Nursing Workforce Preparedness for Nuclear Emergencies in Japan: A National Facility-Level Survey of Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To describe nursing workforce arrangements, training exposure, educational needs, and support needs for nuclear emergency medical care among Nuclear Emergency Core Hospitals (NECHs) in Japan. METHODS: This facility-level cross-sectional survey targeted all 51 NECHs. Questionnaire items were developed and reviewed for content validity through internal consensus by 3 study-team nurses or public health nurses; no pilot testing or recruitment reminders were conducted. Facility proportions included exact Clopper-Pearson 95% confidence intervals, and free-text responses underwent qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-two facilities responded (43.1%; exact 95% CI, 29.3-57.8%). Emergency departments (19/22, 86.4%) and DMAT membership (20/22, 90.9%) were common, while certified nurse specialists in radiation nursing were reported by 5 facilities (22.7%). Radiation basics and PPE donning/doffing practice were each selected by 21 facilities (95.5%). Free-text responses yielded 43 meaning units across 5 categories emphasizing recurrent training, workforce maintenance, organizational and financial support, and clearer staffing standards. CONCLUSIONS: Among responding NECHs, nuclear emergency nursing preparedness relied heavily on emergency/disaster nursing infrastructure, while radiation-specific advanced nursing expertise was reported less frequently. Sustainable preparedness may benefit from recurrent practical training, broader access to radiation nursing expertise, organizational support, and policy-level staffing discussion.