Locating non-working nurses in Japan: A feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Nursing workforce research
• Public health surveys

Background:

• Understanding the characteristics of nurses not currently practicing is crucial for workforce planning.
• Existing methods for collecting data on this demographic are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using newspaper surveys to gather data on non-practicing nurses.
• To describe the characteristics of nurses who are not currently working in the profession.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed via newspaper channels.
• Data were collected from 70 respondents, yielding an estimated response rate of 12%.

Main Results:

• The age distribution of non-practicing nurses peaked in their 30s, complementing data from working nurses.
• The newspaper survey method demonstrated some feasibility and representativeness for this population.
• Current data collection methods for non-practicing nurses are insufficient.

Conclusions:

• Newspaper surveys offer a feasible, albeit limited, method for characterizing non-practicing nurses.
• A future license renewal system is recommended for comprehensive data collection from all nursing license holders.