The basic philosophy of the Hohashi Lab. is to nurture world-class researchers and practitioners, and use research as a tool to contribution to the continuous development of family nursing and pediatric nursing studies. At the Hohashi Lab., instructors and students toil as equals, and work together as members of the Lab., pursuing the creed of exerting their efforts to achieve results and devote them to the greater good.

At the Hohashi Lab., in order to respond to health crises that might occur in the family system unit at every segment of growth and development, and to provide support to maintain and boost family functioning, development and clinical application of family assessment models and family intervention models are conducted. The fields research and practice cover a wide range of settings from inpatient (at hospitals) to outpatient and at-home (community), and extend to overseas (the U.S., Hong Kong, etc.). Moreover, Hohashi Lab. also conducts field research aimed at prevention of infectious diseases for children and families at nursery environments and home convalescence, utilizing bacteriological and molecular biological test methods.

In the Certified Nurse Specialist (CNS) in family Health Nursing program leading to a Masters degree (pre-doctorate program), candidates with outstanding practical nursing skills in the family nursing field undergo training. Through lectures, exercises and clinical practicum, the high-level practical skills required for CNS, educational abilities, consultation abilities, abilities to link and coordinate with other fields (multitasking), ethical decision-making abilities and research abilities are acquired, thereby nurturing specialists capable of providing high-level family support.

1. To create the groundwork for an environment to nurture people with determination

At Hohashi Lab., people's prior experiences and past are traditionally disregarded. We are looking for people with the determination to expand their horizons and deepen their expertise, and who want to learn independently and with enthusiasm. Our fundamental rule is to assemble and train a small elite having a clear awareness of their objectives.

2. To harness the team power and abilities of young graduate students and researchers

Family health care nursing or child health care nursing studies would not be performed by a single individual. Project teams will be formed around research themes and research activities developed in a small circle having speed and agility. To construct evidence of family health care nursing or child health care nursing, it is essential for Hohashi Lab. members to combine partnership and collaboration while engaging in fair rivalry.

3. To depend on originality and evidence

Research is far more meaningful when conducted not for personal advancement, but through love of research for its own sake. In other words, the creation of originality and evidence must be utilized as tools so that research is not carried out as a tool for self benefit, but to contribute to the participants and participant families. At Hohashi Lab., research proceeds through development of an independent core, such as "family functioning studies," "family symptomology," "Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory," with the aim of conducting research pursued on the level of qualifying for publication in international or English-language journals judged by referees, and returning the results to society.

4. To develop training under the joint two pivotal connections between researchers education and practitioners education

For graduate students, the highest emphasis is placed on the functions of nurturing researchers in family health care nursing studies and child health care nursing studies. In addition, as a pioneer in family nursing, in order to enhance the functions of nurturing high-level professionals, the Certified Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Family Health Nursing Program was established in the master (pre-doctoral) course, and Hohashi Lab. trains the CNS candidates. By systematic and close development of both types of education, it will be possible to collect "usable, useful" evidence on a practical basis.

Naohiro Hohashi, PhD, RN, PHN, FAAN