Nurse Administrators’ Roles for Nurse Retention when Radioactive Disaster occurs: Findings from Nurses’ Evacuation Consideration and Evacuation after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Background: In 2011, a nuclear accident severely affected many hospitals in Fukushima. Many nurses faced a dilemma of whether to evacuate voluntarily or keep working. This study examined the voluntary evacuation and returning of nurses and then suggested how nurse administrators can prepare for such situations. Methods: The study was conducted from July through September 2018. Eight hundred nurses who had been working prior to the incident in three hospitals in Koriyama and Aizuwakamatsu participated. Although both cities had higher-than-normal terrestrial radiation levels, Koriyama's level was three times higher. An anonymous questionnaire was administered, and individual interviews were conducted with participants. For statistical analyses, SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25.0, was used. Results: Ultimately, 723 questionnaires were collected. The proportions of those who considered evacuating (33.1%) and who evacuated (8.1%) were significantly higher in Koriyama. The characteristics of the group who considered evacuation were being pregnant, living with an adult cohabitant, and/or living with small child (ren). The evacuated nurses were all female and had similar characteristics as the group that considered evacuating; however, the age of their children was not related. Four out of six interviewees contacted nurse administrators and/or colleagues and overcame their feelings of guilt when their superiors and colleagues welcomed them back to work. Conclusion: Nurse administrators should understand that, when a radioactive disaster occurs, individuals who are more likely to consider evacuation have conflicts between their personal life and professional responsibilities. Nursing departments should inform nurses of their policies in advance and respect individuals' decision to leave, supporting them when they return to work. Departments should also have a plan in place for managing with a temporarily reduced workforce

<i>KRAS^G12C</i> Inhibitor as a Treatment Option for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Comorbid Interstitial Pneumonia

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with comorbid interstitial pneumonia (IP) is a population with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Patients with comorbid IP are at high risk of developing fatal drug-induced pneumonitis, and data on the safety and efficacy of molecularly targeted therapies are lacking. KRAS mutations have been frequently detected in patients with NSCLC with comorbid IP. However, the low detection rate of common driver gene mutations, such as epidermal growth factor receptor and anaplastic lymphoma kinase, in patients with comorbid IP frequently results in inadequate screening for driver mutations, and KRAS mutations may be overlooked. Recently, sotorasib and adagrasib were approved as treatment options for advanced NSCLC with KRASG12C mutations. Although patients with comorbid IP were not excluded from clinical trials of these KRASG12C inhibitors, the incidence of drug-induced pneumonitis was low. Therefore, KRASG12C inhibitors may be a safe and effective treatment option for NSCLC with comorbid IP. This review article discusses the promise and prospects of molecular-targeted therapies, especially KRASG12C inhibitors, for NSCLC with comorbid IP, along with our own clinical experience

Characteristics of awareness and behavior of medical staff for prevention of falling accidents among inpatients

The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of awareness and behavior for falling accident prevention according to medical profession. We used a questionnaire called "Self-Evaluation of Awareness and Behavior for Falling Accident Prevention," which was originally designed for nurses. In October and November 2016, the questionnaire was administered to 1,670 medical staff (nurses, doctors, lab technicians, nursing assistants, radiological technicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, nutritionists, and occupational therapists, among others) at a hospital in Japan, using a 5-step scale and a not applicable (N/A) option. Valid responses were obtained from 923 (55.3%) participants, and all seven factors extracted by factor analysis had Cronbach's α coefficients of greater than 0.9. Using cluster analysis based on principal component analysis, four categories were identified. According to the results of the N/A χ2 (chi-square) test question item and occupation, nurses answered N/A the least, followed by doctors, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Nursing assistants' awareness and behavior were both low, suggesting the necessity of education on preventing falling accidents. By applying the "Self-Evaluation of Awareness and Behavior for Falling Accident Prevention" to all medical staff, we succeeded in clarifying their characteristics of awareness and behavior for falling accident prevention