The 6th "Unforgettable Nursing Episodes" Awards Ceremony Held
Since 1990, when May 12th—the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who laid the foundations of modern nursing—was designated as "Nursing Day," the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Japan Nursing Association have held various events and activities nationwide during "Nursing Week" (the week spanning the Sunday of Nursing Day through the following Saturday).
The "Unforgettable Nursing Episodes" awards ceremony, which solicits experiences from nursing practice, is one such initiative. This year, the 6th "Unforgettable Nursing Episodes" awards ceremony was held on May 8 at the JNA Hall in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
This year, a total of 3,305 episodes were submitted: 1,063 in the Nursing Professional category and 2,242 in the General category. Winners were selected: Honorable Mentions (5 entries per category), Excellence Awards (3 entries per category), the Makiko Uchidate Award chosen by jury member Makiko Uchidate (1 entry per category), and the Grand Prize (1 entry per category).
Ms. Tamami Umeda, Deputy Director-General of the Minister's Secretariat at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, opened the ceremony by noting progress in various nursing-related environments, such as the Comprehensive Medical and Nursing Care Securing Promotion Act and training programs to cultivate nurses capable of providing certain medical assistance without waiting for a doctor's judgment. She stated, "Going forward, we will strive to implement and promote new systems so that nursing professionals can play an even greater role."
Suga Sakamoto, President of the Japan Nursing Association, revealed the high caliber of entries, stating, "Among the over 3,000 submissions, there were many truly outstanding works, making the selection process quite challenging."
Actress Ayame Goriki, appointed as the "Nursing Day" PR Ambassador, took the stage and slowly read aloud, with deep emotion, the top-prize-winning works: Mie Shōzaki's "The Story of a Dedicated Nurse" and Yuko Takano's "Quiet Courage."
"Quiet Courage," which recounts the care provided by a nurse met at the hospital while watching over her hospitalized husband, was adapted into a short film and screened at the venue. The nurse, referred to as "Ms. U," devotedly cared for Takano's husband while pregnant, continuing to give courage to the Takano couple right up until the day before she went on maternity leave.
Takano concludes her work by addressing the baby then growing in U-san's womb: "If I ever meet you, may I give you a hug? I still cherish the courage you and your mother gave me."
Immediately afterward, Nurse Umeda Toki—the nurse Ms. Takano had longed to meet—and her daughter appeared as surprise guests. Ms. Takano shed tears of emotion at this reunion after 12 years.
Goriki commented, "It's such a wonderful story, and both the narrative and the words are beautiful, so I felt I had to read it with all my heart. It was really hard to hold back tears while practicing over and over." She spoke about reading with deep emotional involvement. Regarding the surprise reunion between Takano and Umeda, she remarked, "That was... kind of sneaky, right? (laughs). I was deeply moved witnessing that moment when twelve long years vanished in an instant. I held back tears desperately until the video played, but then I just couldn't stop crying."
Finally, she offered encouragement to those aspiring to become nurses and those currently working hard in nursing: "I believe it's a job that far exceeds what you can imagine, but I hope you aim for nursing that truly connects with the hearts of as many people as possible."
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