Nursing in Japan.

I was talking to a good friend of mine. My husband had wanted to move to Japan in the future as his field of work will take him there. But I'm just going into a degree in nursing. My friend told me that forigners can't find work in the medical field as a nurse. They have a programme for Phillapino nurses but not for Brittish nurses. I guess I could take a TEFL if it came down to it but I feel as if it would be a waist on my degree. I know I'd have to take the Japanese exam if I were able to practice nursing.

Can forigners find work in nursing?

the majority of the patients and staff will only speak Japanese so..you would have to be very fluent in that language. some hospitals cater to foreign patients but you couldn't function in English only. On the bright side of things, like many immigrants, I have never been able to use my diplomas in my new home (North America)but eventually got an interesting job with good benefits. The same thing might well happen in Japan if you set your mind to it.

So far only a handful of Filipino nurses and Indonesian careworkers have been brought into work as part of a special programme. It seems unlikely that there will be open entry into the nursing profession for foreigners any time soon.

The very high level of Japanese ability required to work in the nursing profession would also be quite a hurdle.

But if I could speak Japanese at the required level would I still be out of luck?

the nursing standards are different here. you would have to pass an exam or do a japanese nursing degree.

So I guess as long as I can pass the language requirements and take the nursing exam It's possible to find a job as a nurse?
Thanks for your time and patients.

No, I don't think you can conclude that at all. So far all the foreign nurses who have been allowed to work here have been recruited through special programmes in the Philippines and Indonesia. There are strong barriers up here to allowing non-Japanese into the nursing profession. As it stands right now your chances are probably not very good.

Also, if you don't already read Japanese well you are probably underestimating the amount of time it takes to learn the thousands of kanji necessary to read Japanese at a native or near-native level. Several years of dedicated study are necessary.

I'm interested in working as a nurse in Japan. I've studied in Kobe University with Business Administration before returning to Singapore. I switched into nursing the last 8 years. I'm wondering whether I can sit for the Japan Nursing National Licencing Exam mediated by the Japan International Corporation of Welfare services, which coordinates licencing of nurses entering from Indonesia and Philippines. Unfortunately, there is no such economic partnership between Singapore or Malaysia (I am a Malaysian)and Japan at this point of time. Are there any chances of trying it out?

I'm a Japanese citizen living in the US. I received my nursing degree and RN license in California. I'm planning to move back to Japan and would like to know if there is any requirement other than the National Exam. I read, speak, and write Japanese perfectly. Thank you.