Individual testimonies to nursing care after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945

Aim: The aim of the present research is to clarify the nursing care conducted just before and after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Methods: Five surviving nurses, who were registered nursing staff at that time in Hiroshima, offered to participate in this research. Individual interviews were conducted in order to obtain the information concerning the nursing activities in the disaster-stricken areas. The collected information was collated with the documents with regard to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, and compared with the current studies concerning nursing in disaster. Findings: The five nurses who participated in the study made it clear that, from the day of the bombing, nursing care activities changed moment by moment according to the condition of the radiation victims, the stricken areas and the relief systems. Under these circumstances, the nurses tried to help the victims of the bombing by devising anything useful for nursing care. Conclusion: The research participants left their messages, pointing out that nurses' mental attitude to those in front of them as patients is one of the most important things to keep in mind following any major disaster.