Profile

Yuko Ohara-HIRANO, Ph.D.
Professor
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University

Degrees

• Ph.D. in Health Sciences, The University of Tokyo (1997)

Appointments

• Kyushu University, School of Health Sciences, Assistant Professor, 1997-2002
• Kyushu University, Department of Health Sciences, Assistant Professor, 2002-2007
• Kyushu University, Graduate School of Medicine, Associate Professor, 2007-2011
• Nagasaki University, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Professor, 2011-
• Committee Member for Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Reviewing Wordings of the National Board Examination for Nurses (2010)

Research Grants

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Scientific Research (B), sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), 'Study of Migration of Foreign Nurses to Japan under the Economic Partnership Agreements', Principal Investigator, FY2009-2012
• International Research Found, sponsored by the Pfizer Health Research Foundation, 'Study of Nurse Migration from Viet Nam under the Japan-Viet Nam Economic Partnership Agreements', Principal Investigator, FY2011-2012

Research Interests

My specialty is the Sociology of Health and Illness. The Sociology of Health and Illness is a multi-disciplinary study, involving economics, politics as well as health sciences. It focuses on the phenomenon of health and illness by considering both formal and informal inter-relationships based on person to person, person to group and group to group dynamics. In this field of study, both quantitative and qualitative analyses are used. The goal of the Sociology of Health and Illness is to perceptive and incisive data, which society can utilize for developing 'healthier' society – leading to a higher quality of life and greater respect for human rights.

Currently, I am studying about incoming foreign nurses to Japan, who enter under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam. Taking a sociological perspective, I focus on foreign nurses, not only as individuals, but also as a group. I also focus on the other groups of people who interact with these foreign nurses, including the governments of both sending and receiving countries, Japanese hospitals accepting foreign nurses, local communities, as well as the families of the nurses back in their home counties. Taking such a holistic approach, it becomes clear that the issue of foreign nurses in Japan contains such a highly dynamic construction, in terms of the multi-faceted relationship between all of the individuals and groups concerned. The dynamism of this issue derives from the fact that it is inevitable to focus on the issue holistically. To provide mental care to nurses who are suffering from job stress is not a conclusive method to solve the issues. Then, what is the essence of the issues experienced by foreign nurses in Japan? How can we address such issues? I have been working on these inquiries with researchers from various backgrounds, such as nursing, health sciences, anthropology, histology, and economics.