A Study of Tasks of Nurses Functioning in In-Patient Wards of Surin Center Hospital in Oder to Use Its Findings as a Guideline for Setting Manpower Figures Based on the Public Health System Reform Plan

Abstract

     This study aimed to analyze tasks during 1997-1999 of Surin Center Hospital in order to use its findings as a guideline for setting manpower figures based on the Public Health System Reform Plan. The study was divided into three parts. The first part analyzed nursing tasks per the number of patients by classifying tasks according to these two types of patients: 1) tasks per the number of in - patients, and 2 ) tasks per the number of serious patients. The second part was divided into the following three sections : 1 ) analysis of needs for nurse manpower figures of nurse personnel by using the criterion on needs for nurses based on nursing tasks per the number patients, 2) needs for increasing the nurse manpower figures based on the criterion for nursing tasks per the number of patients , and 3) needs for increasing the nurse manpower figures by using the criterion on the number of nurses for being on duty of performance. The study findings were as follows:
          1. Nursing tasks per the number of patients
              1.1 For the number of patients as classified by the year and the type of patients, the following were found.
1) Throughout 1997, totally 205,578 patients were given services: 187,906 in- patients with a service average of 514.15 patients per day and 17,672 serious patients with a service average of 48.38 patients per day. 2) Throughout 1998, totalling 201,124 patients were given services: 186,482 in-patients with a service average of 512.16 patients per day and 14,642 serous patients with a service average of 40.25 patients per day. 3) Throughout 1999 totally 211,940 patients were given services: 198,207 inpatients with a service average of 543.17 patients per day and 13,670 serious patients with a service average of 37.41 patients per day.
         1.2 For nursing tasks as classified by the year and the type of patients, the following were found. 1) Throughout 1997 nursing tasks took 572,110.32 hours: inpatient nursing tasks took 443,458.16 hours or with a task average of 1,214.24 hours per day and serious patient nursing tasks took 128,652.16 hours or with a task average of 352.22 hours per day. 2) Throughout 1998 nursing tasks took 546,691.28 hours: in-patient nursing tasks took 440,097.52 hours or with a task average of 1,208.70 hours per day and serious patient nursing task took 106,593.76 hours or with a task average of 293.06 hours per day. 3) Throughout 1999 nursing tasks took 567,494.80 hours ; in - patient nursing tasks took 467,917.20 hours or with a task average 1,218.75 hours per day and serious patient nursing tasks took 99,577.60 hours or with a task average of 272.38 hours per day.
     2. Needs for nurse personnel figures
         2.1 By using the criteria on nursing tasks per the number of patients as classified by the year and the type of patients, the following were found. 1) In 1997 there was a need for a total of 341 nurses: 264 nurses for in- patients and 77 nurses for serious patients. 2) In 1998 there was a need for a total of 325 nurses : 262 nurses for in-patients and 63 nurses for serious patients. 3) In 1999 there was a need for a total of 338 nurses : 279 nurses for in-patients and 59 nurses for serious
         2.2 In the needs for increasing the nurse manpower figures by using the criterion on nursing per the number patients, it was found that during 1997-1999 the need for increasing the nurse manpower figures was averagely 14 nurses per annum. When needs were classified by the year, the following were found. 1) In 1997 the increased need was 23 nurses. 2) In 1998 the increased need was 3 nurses. 3) In 1999 the increased need was 16 nurses.
         2.3 In the needs for increasing the nurse manpower figures by using the criterion on the number of nurses per the number of patient beds, it was found that during 1997-1999 the need for increasing the nurse manpower figures was averagely 88 nurse per annum. Where the needs were classified by the year, the following were found. 1) In 1997 the increased need was 80 nurses. 2) In 1998 the increased need was 79 nurses. 3) In 1999 the increased need was 105 nurses.
     3. In the needs for increasing the compensations for being on duty of performance, it was found that the average increase of compensations was 14,805,000 bath per annum. When compensation were classified by the type, the following were found. The compensations were 2,737,000 bath for being on regular duty of performance, 6,440,000 bath for being on duty of performance outside official hours and 5,628,000 bath for being on duty of performance on official holidays.