Dr. Niitsu Delivered an Inaugural Special Lecture at the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
Dr. Kosuke Niitsu, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing & Health Studies at the University of Washington Bothell, delivered an inaugural special lecture at the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (Hama-Med) in Japan on December 25th, 2024.
Dr. Niitsu received his BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), MSN (Master of Science in Nursing), and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). The Hama-Med Faculty of Nursing has become an official partner with UNMC College of Nursing in 2024. As a former international student from Japan at UNMC, he was invited by Hama-Med to address a memorial lecture.
Undergraduate and graduate nursing students, nursing and medical faculty members, and nurses who work at the Hamamatsu University Hospital attended his lecture on Christmas evening.
Dr. Niitsu talked about his experience being an undergraduate nursing student at UNMC and discussed the differences in nursing education between Japan and the United States. He also talked about advanced practice nursing in the United States and introduced his contribution as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at the UW Bothell Counseling Center.
In October 2024, four 4th-year undergraduate nursing students from Hama-Med visited Nebraska and spent about a week visiting UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and other facilities to study the differences in the nursing system between the United States and Japan.
“It was a tremendous honor for me to speak at Hama-Med as a UNMC alumnus and talk about my experiences being a nurse in the United States”, Dr. Niitsu said. “I’d like to congratulate the new partnership between Hama-Med and UNMC”.
Dr. Yoshifumi Kido, Professor of Nursing at Hama-Med who developed a partnership between Hama-Med and UNMC, said, “Dr. Niitsu’s visit was truly ‘a Christmas gift’ for my students. There are so many differences between Japan and the United States, such as the medical insurance system, roles of nurses, and cultural background. Through his lecture, we were able to identify the differences, similarities, and strengths of each system. I hope to continue our relationships so that we can keep improving the healthcare systems in both countries.”
Dr. Elizabeth Beam, Director of Global Health at UNMC who welcomed Hama-Med undergraduate nursing students in October 2024, stated, “It was such a pleasure to show the students what healthcare in the United States looks like while also learning more about one another. We have more in common than we sometimes realize“.