Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University to open nursing faculty

Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University has announced plans to open a new Faculty of Nursing in April 2025. This follows a recommendation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Council for University Establishment and School Juridical Persons, which approved the establishment of the Department of Nursing.

The new faculty will have an annual enrollment capacity of 105 students. President Chikachika Shibata stated that the university aims to foster highly specialized nursing professionals by leveraging collaborations with the existing faculties of medicine and pharmacy to promote team-based medical care.

The initiative addresses a critical shortage of nursing staff in Miyagi Prefecture. The number of nurses per 100,000 residents in the prefecture is 1,005.6, which is approximately 96 fewer than the national average. Additionally, the effective job openings-to-applicants ratio for nursing staff in the region was 1.99 in the previous fiscal year.