the hospital's west
wing concourse from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The nurses will spend
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday with preceptors in the clinical
setting, accompanying Shadyside nurses on patient rounds and observing
how care is provided. A second day of conferences is planned for
Thursday.
Among the
topics to be presented are Project Wildlife, a nursing work evaluation
and quality improvement project, and Excelcare, a computerized
method for documenting and measuring nursing standards. Other
topics include clinical pathways, organizational restructuring,
and performance motivation, and a panel discussion will focus
on shifting roles in nursing. On the fun side, the Japanese nurses
will have the opportunity to explore bargain hunting. Western
Pennsylvania style during an all-day Saturday expedition to the
Grove City Outlets.
How
the Exchange Began and Evolved
The Shadyside-Japan
exchange began in 1989, when the English Society Institute wanted
to visit hospitals in the United States to learn about advanced
nursing practice, and chose Shadyside as one of only two hospitals
in the U.S. at which Japanese nurses could best study innovative
nursing techniques. At that time, 22 nurses visited Shadyside
Hospital.
The first
interchange was so successful that in 1990, the Institute invited
Dr. Wolf to address nursing leaders in Japan. She and 14 members
of Shadyside's nursing staff, administration and board toured
hospitals and clinics to observe Japanese nursing. In 1991 and
1993, representatives of Shadyside's nursing administration returned
to Japan to teach and lecture. In 1993, a second group of Japanese
nurses visited Shadyside Hospital for a study tour.
Part of Shadyside's
reputation for excellence in nurse education can be attributed
to the hospital's Beckwith Institute for Innovation in Nursing,
the primary purpose of which is to provide education, stimulation,
and development of the use of creativity and innovation in health
care organizations.
"The professional
interchanges between our two hemispheres have continued since
the first visit, leading to lasting, personal, cross cultural
friendships," said Dr. Wolf.
Return
to Writing Samples
Copyright © 2003 by John Fries, Pittsburgh, PA.
Please direct all correspondence to JohnFries@aol.com.
|
