坂下 玲子

This study aimed to identify the current state of nursing theory development among Japanese scholars by analyzing the syllabi of doctoral nursing programs in Japan to examine the educational content relating to nursing philosophy and theory and by reviewing the related literature. Only 17.2% of the doctoral-level nursing programs in Japan offer courses in philosophy or theory. Florence Nightingale was the most frequently discussed figure in the literature. Middle-range and situation-specific theories originating in Japan have emerged relatively later than those introduced by Western theorists. Recently, the development of nursing theories, particularly situation-specific theories, has begun in Japan, showing promising prospects for advancement in the field.

The literature on nursing leadership tends to be mainly based on Western perspectives and models, which could be viewed as an imperialistic and colonialist aspect of nursing knowledge development. Furthermore, leadership competencies and skills could differ across countries due to variations in cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this discussion paper is to identify essential competencies of leaders from Asian nurse leaders’ perspectives and provide suggestions for future nursing leadership. Four themes related to the leadership competencies were identified: “harmony,” “visionary,” “political activism,” and “good character.”