A group of foreigners aspiring to become qualified nursing-care professionals in Japan have shared their experiences.
Ten foreigners who are working in the Japanese nursing-care industry took part in a speech contest in Tokyo on Saturday. The event was organized by a body that offers Japanese lessons to foreigners wanting to become nurses and professional caregivers in Japan. They came to Japan under economic partnership agreements.
A Filipino talked about an elderly man who he took care of every day. He said the patient remembered him even as his dementia worsened. He stressed nursing care transcends gender, nationality and race, adding that what counts most is an emotional bond.
The competition was won by an Indonesian. He used humor to reveal that he was scolded by facility users because of his inability to understand the Japanese language. He said nursing-care work is difficult but becomes fun if workers continue to put more heart into it.
A total of 3,000 people from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam have travelled to Japan to acquire qualifications as professional nursing-care workers in the country.
But many of them returned home after failing to obtain certification. The biggest hurdle is passing national qualification exams. The tests require examinees to read and write technical terms and kanji Chinese characters, some of which are too difficult for foreigners to master.
Source: NHK Image: Nikkei
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