On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the 10th Okinawa Nursing Undergraduate Research Conference was held at Meio University (hosted by the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation, chaired by Mr. Takeshi Kitashiro).

Four fourth-year students from the Department of Public Health—Ms. Kirara Hongo (Home and Chronic Care Nursing; academic advisor: Hiroshi Sekiguchi), Mr. Ousuke Sanabe (Adult Health and Cancer Nursing; academic advisor: Noriko Teruya), Ms. Sakurako Ichikawa (Adult Health and Cancer Nursing; academic advisor: Noriko Teruya), and Ms. Riri Nakamoto (Psychiatric Nursing; academic advisor: Misuzu Takahara)—were selected for the Outstanding Presentation Award.

Their research themes were as follows
■Kirara Hongo
The uniqueness of nurses’ practices in end-of-life care and comparison with other professions — A study based on a literature review and quantitative text analysis—.

■Ousuke Sanabe
Challenges in appearance care based on interview analysis of cancer patients who experienced changes in appearance.

■Sakurako Ichikawa
Nurses’ practice of appearance care in cancer care hospitals and related factors.

■Riri Nakamoto
Factors that support the continuation of care among adults who grew up with a parent living with schizophrenia.

During the conference, students from Meio University’s Department of Nursing engaged in lively discussions about each other’s research, creating a meaningful opportunity for academic exchange.

In the School of Health Sciences, “Undergraduate Research” is a required course taken from the third to fourth year, in which students identify issues related to people’s health and nursing and learn the fundamentals of research aimed at solving these problems. This conference served as an opportunity for the students to present the outcomes of their work.
From April, the four students will begin working as nurses in hospitals both within and outside the prefecture. They shared their aspirations, saying, “We hope to apply what we learned through this research to our future nursing practice.”

We sincerely wish them all the best in their future endeavors.