Diploma Policy (Principles guiding graduation requirements)

Graduates of the School of Nursing will gain a deep respect for life; the knowledge and practical skills required to resolve problems in nursing; and a wide, international perspective coupled with the ability to contribute to nursing in one’s community. Before graduation, students will acquire the following skills and perspectives requisite of 21st century citizens.   

① Linguistic competence

Graduates will gain:

＊Communication skills necessary to support patients’ wishes and decisions, as well as to help patients understand nursing practices.

＊The ability to work effectively in medical teams involving different groups of professionals.

＊An international perspective, and the ability to gather current information on nursing published outside of Japan.

② Knowledge and understanding necessary for 21st century nursing graduates.

＊A broadened perspective necessary for understanding the human body and human behavior, as well as the possession of professional and academic knowledge and skills.

＊Logical and critical thinking skills required to carry out principled nursing practices.  

＊The fundamental knowledge and skills required for the carrying out of safe, secure, and effective nursing.

③ Problem-solving and information gathering skills
Graduates will gain:

＊The fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate and resolve patients’ health problems.

＊The ability, on one’s initiative, to identify and explore problems in connection to one’s studies.

④ A sense of ethics and social responsibility

Graduates will gain:

＊The drive to support patients, with respect for their diverse values, beliefs, and backgrounds.

＊The ability to devote themselves to their work as nursing professionals across their lifetimes.

＊Respect for laws and customs of society as one of its members when carrying out their work.

⑤ Community-mindedness

Graduates will gain:

＊An understanding of the role and state of nursing in the social welfare systems in one’s community, and thereby make a positive contribution to community nursing.

Curriculum Policy (Principles underlying the educational framework and experiential learning)

In the School of Nursing at Kagawa University, the guiding principles for graduation requirements (diploma policy) are reflected in a curriculum that consists of both general education courses (more than 28 credits) and specialized medical courses (more than 96 credits, of which 20 credits are specialized basic subjects and 76 credits are specialized subjects). At least 124 total credits are required for graduation. We also organize and implement public health nurse and nursing teacher training course.
Students must acquire all compulsory courses that are to be taken yearly.
At the end of the first year, second year, and third year, compulsory subjects of specialized medical courses must be taken to advance to the next year.
In addition, at the end of the second year, students are required to take more than the prescribed credits in general education courses and electives in specialized medical courses.
In addition to the graduation requirements, the public health nursing course requires 25 prescribed credits and the nursing teacher training course requires 30 prescribed credits to acquire qualification for the national examination.

The principles outlined in the diploma policy are realized through the educational methods described below.
 
① Linguistic competence

Through communication subjects of the university's general subjects, students acquire the basic communication skills necessary for interpersonal relationships based on group work in the faculty's specialized course, "Nursing and Communication". Furthermore, in basic nursing practical training, field-based practical training, and integrated practical training, students acquire the communication skills necessary for clinic step-by-step, and acquire the ability to cooperate with multi-occupation and cooperation in team medical care. In order to train advanced presentation skills from an international perspective, students acquire English language management skills by continuously attending "Foreign Language" which is conducted in small groups in the first and second year.

② Knowledge and comprehension skills necessary for 21st century nursing graduates

General subjects (main subjects and fundamental academic subjects) allow students to acquire a wide field of view and knowledge necessary for understanding human beings. Furthermore, specialized basic science and basic nursing science subjects are taken in the first and second year in order to acquire the basic knowledge of medicine and nursing. At the second term of the second year, specialized subjects of nursing (adult nursing, gerontological nursing, pediatric nursing, maternity nursing, psychiatric nursing, home care nursing, and community nursing) are offered. Regarding the subjects of the selection course, the public health nurse course and nursing teacher training course are offered from the third year, and nursing research subjects are offered in the fourth year for students who are interested in taking them. The lectures are conducted with exercises and incorporate group work so that students can acquire expertise and skills in nursing science, and cultivate comprehensive practical skills.

③ Problem-solving and information-gathering skills

Students learn fundamental problem solving methods in "University Introductory Seminar" in the general education course. Students deepen their understanding of specialized field of nursing through basic nursing methodology and basic nursing practice in the second year. In order to solve the subject's health problems, clinical nursing practice is carried out in small groups, clarifying nursing problems, developing nursing processes, and acquiring skills for problem solving and exploration. In the fourth year, students enhance comprehensive practical skills through integrated practical nursing. Furthermore, in "Nursing Research", students select an area according to the student’s orientation, find a nursing theme related to healthcare, and prepare a thesis using qualitative and quantitative analysis methods by PBL (Problem Based Learning) type education and endeavor to improve problem solving and problem-seeking abilities.

④ A sense of ethics and social responsibility

Students learn how to live as 21st century citizens through Theme-based Course A: "Life and Career" in the general education course. After taking specialized education in nursing, and taking courses in Integrated Practical Nursing such as "Nursing Ethics" and "Integrated Practical training" in the third and fourth year, students acquire ethics in nursing science and cultivate awareness of social responsibility. Moreover, through integrated lecture format incorporating group work and integrated practical training of small-groups, students are able to understand and acquire ethics and social responsibilities in nursing science more intensively, and further strive to learn as professionals for their whole lifetime.

⑤ Community-mindedness

After taking specialized education in nursing and gaining motivation towards regional understanding provided from Theme-based Course C: "Regional Understanding" in the general education course, second year students take subjects of community life nursing and understand the solution of tasks in community health care. In these communal comprehension subjects, students incorporate various teaching methods such as lectures, group work, field work, and practical training according to the purpose of the lecture, and understand communal issues more practically. In addition, in the public health nurse course, students cultivate attitudes to contribute to community health care through clinical practice training in remote islands and remote areas and practical training in occupational health.

Evaluation of the above takes into account the degree of comprehension of knowledge acquired in lecture subjects, the ability to apply knowledge in exercises and practical subjects, and proficiency in professional skills. In nursing research, comprehensive evaluation of theme setting, analysis, and preparation of thesis is carried out, and is done by strict grading evaluation (on a five-level grading system and grade point averages [GPAs]).

Admission policy (Principles underlying university admission)

Prospective students are expected to have the following academic abilities, capabilities, and competencies:
① Solid acquisition of knowledge and skills
② Critical thinking, judgement, and self‐expression
*Consideration for patients comprehensively, logical ability to think and make judgement to solve problems, and scientific and critical ability to think based on fact
*Ability to think from various perspectives and the ability to express one’s thought clearly
③ A flexible mindset and collaboration skills
④ Interest in and passion towards society and social issues
* High aim and interest towards nursing to support people’s health and the ability to continually and ambitiously tackle the issue
* Taking part in society as a nursing specialist in and out of the country, and the attitude to study for a lifetime
⑤ A sense of ethics and responsibility as a member of society
*Having self-awareness and responsibility not only as a nursing specialist who handles human life, but also as a member of society; the ability to understand one’s own role in society, a sense of ethics, and social responsibility

Before admission to Kagawa University, students in high school are expected to have studied a wide range of subjects in order to perform well as university students. In order to cultivate a global outlook as a nursing professional, students will need communication skills that respect the opinions of others and value other people, which can be done through a wide range of activities, such as student council activities, club activities, volunteer activities, etc. This will also allow the students to acquire the ability to express their own thoughts.

General Admissions Test
Phase 1 dates
The National Center Test for university admissions will evaluate the students’ understanding of required high school knowledge. In order to evaluate their logical thinking abilities and basic academic abilities necessary for learning nursing science, we especially put weight on the score of mathematics and science. In addition, interest, motivation, subjectivity, logicality, sociality, communication skills, etc. will be evaluated at the interview.

Special Admission:
Examinations for promoting professional nurses (admissions office entrance exam)

For the first selection, interests, motivation, attitudes, thinking ability, judgment ability, expressiveness, subjectivity, diversity, and cooperativeness of contents on application documents will be evaluated.

For the second selection, an essay examination and interview for successful candidates of the first selection will be conducted. Essays are written in English and Japanese, and knowledge/reading comprehension, logical thinking/expression, and writing composition will be evaluated. In the interview, ethics, social responsibility, subjectivity/cooperation, and communication will be evaluated. Through judging these comprehensively, the final successful candidates are decided.

Transfer Students:

Studies for transfer students begin in their third year.
Basic knowledge of English which is regarded to be important in the rapid internationalization of society will be evaluated. In addition, basic nursing knowledge, and the ability to form opinions, make decisions, and express one’s self will be evaluated through a short essay test. In the interview, interests, motivation, attitude, ethics, and social responsibility as an individual engaged in nursing and medical care will be evaluated.