Support for physical and mental health that enables Polyplastics' employees to work with vigor and enthusiasm.
This is the mission of Ms. Fujihata, PPC's public health nurse, who we introduce in this issue.
Public health nurse is an occupation that requires national qualification in Japan. In order to work as a public health nurse, a person must be qualified as both a nurse and a public health nurse. Public health nurses like her who belong to a company are called occupational health nurses. As an employee of PPC, she is a reassuring presence inside the company who is always in contact with employees to provide support for their physical and mental health.
She ordinarily works in the nurse's office at the Fuji Plant and also regularly visits the company's offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Her main job is providing health guidance to employees. She checks the results of medical examinations of all of the employees in Japan, numbering about 850, and talks individually with employees whose results exceed standard values.
"Of course I can communicate with them, but I can't force treatment on people who aren't interested in improving their health. Even so, I persist in talking to people to do what I can to prevent them from getting sick. When they do get sick, I stand by them with care and concern to support treatment for their illness."
Her work also includes providing emergency treatment for employees who are injured during work, and distributing information to employees every month that is connected with conditions at PPC on how to keep healthy.
She not only counsels employees concerning physical health, of course, but also emotional matters and mental health. She contacts employees when the results of their stress check test give her cause for concern, new employees, and employees who have been transferred or assigned to foreign counties’ offices or whose work environment has otherwise changed to talk with them about any concerns they may have. Employees have a strong ally in this public health nurse who is aware of current conditions at PPC and who they can talk with freely.
"There is no specific medicine or solution for emotional trouble. So when I listen to someone, I always try to talk with them thinking about what I would say to them if I were a member of their family. As much as possible, I make it a point to converse with each person, exchange greetings, communicate with them so that I am able to notice changes. I let people know that they can feel free to come to the nurse's office anytime, and sometimes I even nag them about what they need to do to improve their health, but I'm glad if they think of me as a mother figure."
One stress reliever Fujihata-san recommends is moderate exercise such as badminton or walking.
"You can feel refreshed and lower the stress hormone by doing aerobic exercise about 30 minutes a day. It's also important to try to eat as many vegetables as you can."
Fujihata-san herself also works up a good sweat in the company's badminton club. We got the impression that she is very bright and active, but she says pastimes she enjoys are knitting, reading, and watching people. Also, she says that because she's not very good at cooking, she endeavors to make delicious and healthy food on a daily basis that doesn't take a lot of effort.
She feels her job is worthwhile when she hears from employees things such as "It helped to have you listen to my concerns" and "I feel better now, thank you." Again during the current fiscal year, she has talked individually with more than 800 employees, focusing thoroughly on each one. With her bright and charming personality and provision of accurate treatment and judgment in emergencies, we hope she will continue to be a mother figure that employees can depend on!
Written by Ms. Maiko Omura