Learning from the Unfiltered Voices of Graduate Students | Kaori Yagasaki, Head of the Major in Nursing, Graduate School of Health Management
November 7, 2023
I am Kaori Yagasaki, and I have recently been appointed as the Head of the Major in Nursing at the Graduate School of Health Management. I look forward to working with you all.
Recently, we held a social gathering with the aim of introducing the Major in Nursing at the Graduate School of Health Management to those interested (undergraduate alumni and nurses). This was the first attempt of its kind for our major. Three graduate students took the lead in organizing the event, giving presentations and exchanging opinions on topics that prospective students would likely want to know about, such as their motivations for pursuing graduate studies, the realities of learning in the graduate school, the strengths and unique aspects of our major, and scholarships. As the event was geared toward prospective students, there seemed to be no holding back for the sake of the faculty. From my perspective as a faculty member, I listened with a mix of excitement and a little nervousness, wondering what graduate students in each field were learning, how they were experiencing it, and what they were feeling... but my worries were unfounded.
The experiences shared by the graduate students were all unique, and they seemed to take pride in their internal growth. In particular, they spoke candidly about the strength of learning together in the two majors offered by the Graduate School of Health Management: the Major in Nursing and the Major in Public Health and Sports Medicine. Specifically, I understood that by exchanging information in the same academic environment, graduate students from each specialty broaden their knowledge and wisdom both within and outside of nursing, build personal networks, and acquire the ability to not only tackle their own research topics but also to embark on their professional paths after graduation. Nursing is a discipline that deals with people, and it demands a wide range of abilities, including multifaceted knowledge, deep thinking skills, insight, and an inquisitive mind. I was impressed to learn that they are enhancing their ability to break through the rapid changes in society and healthcare as leaders and to acquire the resources to do so.
While motivations for entering graduate school vary, many students enroll with a certain degree of confidence in their professional nursing skills. However, it is not uncommon for them to feel discouraged upon entering, as they perceive everyone around them to be exceptionally talented. But I could sense that from this state, they engage in self-reflection, dialogue with their peers, explore their academic and research topics, and prepare to move on to the next stage. Through the unfiltered voices of the graduate students, it became an opportunity to reflect on our daily educational practices.
As the Master's Program in the Major in Nursing also includes a Certified Nurse Specialist program, career paths after graduation are diverse, including researchers, practitioners, and educators. I was reaffirmed in my conviction that graduate studies become a crucial foundation for embarking on a path as a pioneer in one's specialized field.