The 29th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association for Research in Family Nursing was held on September 10 and 11, 2022, with onsite and partial hybrid (live streaming at the main venue only, on-demand streaming: September 16 – October 31). It was the first time in three years that the conference was held on-site.
The main theme was “Weaving Family Stories: Family Nursing from the Field.” The intent of the theme was that families weave (create) their own stories. When a family member becomes ill, “family nursing” comes alongside, accompanies, and supports the family in creating their stories together.
Special lectures were given by Dr. Chikako Ishii of Ishii Family Therapy Laboratory on “Ambiguous Loss and Family Support” and Dr. Katsuaki Toyoshima, Chief of Neonatology, Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center, on “Supporting the Beginning of the Family: From the Field of NICU.” Educational lectures were given by Professor Ayami Nakano of Kochi Prefectural University on “Enhancing Family Nursing Practice Skills and the Use of Empowerment Models” and by Professor Emeritus Yoko Yamada of Kyoto University on “Visual Narratives and Support.” Two symposiums featured presentations from practitioners of family nursing, and three bereaved families shared their own experiences. Other sessions included a special program, “Embalming as Grief Care”; a public lecture, “What Can You Leave Behind For Your Children?”; 12 sessions of exchange meetings; 6 sessions of committee planning; and 73 general presentations. Eight hundred people visited the Fukuoka International Congress Center on both days, and 924 people attended the conference.
A social event with past presidents was held to celebrate the incorporation of the Japanese Association of Research in Family Nursing which was founded as a voluntary academic organization and recently became a general incorporated association in April 2022. Special guests at this celebration were “inshert” (a word coined from “inside your heart”), a musical group composed of active doctors. We enjoyed their songs and performances.
The next annual meeting of JARFN will be held in Osaka, Japan, September 9-10, 2023, chaired by Dr. Akemi Yamazaki.
Yuko Hamada, PhD, RN, PHN, Conference President of the 29th Annual JARFN Conference
Professor, Department of Child Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Daiichi University of Pharmacy
