I was moved by the presentations of nursing students!

Yesterday was a day spent running around everywhere.
I am grateful to have been invited to the presentation event at the Fukuoka Mizumaki Nursing and Midwifery School, and to have participated in such a wonderful occasion.
I must write this down before the excitement fades!

The first-year students at the Fukuoka Mizumaki Nursing and Midwifery School were divided into 13 groups and went out for 'community activity' internships.

One of those groups came to our NPO, Sukiccha Kitakyushu, and joined us for two 'Asobousai' (Disaster Prevention Play) sessions.

They were such wonderful students, and I was deeply impressed.

The presentation event was split into morning and afternoon sessions, and I rushed over for the second half of the afternoon.

The building is very beautiful and impressive, but the guidance from the entrance to the venue was so hospitable, like that of a luxury hotel, that I felt like a VIP (laughs).

I had intended to just drop by and take a look, but
they had even prepared an amazing seat for me, so I changed my mindset (laughs).

I will write down the points that left an impression on me, including the presentations from other groups.

1. The subject of nursing is...

I was very struck by the opening remarks from the Vice Principal.

They said something to the effect of, 'The people we nurses care for were members of the community before they were patients, and they will return to the community after their care is finished. As those who provide nursing care, I want you to learn thoroughly what the people of the community and the community itself are like.'

Although nursing is a specialized profession,
I believe that it is only by learning well about the community that you can truly see the 'person'.
I was truly humbled.
I was moved at this point already.

And it was Mr. Murae who connected the internship sites to the field of the community.
I admire his extensive network and his ability to take action.

2. A second life!

In the presentation by students who interned at the Mizumaki Town Senior Citizens' Club Federation,
they mentioned that they were active under the theme of enjoying a second life at the senior citizens' club.

The idea is that instead of staying at home all the time, they want people to come out, move their bodies, connect with others, and spend their time through various activities.
I was touched by the feelings of everyone who continues to be active with such passionate thoughts, even as they get older.
I think there was a lot to learn in the field of nursing as well.

3. Conveying your feelings!

This was an internship at a volunteer group called "Tomoshibi no Kai" that does braille translation, reading aloud, and sign language.
At the beginning of the presentation, all the students introduced themselves in sign language.

They presented the points they noticed when communicating with people who are deaf.
The two points that left a strong impression on me were:
・The importance of the desire to convey something
・Communicating clearly rather than vaguely

I think these are important things in daily communication.
I believe they will also be very useful in the field of nursing.

4. Communication is not just about words!

This phrase really resonated with me.
These are the words of a student who went for an internship at an after-school day service.

Even children who appear to be neurotypical at first glance may have mental or developmental disabilities and use after-school day services.

Unable to convey their feelings well, unable to speak well, unable to sit still.
Each child had their own characteristics and personality.
They said they thought about the best way to interact with each individual.

Even children who seemed to dislike communication actually wanted someone to be by their side or wanted to be watched all the time.

And as a sense that the students gained, I was very moved by the phrase, "Communication is not just about words."

Being there for them,
Staying by their side,
Touching their hands.

I think communication is diverse.

5. Community connections

Even though it was a nursing internship, there were several themes related to "community building" and "local communities" that we think about on a daily basis.
There were also internship placements at civic centers, social welfare councils, and community comprehensive support centers.

Having places and programs where everyone from babies to the elderly can gather at community hubs.
The desire for people to live healthy lives, both mentally and physically, by having opportunities to go out and move their bodies through local connections.

In terms of vertical divisions, it is easy to treat local communities, welfare, and medical care as completely separate things, but
the students realized that they are all on a straight line and presented this in their own words.
I felt that having that perspective as they become nurses is a very important thing when looking at "people."

6. Fostering a love for the community!!

Finally, here is the content from the group that our NPO, Sukiccha Kitakyushu, hosted.

Our activities often involve visiting community hubs like civic centers to carry out various projects and events.

We conduct our activities with the theme of 'fostering a love for the community,'
with the hope that we can increase the number of people who love their town more and more.

They spoke on my behalf and gave a presentation.

They participated in two 'Asobousai' (Play-Disaster Prevention) sessions,
the first time as an experience,
and for the second 'Asobousai,' the nursing students devised and prepared their own programs,
which moved me very, very much.

A disaster prevention true-or-false quiz incorporating a nursing perspective,
a medical disaster prevention goods memory game,
and wheelchair experiences—
these programs were truly characteristic of nursing students and greatly expanded the scope of 'Asobousai'.

I want to give a huge round of applause for the fact that they didn't just participate as part of their internship,
but took such proactive initiative.

We are involved in 'community development' through 'disaster prevention,' which is a common theme and issue in the region and an element that can unite residents.
'Asobousai' was devised as a tool for multi-generational exchange, including children.

This connects to the presentations of the other groups as well,
connecting within the community,
and having places and opportunities to gather within the community.
For people with and without disabilities to support each other and live vibrant lives.
I believe it leads to all of these things.

Everyone's presentations were truly, truly wonderful.
I have become a huge fan of this nursing school.

This time, you joined our activities as part of your internship,
but many of us at the host organizations, including myself, do this kind of work outside of our regular jobs.
I would be happy if we could continue to work together in some way in the future, as time permits, rather than just stopping at the internship.

It was a very, very wonderful presentation session!
I feel like my heart has been cleansed.

Thank you for watching again today.

<Article from 'today' one year ago>