Project Leader
Carl Becker, MD, Professor, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

Collaborative Research Affiliates
Chiharu Akazawa Ph.D., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Human Health Care)

Collaborative Project Researchers
Aki Komada, Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University (Medical Sociology)
Motoko Okuno, Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University (Psychology)

Collaborator from the Kokoro Research Center
Megumi Kondo, Researcher, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

Novice nurses tend to burn out because of unfamiliar workload and their high-stress environment. Our survey, conducted with the cooperation of more than 100 hospitals in the Kinki region, measures mental changes in novice nurses over the course of their first year, and the guidance and training they received in response. Our questionnaire surveys the relationships between stress levels, their sense of coherence (SOC), the tendency towards and the degree of burnout, health status, and other factors. The survey is conducted four times each year using the same scales, to identify the orientation, educational events, and temporal influence of fatigue.

Our research objectives are to provide support for and raise retention of nurses, by identifying psychological as well as environmental factors linked to nurse burnout and the effects of stress over time. By understanding methods of mental support, coping mechanisms, and danger signs of novice nurses, we hope to provide more appropriate guidance and improve job retention by novice nurses.