Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing is an affiliate of the Japanese Red Cross Society, an affiliate of the International Red Cross. The International Red Cross was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1864. Henri Dunant's concern for wounded soldiers in battle led to the establishment of the International Red Cross. In 1877, the Hakuaisha, or Philanthropy Society, was founded in Japan by Count Tsunetami Sano, Yuzuru Ogyu, and others. In 1887, Hakuaisha renamed the Japanese Red Cross Society.
The educational ideal of the Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing (JRCHCN) is human caring. Human caring cherishes the dignity of human life and wisdom based on 'humanity,' one of the seven principles of the Red Cross. To acquire the ability to practice human caring, our curriculum is structured on four conceptual components—Humanity, Knowledge, Relationships, and Skill.
The college's educational philosophy is based on the theory of Human Caring, which is based on human dignity and wisdom. Human Caring means that nurses respect human dignity and heal patients' agony, distress, fear, and anger through the interpersonal process of caring. Nurses also help individuals to reach their highest level of growth, maturity, and health. At the same time, the caring process raises the nurses' level of growth.
All human life is equally respected and given high regard and reverence. Thus, the implementation of Human Caring requires understanding individuals' wholeness and uniqueness, not only their biological existence but also their cultural, social, and historical uniqueness. Moreover, Human Caring requires the integration of concepts and theories with wisdom that has been passed on from generation to generation throughout human history.
To develop an independent learning environment, we have enhanced our facilities and have created a variety of educational materials and methods. Not only have we created educational materials on Information Communication Technology (ICT), but we have also established the 'Simulation Center' in which students can learn the necessary knowledge and skills of fundamental nursing at a time that suits their schedule. For instance, they can learn the knowledge and skills of health assessment using the "Simulators" (advanced patient care mannequins). Also, based on our research, we have trained several Standardized Patients (SP) to enable our students better to practice the methods of caring communication, caring skills, and the construction of relationships with patients. As a means of primary education for clinical training, we have introduced 'Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)' into our curriculum, allowing students to experience more realistic clinical settings at college than would be possible through conventional methods.
Our college also obtained a MEXT' Program for Promoting University Education' (Theme A) subsidy from 2009 to 2011 to promote training for international disaster relief nurses. Our research resulted in the 2012 introduction of the elective 'Preparatory Course for International Relief Nursing.' This course aims to develop the fundamental abilities of nursing professionals who can play an essential role in domestic and international disaster relief and development cooperation. In this way, we provide an educational environment in which students can learn the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to participate in a broad range of nursing activities in every situation.
Our college is located on a hillside in Hatsukaichi City, from which we can enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful islands of the Seto Inland Sea. These include Miyajima, on which is located Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage registered site. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with international partners and look forward to exploring and developing nursing education at both local and global levels.
