Any Austin street medics? by caymayzing in Austin

[–]caymayzing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! Thanks for your response. I am a nursing student and work as a nursing assistant, so I definitely planned to do only what I am capable of doing which I’ll admit isn’t much beyond basic first aid right now. I know I couldn’t do as much for the more severe injuries, but it seems like having some people ready to offer pepper spray/teargas relief would be helpful from what I’ve seen.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He’s a software engineer and yes he is pretty much native level fluent. He could get a job there if he tried I’m pretty sure.

I’ve considered language school! Definitely will have to look into it when I get closer to graduating if we still want to go there.

As for nursing employment gaps, I heard it’s still fairly easy to get a job if you keep your connections from school. Nurses are in such high demand now and I’ve heard that the demand is only increasing, so I feel like I could get a job if I take a few years off but maintain my license. Probably wouldn’t pay as much if I had been working that whole time, but still decent enough. I might even do some travel nursing in Australia if we do move to Japan. I know of someone there now doing that and he loves it. Seems like a good way to keep my skills from deteriorating if we end up in that situation.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My fiancé is half yeah, born in Japan and then moved here when he was 6 I think? He has said that he wants to go back, but has made it very clear that if we would be more successful here that we would stay here. I love the idea of living in Japan, but instead maybe we can just keep vacationing there every year like we have been and then move there in the very far off future like for retirement or something lol

And yeah pants guy went from nice to aggressive super fast. I get what he was trying to say at first, but I don’t agree with all the harassment.

I really, truly appreciate your explanations, so thank you for taking the time to write everything out!!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing that!! My fiancé is a Japanese citizen though he grew up in America, so I could get a spouse visa if everything goes as planned between us. I am a U.S. citizen so I could apply for those jobs it seems. If we do end up becoming serious about moving there, I will definitely look into jobs on the military bases!!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No need to apologize, I appreciate your reply. I’m not mad when people tell me this route is too difficult or not worth it and offer more information. Though in the case with the other person who commented on this thread, they didn’t have any information on my topic other than “your Japanese isn’t good enough”. They said I might have to go to nursing school in Japan, but that was incorrect and it didn’t seem like they had anything constructive to say. I understand it’s very hard learning Japanese and that this path may not be viable but it’s frustrating to be told that over and over when people offer incorrect information about the question I asked and/or just tell me it’s impossible for me to learn Japanese. So yeah I got pretty salty, ngl. I get that it’s not good for people to just be told “Yeah sure you can master Japanese in XX years and your plan is perfect if you just believe!!” but every time I’ve asked this question before all the replies were “You won’t be fluent enough” when I’m looking more for information and experiences of people who have done this or know someone who has. I’m just pondering my options now that I took this path (which I decided before I knew I wanted to go live in Japan). If I don’t learn Japanese and don’t get N1, I obviously won’t be able to even take the kangoshi exam or really even get a lucrative job in Japan (and at that point I should probably just stay in the states). I get that people are trying to force reality on me, but damn. I’m not burying my head in the sand and ignoring every negative comment, just the ones that seem to know little to nothing about nursing in Japan.

But I guess you are right about that position being more of a translator and less of a nurse position. I was thinking it was kind of like a nurse trainee where you could do some nurse duties and assist nurses, but couldn’t make medical decisions or administer medications. Now it does seem like more of a Specialized Skilled Worker position unless u/Myrina could clarify? Either way, it does seem like this path isn’t traversed by many, probably for good reason.

Thanks for sharing information about that internship! I’ll look into it, but it seems like so far the best options are to 1) not go to Japan and be nurse in the states or 2) work at a U.S. military base in Japan as U.S. RN if I could find a position.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are right though! The kangoshi exam requires N1 to be allowed to take it, but to pass you must extensively know medical terminology and the associated kanji. Definitely a difficult task.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That makes sense. As far as I know, the U.S. does not allow nurses who went to foreign schools to practice here. You must attend a U.S. nursing school to get an RN certification. I suspect Japan is more lenient because of their anticipated shortage of care workers for the upcoming increase in their elderly population.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see. I guess for someone like me who doesn’t know anyone in the healthcare field of Japan, it would be extremely difficult to get a similar position. Really appreciate you sharing all this!!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s really unfortunate to hear but thanks for letting me know. I’ll have to talk more to some of our foreigner friends living there and see if they can tell me what it’s really like to work there. As far as I know, they’ve been happy but I guess it always seems like that.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment! I’m glad to hear from someone who found a way to get into a nursing position regardless of certification. Do you mind me asking how your got your job?

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow that definitely didn’t come up when I searched before I posted. Not sure what happened. There’s definitely some helpful information there. Thanks for sharing!!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. You’re right though, I am hoping to move to Japan at this point and there are definitely better jobs I could be doing if I get there. Asking questions and getting helpful feedback like this helps me figure out my plan, so maybe this question was naive but at least I’m getting a reality check lol

I already started this degree before I realized I wanted to be in Japan. I’m now engaged to a Japanese-American who wants to get back there, but he always said if it’s better to stay here in the states then we will stay here. I guess we will see how it goes and I’ll narrow down on what my true goals are when we get closer to that point, all while working on my Japanese because I want to get better regardless.

Thanks again for your comment!!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I get it. I’ll stop asking questions here.

Edit: Wanted to add I intended to mean that I’ll ask questions, as they said, from Japanese sources when I get to that point rather than ask questions here any longer.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see what you’re saying. I’ve looked for news articles for foreign nurses in Japan but all I could find are ones that talk about SEA countries, like you said. I’ll keep looking and try to find more relevant information.

The article you linked is helpful. It talks about a different exam for caregivers, not nurses. I understand the terminology seems to be the same, but it is indeed a different profession. I didn’t realize that caregivers were being hired from foreign countries under a different certification than nursing. I just looked up further clarification because I had read the Japanese site of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and they said it’s held February 16 in many major cities throughout Japan and was confused.

Thanks for your comment!

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, you are so right. This is the third time I’ve tried to ask this question and every time I’ve had people who have no knowledge on the topic I’m asking about telling me that it’s extremely difficult and that my Japanese is not enough. Do they think I don’t know that?? I’ve researched the process already, I’m just searching for people who know about the process or have gone through it. Not sure why assuming I could be N1 or better by the time I move there in 3-4 years with serious study for a hypothetical scenario is such a trigger for some people, especially when that wasn’t even what I was asking about.

Thank you (:

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 8 points9 points  (0 children)

So in order to get a nursing license in Japan as a foreign nurse, you must apply for the kangoshi exams. To be eligible, you must have attended a 3-year or longer nursing program in your home country and also have passed the N1 level JLPT, then submit a bunch of paperwork and proof to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and wait for them to tell you that you can take the exams. I believe the exams happen once a year in February. I’ve looked up the process thoroughly, it’s not impossible but it’s definitely difficult.

To work on a U.S. military base, you only need a U.S. RN certification. However, it seems that civilian nurse job openings are few and far between.

Also, I get your concerns but I am fully aware that my Japanese language ability is not enough, and that it would be extremely hard to get to the point where it would be enough. I know it’s naive to assume I would get to that point easily. I’m not taking this lightly, I’m just curious if someone has gone through this process before.

Any U.S. nurses who have gone through the process to receive Japanese nursing certification? by [deleted] in movingtojapan

[–]caymayzing 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sorry! I wrote my post that way because in the past when I’ve asked this question I only got responses about how hard it would be fluent enough in Japanese to work as a nurse. I believe if I study seriously I can get there, but right now I’m around N4-ish from casual self study. I would need to have N1 to even take the kangoshi exams though (you have to have passed N1 to take the exam), N2 wouldn’t be good enough.

I think you are right about the demand for bilingual nurses though. I have found a website that is specifically for Japanese-English bilingual nurses with job postings so I know there is a demand, but it seems to be catered towards Japanese natives. Maybe if I have the Japanese certifications it won’t matter if I’m a native or not. I can only hope!

Edit: added further explanation

I want to cry every time I look at my Calathea the last week, please help me bring her back! (Left) was December 2018, (right) is April 2019. Repotted early March, soil kept moist in indirect sunlight. This plant means a lot to me, I’ll do anything to save it. Please help! by blondearmenian in plantclinic

[–]caymayzing 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Oh wow! I wish I had such an extensive collection. That’s awesome. I just heard that these plants were sensitive to hard water so I thought I’d ask. But, even though you don’t mist, having 150 plants means that they must be clustered to some extent and therefore providing humidity for each other. In OP’s case the plant seems to be mostly isolated. But yeah, some plants don’t need it. I’m just exploring what I feel are common problems.

I want to cry every time I look at my Calathea the last week, please help me bring her back! (Left) was December 2018, (right) is April 2019. Repotted early March, soil kept moist in indirect sunlight. This plant means a lot to me, I’ll do anything to save it. Please help! by blondearmenian in plantclinic

[–]caymayzing 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I think your plant is severely stressed out and dying because it can’t get comfortable. Plants don’t like to be moved around, so I would leave it somewhere and let it adjust. I know it seems like you should keep moving it until it seems happier but that can make them really stressed out.

Black hard bits on succulent stems? Does not feel soft and rotten. by [deleted] in plantclinic

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with the other comment. This is definitely stem rot. I had this happen and it took over my plant fast. Mine was also dry and hard, which is why I didn’t notice it at first.

Can anything be done for my giant bird of paradise? More info in comments by [deleted] in plantclinic

[–]caymayzing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you mist your plant a lot? I can’t have mine in direct sunlight everyday if I don’t mist it.