Acceptance of Foreign Nurses Based on the EPA in Japan and Future Challenges

Objectives: The acceptance of foreign nurses started in Japan from 2008 under the Economic Partnership Agreements. Over 400 nurses have come to Japan from Indonesia and the Philippines thus far. If they do not pass the exam within 3 years, they basically have to return to their countries. They can work in Japan as nurses if they pass the Japanese national board exam for nurses within 3 years after coming to Japan and they will be paid the same or more as Japanese nurses. Passing the national board exam for nurses is the main issue for the foreign nurse candidates. So far, the rates of foreign nurse candidates passing the national board exam were 0% in 2009, 1.2% in 2010, 4.0% in 2011, 11.3% in 2012 and 9.6% in 2013. Though the pass rate is gradually increasing, realistically, passing the exam is very challenging for them considering the fact that the overall pass rate for Japanese applicants is approximately 90%.

Methods: We conducted a study on the practice national board exam targeting Filipino nurse candidates in Japan and Indonesian nursing students in Indonesia. We requested them to take the Japanese national board exam translated into English and Indonesian and analyzed the exam results.

Results: The percentage of correct answers was low even though the practice national board exam for nurses was written in English or Indonesian.

Conclusions: Because the percentage of correct answers was low in the study on the practice national board exam for nurses, we believe that there is a difference in the nursing training curriculums and nursing itself in each country. It is necessary to compare and study the differences in nursing training curriculums in each country as soon as possible.