Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing (日本赤十字看護大学, Nihon sekijūji kango daigaku) is a private university in Hiroo, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan with an auxiliary suburban campus in Musashino, Tokyo..
Background Globally, there is an ongoing shortage of nurses, hindering many countries from achieving their healthcare goals. In response to this issue, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare introduced the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model in 2019. Although this model has been validated by several researchers, it’s applicability to hospital nurses in Japan has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to test the model fit of the JD-R Model with nurses working in Japanese hospitals. Method The study adopted a cross-sectional, model-testing design using a self-administered questionnaire survey. A total of 3,000 nurses from 48 hospitals were recruited through stratified random sampling. Of the distributed questionnaires, 707 were returned. After excluding responses with more than 10 missing items, 624 valid responses were analyzed using structural equation Modeling. Results The fit indices of the original JD-R Model indicated an acceptable model fit ( χ² = 116.34, RMSEA = .21, AIC = 162.34, and CFI = .91). The model was subsequently modified for hospital nurses based on the results of the Lagrange Multiplier (LM) test, resulting in improved fit indices (χ² = 12.22, RMSEA = .057, AIC = 58.22, CFI = .99). Discussion The modified JD-R Model demonstrated a good fit and proved applicable to hospital nurses. Notably, the model revealed a positive causal relationship between work engagement and health problems, suggesting that excessive engagement may contribute to adverse health outcomes among hospital nurses.
OBJECTIVES:The competencies required of occupational health nurses (OHNs) to effectively address increasingly complex occupational health needs require systematic clarification. This scoping review aimed to comprehensively examine occupational health nursing competencies by mapping their scope, definitions, and practical applications. METHODS:This study adopted a scoping review methodology to systematically summarize key concepts and knowledge. Literature searches were conducted using the Ichushi Web and PubMed databases, covering studies published between 2015 and 2025. Keywords included "occupational health nursing" and "competencies." Peer-reviewed studies published in English or Japanese were included. Two researchers independently conducted primary and secondary screenings, resulting in the selection of 31 studies based on predefined eligibility criteria. RESULTS:Thirty-one studies were included in the review. Occupational health nursing competencies were described as both basic competencies, essential for all OHNs, and advanced competencies, which are demonstrated by proficient nurses and associated with high performance. The competencies were categorized into 4 domains: "foundations of occupational health nursing," including professionalism and communication; "coordination," including relationship building; "management," including Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)-based management; and "occupational health activities," including health promotion and consultation. CONCLUSIONS:Occupational health nursing competencies span basic to advanced levels and integrate knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes required for effective occupational health practice. These competencies highlight the importance of foundational expertise, collaborative coordination, systematic management, and practical occupational health activities. The findings provide a framework that may support the development of structured education and training programs to strengthen occupational health nursing practice in increasingly complex work environments.
