From Urban Nurses to Remote Island Nurses: Event to Expand Nursing Network and Opportunities at Tsushima Hospital

Japan Heart, an international medical NGO (located in Taito-ku, Tokyo, Chairperson: Haruna Yoshioka), through its 'RIKAjob' project which connects nursing professionals to remote islands and rural areas in Japan, has decided to co-host an event with Nagasaki Prefecture Tsushima Hospital. The event, titled 'Island Friendly to Remote Island Beginners - Tsushima - Tsushima Hospital Study Tour,' is for nurses and midwives. This tour aims to provide urban nurses and midwives with the opportunity to explore 'remote island nursing' as a new career option, addressing the issue of medical personnel concentration in urban areas and shortages in remote regions. Through this study tour, participants will experience life on a remote island and the realities of local medical care, supporting diverse career development for nursing professionals and promoting the circulation of human resources essential for maintaining and developing community-based medical care systems. The event will be held for three days from July 9 (Thursday) to July 11 (Saturday), 2026, at Tsushima Hospital, which receives the most inquiries within RIKAjob. Tsushima is an island rich in nature and history, visited by many people annually. Many who have worked there have extended their contracts or even relocated. The program includes a hospital tour and opportunities to speak with the hospital director, nursing manager, and nurses who joined through RIKAjob, answering questions about 'the reality of island life and hospitals' and 'the joys and challenges unique to island nurses.' Hideo Yoshioka, founder of Japan Heart and a pediatric surgeon, who launched the Tsushima Hospital project and regularly visits the site when returning from activities in developing countries, will also accompany the entire tour, sharing insights on the challenges and prospects of island medicine. In remote island medical settings, healthcare is provided under constraints in both equipment and human resources, requiring nurses to possess advanced judgment and practical skills. This environment enhances the professionalism of nursing staff while highlighting Japan's structural issue of regional disparities in medical personnel. This event aims to enable nurses with urban experience to engage with remote island healthcare, broaden their possibilities for autonomous career choices, and foster learning and networking among participants to promote the circulation of human resources supporting regional medical care. This initiative seeks to build a sustainable medical system in 'medically underserved areas' and contribute to the development of regional healthcare. RIKAjob is a project by the international medical NGO Japan Heart, based on its mission 'Deliver medical care where it is not available,' to support nursing professionals in remote island and rural healthcare in Japan. The name RIKAjob comes from 'RITO (remote island),' 'IRYO (medical care),' and 'KANGOSHOKU (nursing professional).' It allows urban nurses to contribute to solving regional medical issues by living and working in medically underserved areas, while also providing opportunities for career development, skill improvement, and re-evaluating their nursing philosophy. RIKAjob introduces nursing professionals to 17 facilities in 7 prefectures nationwide, primarily in the Amami Islands, from Oma in Aomori Prefecture to Yoron Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. Since January 1, 2026, the system for its employment placement business has been reorganized to achieve higher quality matching and continuous support for both job seekers and medical institutions.