In order to improve the quality of nursing education, prefectures hold training seminars for on-site practical training instructors for nursing personnel. This study aimed to see changes in the sense of difficulty in teaching practice instructors before and after attending a training course that incorporates hands-on learning. The study subjects were the 53 participants who attended the 2018 A Prefecture workshop, and a corresponding t-test was used to compare the changes in the sense of difficulty in teaching practical training for the 47 participants whose questionnaire responses before and after the workshop were not deficient (valid response rate: 94.0%). The questionnaire included 40 items, which were added to the difficulties in teaching practical training that had been identified in previous studies. The mean age of the subjects was 33.48 years (SD 5.22), the mean number of years of nursing experience was 11.75 years (SD 4.63), and the mean number of years of teaching experience was 1.88 years (SD 2.33). After attending the training course, the sense of difficulty in teaching practical training decreased significantly (p<.000). In particular, “difficulties related to the instructor’s competence” decreased in many items after attending the course. One of the reasons for the reduction in the sense of difficulty was that mid-career nurses gained confidence and increased their self-efficacy by learning knowledge and teaching techniques for practical training instruction at the workshop. In addition, participants could understand others and learn specific methods of practical training instruction through experiential learning utilizing role-plays. It was suggested that acquiring a perspective to observe students and understanding their behavior would reduce their sense of difficulty.

Objective: To identify the professionalism and living environment characteristics of nursing staff employed before and after retirement age (Platinum Nurses: PNs) at visiting nursing stations (VNS) and to make systematic proposals that will contribute to the promotion of such employment in the future.

Methods: A mail survey was conducted for PNs belonging to 288 facilities affiliated with the Japan Hospital Association. 695 people who were willing to work were divided into two groups according to whether or not they were willing to work for VNS. The χ2 test and binary logistic regression analysis were conducted to verify any related factors.

Results: The number of items in the “willing to work” group was significantly higher than that in the “not willing to work” group, with 3 in “training,” 1 in “placement,” and 2 in “engagement.” Additionally, the ‘willing to work’ group showed 1.6 times more activity in car visits, sought 1.5 times more support for learning opportunities, and experienced 1.4 times less anxiety about solo visits. “Moreover, based on the odds ratio, the ‘willing to work’ group expressed a desire to take charge of internships, reskilling, and on-call duties 9.32 times more than the group without such intentions.

Conclusion: PNs who are willing to work for VNS are highly motivated to learn using their own experience to challenge new fields. Measures to promote the employment of PNs in VNS include the early identification of people with good attitudes regarding their expertise and the necessity of home-visit nursing, while establishing a system that increases opportunities to learn about home-visit nursing while working at a hospital. Therefore, new measures, such as subsidizing training expenses for hospitals, are desirable.

Children’s centers are welfare facilities established under Article 40 of the Child Welfare Law. The operating guidelines for such establishments stipulate that staff members should visit areas where these are lacking and provide opportunities for children to engage in play events through mobile children’s center activities. Previous research has shown that mobile children’s center activities can have a preventive effect by identifying needs outside of children’s centers and connecting them to support, but the actual situation has not been fully understood. This study examined the activities of mobile centers and analyzed how play-based activities have evolved to meet the needs of local children and their caregivers. It also investigated the potential of mobile children’s center activities in creating a suitable environment for the sound development of children in the community. The results of a nationwide survey of children’s centers showed that mobile children’s center activities include childcare support and the provision of physical play. Regarding meeting community needs, they provide individualized support and assistance through social resources. The development of these activities involves numerous local residents and promotes collaboration among various community organizations, including neighborhood associations, which aim to foster unity and support within the community, and children’s associations, which focus on the well-being and engagement of young people through organized events and interactions. Therefore, mobile children’s center activities provide an opportunity to raise awareness among local residents about the sound upbringing of children. In this process, residents must proactively work together to meet community needs. Mobile children’s center activities are not limited to children’s centers and have the potential to develop into proactive facilities for local residents.

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has fluctuated with the emergence of new variants and accelerated vaccination efforts. Using a regional correlation analysis approach, this study aimed to identify factors associated with the increased number of infections, particularly vaccination effects, in 30 municipalities in Niigata Prefecture and 47 prefectures nationwide. Based on the open-source data collected, this study used the number of infections per 100,000 individuals as the dependent variable. Multiple regression analysis was conducted nationwide using population density, welfare rate, Gini coefficient, number of COVID-19 available hospital beds per 100,000 individuals, vaccination rate, number of deaths per 100,000 individuals, and aging rate as explanatory variables. Gini coefficient and number of deaths per 100,000 individuals were not published for the prefectures and excluded from the explanatory variables. The results showed that vaccination coverage mainly contributed to the decrease in the number of cases in prefectures and provinces. In the prefectural data, higher vaccination coverage significantly reduced the number of infected cases; however, there were no significant differences in population density, welfare rate, or aging rate. Contrastingly, in the prefectural data, the higher the number of deaths and available hospital beds and lower the aging rate, the higher the number of infected individuals. Besides the effects of vaccination, the elderly are at high risk of becoming seriously ill; therefore, they were urged to refrain from going out, which may have suppressed the spread of infection through human contact. Additionally, the vaccination of the elderly aged ≧ 65 years was prioritized, which may have contributed to the suppression of the spread of the infection.

This manuscript reports on the excavation of the Komatsu Cave site, Sumita-cho, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, conducted from April 27 to May 4, 2024. In this study, a 1m × 2m area within the Komatsu Cave No. 1 cave was excavated with the aim of discovering human remains from the Yayoi period. A post-modern human-disturbed pit was identified on the east side of the excavation area, and human bones, Jomon pottery, animal remains, and stone tools were excavated from within the pit. The human remains have been disturbed and the period is uncertain, at least three individuals are present. Based on the human remains excavated in this excavation and the presence of human remains from the Middle Yayoi period suggest the possibility of the existence of the grave site in Komatsu Cave 1. We plan to excavate the western side of the cave 1 when the effects of disturbance have not been confirmed.