Being a good nurse is not easy, it is a challenging and stimulating job where you constantly need to improve yourself and be ready to tackle the new challenges that face your patients. In order to find nursing jobs in Japan, you need to develop some knowledge and skills. These range from hard skills, such as Japanese language skills and medical skills, to soft skills, such as cultural awareness and time management. 

Here is a list of some of the most important skills you must have if you want to gain nursing jobs in Japan:

Japanese language Skills

The first thing you must know about the knowledge and skills of a nurse in Japan is the knowledge of the Japanese language. This skill is compulsory to find nursing jobs in Japan, as you will be supposed to pass a nursing Japanese test before starting working as a nurse. 

If you want to improve the knowledge of this difficult language, here is an article on how to learn Japanese based on your starting level. 

If you already have Japanese basic knowledge and you want to become fluent in this language, you should read the BFF Tokyo article about How to Reach Advanced Level Japanese and Beyond. 

Another useful option is to enroll in a course of Japan Switch. This is the cheapest Japanese school in Tokyo with more than 200 students.

English Language Skills

Apart from Japanese language, you will be expected to have a fluent level of English knowledge, as this language is used to communicate with foreign patients who don’t speak Japanese and for the fact that English is considered the Lingua Franca for the whole world.

Medical Skills

Another compulsory skill is related to the medical field. You must have an in-depth knowledge of the field before becoming a nurse, as you will be expected to work with the life of people. The only way to develop these skills and knowledge is through a university course of study.

Japanese Cultural Knowledge

Japanese cultural knowledge is a must-have for a nurse. You should understand and know what Japanese people consider important and acceptable, and what they consider illegitimate. The main reason is that the culture of a country influences the patients’ view of health, wellness, care, acceptance of and adherence to treatment, and even death.

Communication Skills

Nurses must be good communicators. They should have good both oral and written communication. They work with many people, such as patients, doctors, other nurses, and so on. They should be able to communicate efficiently with all these people as everyone can understand the current situation. When they communicate with patients, they must be calm, measured, and professionals in explaining the results of the diagnosis and the medical treatments. 

Professionalism

Nurses are professionals and they have to be professionals whatever they do. They must exhibit professionalism in front of patients but also in front of colleagues. Professionalism encompasses many areas, such as attitude, respect, responsibility, and so on. A nurse must remember that he/she is just a part of the bigger machine of the hospital/clinic and remember that what he/she does influences the whole machine. For this reason, a nurse must be professional in all his/her tasks.

Attention to Detail

Having strong attention to detail enables you to avoid medical mistakes and give better patient care. Nurses interact with many patients and doctors throughout the day and they are the record keepers, as they run diagnostic tests, give medications, and put these results into a patient’s document. Everything must be well-recorded, precise, and updated in order to avoid medical complications.

Problem Solving Skills

Another essential skill for nurses is a problem-solving skill. In a hospital, everything can happen: hospitalised patients can have complications or new patients can arrive with strange medical conditions. Nurses should be able to tackle a difficult and stressful situation efficiently and to figure out what could cause it.

Time Management

In order to find nursing jobs in Japan, time management skills are essential. You should understand which parts of your work have priorities and which patients need to be visited before the others. You could organize your time with personal checklists and spreadsheets to have all your tasks clear and well organized.