Factors Related to Job Continuance of Nurses Who Migrated to Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
Study Purpose
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Definition of Term
2.3. Participants
2.4. Data Collection
2.4.1. Web-Based Questionnaire Survey
- Basic attributes
- Intention to Quit (3 items)
- Current Job Satisfaction (7 items)
2.4.2. Interview
2.5. Data Collection Period
2.6. Data Analysis
2.6.1. Web-Based Questionnaire Survey
2.6.2. Interview
2.7. Ethical Consideration
3. Results
3.1. Web-Based Questionnaire Survey
3.1.1. Characteristics of the Participants in the Web-Based Questionnaire Survey
3.1.2. Relationship between Total Intention to Quit Scores and Basic Attributes and Satisfaction with Current Job
3.2. Interview
3.2.1. The Interview Participants
3.2.2. Results of Interview Analysis
- Generous Support from the Workplace
- Dependable supervisor
“The (nursing) administrator is very kind and easy to ask [for assistance].” (More than 5 years.)
“My superiors didn’t think that because I’m a foreigner and my Japanese is difficult, I might not be able to be a leader. I am glad to that they trust and accepted that because I am a nurse, I am the same as Japanese.” (More than 5 years.)
“One year after I passed the Japanese national nursing examination, my family came to Japan, and the nursing administrator was really supportive then. [My spouse has] no experience [in caring], but [the hospital] gave [my spouse] a job as a care worker.” (More than 5 years.)
“When I said, ‘I want a longer holiday’, [My supervisor asked me] ‘When?’, ‘How long do you want?’. They have never said no.” (More than 5 years.)
- 2.
- Good relationships with colleagues
“Even if I passed the Japanese national examination, my Japanese won’t be enough. [At my workplace] my Japanese colleagues know what level of Japanese I am at. So, they don’t make me feel overwhelmed, they understand what kind of Japanese language I am more likely to understand, so it’s easy to work here.” (More than 5 years.)
“The Japanese language is difficult because there are a lot of kanji. My preceptor always supports me when I can’t do something in my work. For example, the nursing summary at discharge is quite difficult. At first I did it by myself, and then they checked it. If I have any problems, they work with me.” (3–4 years.)
“I have a Japanese nurse friend who really helps me a lot. When I passed the Japanese national examination and brought my spouse to Japan, there were many procedures and many things I did not understand. My friend helped me then.” (1–2 years.)
- 3.
- Comfortable working environment
“Salaries are very good. For example, Japan is ten times higher than Indonesia.” (1–2 years.)
“If you experience working in healthcare in South East Asia, you’ll appreciate it in Japan. Work in my own country was busy, I didn’t get much rest, worked 16-h days and then I was on call. Sometimes I got a call right after I’ve just come back and it’s like, ‘We’re doing an emergency, please come in’.” (3–4 years.)
“There is also an EPA officer in the general affairs department, so I can ask for help them too. … The hospital where I’m working at now are caring about and understands EPA [nurses], so they know how much migrant nurses can work, so it’s easy to work here.” (3–4 years.)
“There are EPA care worker [at the same affiliated facility]. The hospital provides Japanese language training for them, but they said I should go in with them because they have a [Japanese] teacher here, so I can study there.” (More than 5 years.)
“It’s a bit difficult [to work in Japan if there is no connection with other migrant nurses]. When someone is in trouble, we help each other quite a lot. Like when we are studying, or when we are lonely or stressed out. We go somewhere together and talk. … Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I could have been working so hard in Japan.” (3–4 years.)
- Beneficial Nursing Experience in Japan
- High values of Japanese nursing practice
“I prefer nursing in Japan (compared to my own country). I want to be a kind nurse. In Japan, they work carefully and diligently. They are neat and proper. They frequently check on the patient’s condition.” (1–2 years.)
“In Japan, nurses understand how the patients feel and what they need to do. They know exactly what they should do for patients. I think Japanese nurses are amazing.” (1–2 years.)
“In Japan, work is done in minutes and the daily workflow is well defined. In my country, there was a work schedule, but there was no set time. So, when one task was finished, they moved on to the next one, and so on; there was a waste of time because of the repetition of the same thing.” (More than 5 years.)
“Japanese nurses are able to assess the patient’s symptoms by themselves, consult with the doctor and then switch drugs. As soon as I consult with the patient and the doctor and they say it’s okay, I can do it.” (3–4 years.)
- 2.
- Goals to achieve in Japan
“I want to study dialysis in order to become a certified nurse in Japan.” (More than 5 years.)
“My goal in Japan is to be able to teach EPA (nurses) like me to study together. Before I taught EPA (candidates) who hadn’t yet passed the Japanese national nursing examination so that they could pass. It’s very worthwhile.” (More than 5 years.)
“I want to be able to speak Japanese well and politely.” (1–2 years.)
- 3.
- Attachment to current job
“[If I go to another country] I have to reset. I’ve been here [in Japan] for four years, and I thought I’d be wasting my Japanese nursing license and my job if I left Japan.” (3–4 years.)
“I’m comfortable now, so that’s good. No need to change.” (1–2 years.)
- Determination to live in Japan
- Attractive life in Japan
“Japan is a safe country. Japanese people are kind.” (More than 5 years.)
“Japan is convenient because it has everything we need for daily life.” (More than 5 years.)
“I have some Japanese friends. For example, if they told me they will pick me up at 10 am tomorrow, they actually come at exactly 10 am. I think that’s great.” (1–2 years.)
“I am interested in Japanese life and culture, so I want to continue (working in Japan), even though it is hard. I also want to travel.” (1–2 years.)
- 2.
- Migrated to Japan with family
“I have children in Japan now, so I can’t make the decision to go back (to my country) that easily. (My children) are already in school in Japan.” (More than five years.)
“I think it is safer to raise children in Japan. … I think there is less bullying compared to other countries. Also, I feel safer if my child goes to school by himself.” (3–4 years.)
4. Discussion
4.1. Satisfaction with the Number of Night Shifts, Balance between Work and Private Life, and Contents of Work
4.2. Support for Nursing Practice Required by Migrant Nurses
4.3. Specific Support Needs of Migrant Nurses
4.3.1. Problem Solving and Emotional Support in Private Life
4.3.2. Migrated to Japan with Family
4.3.3. Professional Development Opportunities for Migrant Nurses
4.4. Risk and Prevention of Burnout among Migrant Nurses
4.5. Implications from the Asian Scope for Countries Receiving Migrant Nurses
4.6. Limitations and Implications for Future Study
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Public Involvement Statement
Guidelines and Standards Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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n = 40 | |||
Attribute | n | % | |
Gender identification | Male | 11 | 27.5 |
Female | 29 | 72.5 | |
Country of origin | Indonesia | 16 | 40.0 |
Philippines | 14 | 35.0 | |
Vietnam | 10 | 25.0 | |
Marital status | Married | 21 | 52.5 |
Unmarried | 19 | 47.5 | |
Presence of children | Presence | 17 | 42.5 |
None | 23 | 57.5 | |
Number of visits to Japan as a nurse | First time | 36 | 90.0 |
Second time | 4 | 10.0 | |
Mean (+/− SD) | Range (year) | ||
Age | 32.3 (4.2) | 25–41 | |
Length of stay in Japan (year) n = 30 1 | 5.6 (3.6) | 1–12 | |
Years of experiences as a nurse in Japan (year) | 3.9 (3.1) | 0.6–10 | |
Years of experiences as a nurse in their own country (year) | 3.7 (1.6) | 2–9 |
n = 40 | |||
Mean (+/− SD) | Range (Min–Max) | ||
Total score of Intention to Quit | 7.9 (3.3) | 3–12 | |
Basic attributes | Mean (+/− SD) | p-value | |
Gender identification | Male | 7.4 (3.6) | 0.633 |
Female | 8.1 (3.3) | ||
Country of origin | Indonesia | 7.7 (3.5) | 0.416 |
Philippines | 8.7 (3.2) | ||
Vietnam | 7.0 (3.4) | ||
Marital status | Married | 7.6 (3.4) | 0.611 |
Unmarried | 8.2 (3.3) | ||
Presence of children | Presence | 8.9 (3.4) | 0.095 |
None | 7.1 (3.2) | ||
Number of visits to Japan | First time | 7.8 (3.4) | 0.499 |
Second time | 9.0 (2.9) | ||
Correlation coefficient | p-value | ||
Age | 0.000 | 0.999 | |
Length of stay in Japan n = 30 2 | −0.004 | 0.982 | |
Years of experiences as a nurse in Japan | −0.139 | 0.392 | |
Years of experiences as a nurse in their own country | −0.029 | 0.858 | |
Current Job Satisfaction | Correlation coefficient | p-value | |
Salary | −0.189 | 0.242 | |
Content of work | −0.453 | 0.003 ** | |
Support from supervisor | −0.309 | 0.053 | |
Relationships in workplace | −0.353 | 0.026 * | |
Training in workplace | −0.202 | 0.212 | |
Number of night shifts n = 39 3 | −0.394 | 0.013 * | |
Balance between work and private life | −0.437 | 0.005 ** |
County of Origin | Age | Gender | Marital Status | Years of Experiences as a Nurse in Japan | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Indonesia | 30 s | Woman | Married | >5 years |
B | Indonesia | 30 s | Man | Married | >5 years |
C | Indonesia | 30 s | Man | Married | 1–2 years |
D | Philippines | 30 s | Woman | Married | >5 years |
E | Philippines | 30 s | Man | Married | 3–4 years |
F | Philippines | 30 s | Man | Unmarried | 3–4 years |
G | Vietnam | 20 s | Woman | Married | 1–2 years |
H | Vietnam | 20 s | Woman | Unmarried | 1–2 years |
I | Vietnam | 20 s | Woman | Unmarried | 1–2 years |
Major Category | Category | Subcategory |
---|---|---|
Generous support from the workplace (14) | Dependable supervisor (5) | Easy to ask for help |
Trusted and entrusted migrant nurse’s work | ||
Applauds their work | ||
Resolving difficulties in work and private life | ||
Enabling them to achieve their preferred working style | ||
Good relationships with colleagues (4) | Understand the capability of migrant nurses | |
Kind teaching | ||
Support migrant nurses with unfamiliar tasks | ||
Help with issues outside of work | ||
Comfortable working environment (5) | Higher salary than in their own country | |
Better working conditions than in their own country | ||
Understanding of the characteristics of migrant nurses | ||
Continued provision of Japanese language training | ||
Help each other with EPA nurses in the same hospital | ||
Beneficial nursing experience in Japan (11) | High values of Japanese nursing practice (6) | Sincere attitude of Japanese nurses |
Nursing that values care for patients’ daily life that was not implemented in their own country | ||
Providing patient-centred care | ||
Efficient nursing work | ||
Effective cooperation with other professions | ||
Nurses’ expertise recognized | ||
Goals to achieve in Japan (3) | Learn Japanese specialized nursing | |
Support junior migrant nurses | ||
Improve Japanese language skill | ||
Attachment to current job (2) | A desire not to waste the efforts made so far | |
No need to change jobs | ||
Determination to live in Japan (6) | Attractive life in Japan (4) | Safe daily life |
Convenient living | ||
Comfort of living with Japanese people | ||
Interest in Japanese culture | ||
Migrated to Japan with family (2) | Families adapting to Japanese life | |
Desire to raise children in Japan |
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Share and Cite
Shoki, R.; Kono, A.; Hirano, Y.O.; Barroga, E.; Ota, E.; Nagamatsu, Y. Factors Related to Job Continuance of Nurses Who Migrated to Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14, 25-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14010003
Shoki R, Kono A, Hirano YO, Barroga E, Ota E, Nagamatsu Y. Factors Related to Job Continuance of Nurses Who Migrated to Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nursing Reports. 2024; 14(1):25-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14010003
Chicago/Turabian StyleShoki, Rina, Anna Kono, Yuko O. Hirano, Edward Barroga, Erika Ota, and Yasuko Nagamatsu. 2024. "Factors Related to Job Continuance of Nurses Who Migrated to Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study" Nursing Reports 14, no. 1: 25-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14010003