The telegraph
Overworked Japanese nurses resigning to face discrimination from neighbors because of Covid
Nurses have resigned from more than 20% of Japanese hospitals designated to deal with coronavirus cases in the first seven months of the pandemic, with the majority leaving due to abuse and discrimination by those around them. A study by the Japan Nursing Association found that nurses across the country are also leaving the profession due to the excessive demand for work as a result of the pandemic, as well as the risk of infection. Toshiko Fukui, president of the association, said that there is widespread unhappiness among nurses as they are being asked to perform additional tasks, such as changing beds and cleaning wards, while many hospitals with financial difficulties have announced that wages are being cut and traditional year-end bonuses fully canceled. But it is the prejudice and aggression towards nurses that raise particular concern, said Ms. Fukui, citing a case where a member of the association was accused of “spreading the infection” when he was out of the hospital where he worked. Another nurse wearing protective clothing reported that she became the target of an enraged coronavirus patient, who accused her of being “dramatic”. “The health field is being pushed to its limit,” said Ms. Fukui. “I would like people to understand that there are cases where thoughtless words serve as a trigger and the nursing team is unable to continue working”. Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor of infection control at the University of Health Sciences in Hokkaido, said many of the nurses she trains have been the target of unprovoked criticism while working or even with friends or family.