Toward the 25th Anniversary of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care | Kiyoka Nozue, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care
The Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care was established at SFC in April 2001 based on the philosophy of creating "Nursing Science" to play a leading role in the fields of health, medicine, and welfare. Aiming for the "fusion and development of knowledge" within a comprehensive university, it started with the expectation of unprecedented new developments through the fusion of disciplines: SFC = SHARE (fair sharing of information: Environmental Information) × FAIR (fairness in public policy: Policy Management) × CARE (caring: Nursing and Medical Care) (from "Invitation to Nursing and Medical Care," Keio University Press, 2000). Students of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care have taken courses offered by the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environmental Information, participated in research seminars and student clubs, and learned knowledge not only in the field of nursing but also in various other fields, sharing diverse values. These experiences have cultivated inquisitiveness, curiosity, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to coexist, supporting their specialized studies in Shinanomachi and greatly boosting their subsequent development as professionals, maturity as human beings, and the selection and pioneering of diverse careers.
Next year, the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care will celebrate its 25th anniversary (Photo 1). With over 2,000 graduates, they are active both domestically and internationally as experts and specialists in various nursing fields, entrepreneurs and innovators, educators and researchers, and leaders promoting global health, supporting people's lives and health. Some of their activities are introduced on the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care website. It has been 20 years since we began sending out graduates, and while some are currently focusing on child-rearing, this is also an important endeavor, and the power of nursing is undoubtedly being demonstrated within the home. I expect the number of people resuming their careers after a break will increase from now on. I look forward to it.
Since the establishment of the faculty, faculty members have been engaged in research and social implementation, such as participating in the SFC "e-Care Town Project" and establishing the Nursing Best Practice Lab within the Keio Research Institute at SFC. Research collaboration with other faculties and the University Hospital Department of Nursing, including the Shinanomachi Campus which serves as another base, has progressed, and joint education among the three medical-related faculties has become firmly rooted as an educational subject in each faculty. In this way, with "Nursing Science" as the axis, this faculty has worked to realize the targeted fusion and development of knowledge while collaborating with other faculties, graduate schools, departments, and researchers both in Japan and abroad.
In the future, Japan will face rapid population aging and must address challenges such as the sustainability of medical personnel, resources, and costs. With the progress of genomic medicine and technological innovation in AI, the nature of healthcare will undergo even greater transformations. In the present and future where paradigm shifts are occurring, the importance of "nursing," which seeks and realizes people's health and happiness, is universal. As long as human beings are the subject, the essence and value of "nursing"—the eyes and hands that attend to, observe, and care for people with empathy (Kan), and the practice of protecting human dignity, health, and life (Go)—will not change. Centered on the unchanging essence and value of nursing, I believe this faculty will continue to contribute to the development of human resources who pursue nursing creatively and challengingly while overcoming various issues, and to the integration and development of knowledge.
Recently, on Saturday, August 30, faculty staff and alumni representatives held a workshop (Photo 2). As part of the 25th anniversary commemorative project for the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, we discussed the future of the faculty. The venue was the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future) β-1 Multipurpose Space. We had a heated discussion in a venue perfectly suited to the theme, followed by a lively pizza party. The results of the workshop will be introduced at the 25th anniversary ceremony on June 14 next year. Please look forward to it.
My term as Dean will end at the end of this September. This will be my last entry for the Okashira Diary. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me thus far.