Nursing Journal

Nursing Care for Children Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization: A Case Study

2023-06-16T09:17:56+07:00

Cardiac catheterization is a special procedure which is very important and useful for diagnosis and treatment. Cardiac catheterization can help children with congenital heart disease by increasing their survival rates. Therapeutic cardiac catheterization can replace some cardiac surgeries that are not very complicated. However, there may also be complications or risks before or after cardiac catheterization, that can lead to death. Pediatric nurses should have knowledge and skill in caring for children following the principles of caring for children undergoing therapeutic cardiac catheterization by monitoring patients to reduce adverse symptoms and complications that may occur in order to increase the quality of nursing care.
This paper addressed information related to children admitted to a hospital for therapeutic cardiac catheterization, including the nursing care before and after cardiac catheterization, complications of cardiac catheterization, discharge planning, and a case study.

Application of the Health Belief Model in Promoting COVID-19 Prevention Among Pregnant Women

2023-07-04T13:47:12+07:00

The Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease pandemic caused by the coronavirus, the same virus responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Although the transmission rate of COVID-19 is currently declining, transitioning it to an endemic status, new viral mutations persistently emerge. Vigilance against and prevention of COVID-19 infection are very important, especially among pregnant women. This group is more susceptible to COVID-19 than others due to physiological changes during pregnancy potentially resulting in severe respiratory complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as fetal growth restriction, intrauterine hypoxia, premature rupture of membranes, postnatal infection, and an increased risk of cesarean delivery. Therefore, midwives need to play a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of pregnant women, requiring comprehensive knowledge and the ability to assess and provide effective care throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. Effective care results in both the pregnant woman and the fetus achieving safety and optimal well-being.
The aim of this article is to present the potential outcomes of applying the Health Belief Model as a guideline for promoting self-care behaviors among pregnant women during the pre-partum, intra-partum, and postpartum periods in the context of COVID-19 transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic state. Midwives play a crucial role in imparting accurate knowledge and understanding to pregnant women, ensuring their health and the well-being of their fetuses, and preventing COVID-19 infections. This adaptation aids in safely transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic state in the new normal era.

สารจากบรรณาธิการ

2023-09-30T17:37:40+07:00

Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions of End-of-Life Care Obstacles and Supportive Behaviors in Chengdu, the People’s Republic of China

2023-06-06T15:49:01+07:00

Emergency nurses play significant roles in end-of-life (EOL) care. Assessment of EOL care obstacles and supportive behaviors as perceived by emergency nurses will provide basic information for enhancing the quality of EOL care in emergency departments. This research aimed to explore emergency nurses' perceptions of EOL care obstacles and supportive behaviors. A survey was conducted with 261 emergency nurses working in hospitals in Chengdu, China, using the Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions of EOL Care Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
The results revealed that the top three perceived obstacles in EOL care were 1) the nurse having to deal with angry family members (perceived obstacle magnitude: POM score =7.77); 2) family members not understanding what "life-saving measures" really means (POM = 7.39); and 3) lack of nursing education and training regarding family grieving and quality EOL care (POM = 6.86). The top three perceived supportive behaviors in EOL care were 1) having family members accept that the patient is dying (the perceived supportive behavior magnitude score: PSBM = 8.95); 2) emergency medical technician/paramedic personnel assisting with resuscitation efforts for the dying patient (PSBM = 8.88); and 3) having the physicians involved in the patient's care agree about the direction care should go (PSBM = 8.26).
These findings could be used as basic information for developing strategies to enhance the quality of EOL care among emergency nurses in China.

Situational Analysis of Incident Reporting in Bangkok-Surat Hospital

2023-04-20T09:26:32+07:00

The use of incident reporting as a tool for improving patient safety by identifying problem areas and devising effective risk management strategies is well-established. This descriptive study aims to investigate the current state of incident reporting at Bangkok-Surat Hospital and suggest solutions. Donabedian's systemic framework (2005) is used as the conceptual model, which assesses incident reporting based on three aspects: structure, process, and outcome. The study is based on a sample of 25 personnel from Bangkok-Surat Hospital who have experience with incident reporting, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews and group discussions. Content analysis was used to analyze the data gathered.
The research showed:
1. Structure: Bangkok-Surat Hospital has a policy related to incident reporting, but it does not address the psychological safety of reporting. The hospital uses modern information technology to increase communication channels, but there is a lack of incident reporting training for both internal and external personnel. Physicians and nursing assistants reported fewer incidents than other personnel. Therefore, there should be an enhancement in the psychological safety policy. Departments should establish a continuous policy communication model. Incident reporting personnel should be trained to increase their knowledge and understanding and to promote the participation of interdisciplinary incident reporting.
2. Process: the study found that information technology management is easily accessible, convenient, and anonymous, but it cannot be used for efficient report management. Responses to incident reports were also found to be delayed, highlighting the inefficiencies in information technology management and response times. Therefore, personnel should be trained to use information technology effectively and the department should set up guidelines for self-reporting incident responses to create initial learning.
3. Outcome: the study found that incidents were underreported, and personnel were more likely to report incidents in other units than their own. The attitude towards reporting was also found to be more negative than positive. Therefore, the number of self-reported incidents should be increased, and personnel should adopt a positive attitude towards incident reporting.
The study's results can be used by hospital administrators and nursing administrators to improve risk management at the departmental level in Bangkok-Surat Hospital. The findings should be used to create shared values and encourage more positive attitudes towards incident reporting in hospitals.

Quality Improvement of Information Provision for Patients with Endotracheal Intubation and Their Relatives, Surgical Critical Care Unit, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital

2023-04-04T08:56:36+07:00

Improving quality of work is important for nursing administrators and nurses. The purpose of this study was to improve the quality of information provision for patients with endotracheal intubation and their relatives in the surgical critical care unit at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital and to study the quality of information provision, using Deming's FOCUS-PDCA quality improvement model. The sample consisted of 14 registered nurses, and 20 patients with endotracheal intubation and 6 of their relatives. The instruments included: questions in group discussions, an information provision manual for endotracheal intubation patients and their relatives, an observation checklist for information provision practice for endotracheal intubation patients and their relatives, the endotracheal tube traction incidence record form, and a questionnaire on the satisfaction of patients with endotracheal intubation and the satisfaction of their relatives regarding the information they received. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.
The results revealed that 88.33% of the registered nurses were able to correctly and completely implement the information provided for patients with endotracheal intubation and their relatives. There was no incidence of unplanned endotracheal tube traction. In addition, the patients with endotracheal intubation and their relatives were satisfied with the information they received at the highest and high levels (75.44% and 22.78%, respectively).
The results of this study showed that nurses can use this method to provide information for patients with endotracheal intubation and their relatives.

Resilience and Work Engagement of Nurses in General Hospitals

2023-04-25T13:36:00+07:00

Resilience is important for nurses in addressing job-related stress and promoting work engagement. This study aimed to investigate the resilience and work engagement of nurses in general hospitals in the Northern region, as well as the relationship between resilience and work engagement. A sample of 381 nurses was randomly selected using multi-stage sampling. The research instrument included a demographic data form, the Work Engagement Scale, and the Resilience Scale (Thai version). The reliability coefficients were .94 and .88, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation.
The results of the study revealed that nurses in general hospitals had a moderate level of resilience (M = 2.93, SD = 0.48). Nurses perceived overall score work engagement at a moderate level (M = 3.97, SD = 0.98). All subscales of work engagement were at moderate levels. The mean scores for the following subscales were 4.17 for absorption (SD = 0.99), 3.87 for dedication (SD = 1.15), and 3.86 for vigor (SD = 1.07). There was a moderate positive relationship between resilience and work engagement (r_s = 0.521, p < 0.01).
These results implied that resilience in nurses working in general hospitals has been insufficient which results in moderate engagement at work. However, resilience can be developed through support from peers and managers. Therefore, nursing managers need to realize the importance of resilience enhancement and investigate nurses’ resilience regularly.

Perceived Organizational Support and Quality of Work Life of Nurses in Tertiary Hospitals in the Northern Part of Thailand

2023-04-11T16:02:30+07:00

Quality of work life refers to nurses’ favorable feelings toward a work environment which enables them to perform their job well and provide patients with high quality care. This descriptive correlational study aimed to examine quality of work life and perceived organizational support, as well as the association between quality of work life and perceived organizational support among nurses in tertiary hospitals. The sample was comprised of 401 registered nurses working at tertiary care hospitals in the north of Thailand. The study instrument was a questionnaire with three parts: 1) a demographic data questionnaire; 2) the Nurses’ Quality of Work Life Scale; and 3) the Perceived Organizational Support Scale. Parts 2 and 3 of the questionnaire had Cronbach's alpha values of .92 and .87, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient.
The results showed that:
1. The sample had overall quality of life at a moderate level (M = 177.02, SD = 22.55). Considering each subscale, results showed that the work life-home life subscales and the work design subscale were at a moderate level (M = 25.90, SD = 5.93 and M = 40.50, SD = 6.44, respectively), while the work world subscale and work context subscales were at a high level (M = 89.83, SD = 11.45 and M = 20.77, SD = 4.27, respectively).
2. The sample perceived organizational support at a moderate level (M = 3.6, SD = .83).
3. There was a moderately positive correlation between nurses’ perceived organizational support and their quality of work life (r = .601, p < .01).
The results of this study could be used to improve the quality of work life among nurses in tertiary hospitals and pave the way for future quality of work life research among nurses.

Quality Improvement of Preoperative Nursing Visit for Patients Receiving Total Knee Replacement, Phrae Hospital

2023-02-28T21:21:42+07:00

A preoperative nursing visit by an operating room nurse is the process of assessing the patients, providing information, giving advice on surgery and postoperative practices, and answering patients’ questions. This developmental study aimed to examine the quality of preoperative nursing visits for patients receiving total knee replacement at Phrae Hospital after improvement using the concept of continuous quality improvement, FOCUS PDCA. The population in this study included the head and assistant head of the operating room, and 15 registered nurses working in the orthopedic department of the operating room. The subjects included 34 orthopedic patients receiving total knee replacement between November to December 2021. The research instruments included the nurses' satisfaction scale toward the perioperative visit guidelines for patients receiving total knee replacement, the patient’s anxiety assessment form, and the record form of canceled or postponed operation incidence. The three instruments were validated by three experts. The content validity indices were 1.00, .97, and 1.00, respectively. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the nurses' satisfaction scale and the patient’s anxiety assessment form were .90 and .88. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.
The quality of preoperative nursing visits after improvement includes:
1. The overall mean score of nurses' satisfaction with the preoperative visit guidelines for patients receiving total knee replacement was at a high level (M = 4.49, SD = 0.41).
2. The overall mean score of the anxiety of patients receiving the perioperative visit of the total knee replacement was at a low level (M = 30.71, SD = 5.36).
3. The incidence of cancellation or postponement of total knee replacement at Phrae Hospital was 0.
The results of this research increase the awareness of operating room nurses towards visiting patients before surgery, and they can use the preoperative visit guidelines for total knee replacement to develop preoperative visit guidelines for other groups of patients receiving surgery. Nursing administrators can establish policies and strategies to encourage operating room nurses to adhere to the preoperative visit guidelines and continuously monitor the outcomes of perioperative visits.

Knowledge, Attitude, Social Support, and Caring Ability of Family Caregivers of Chronic Illness Patients in a Community

2023-03-20T14:16:43+07:00

Caregivers are important persons in providing quality of care for chronic illness patients in communities. This descriptive correlational study aimed to explore the relationship between family caregivers’ knowledge, attitude, social support, and caring ability for chronic illness patients in a community in Health Region 4. The sample consisted of 181 family caregivers of chronic illness patients in this community. Instruments used were a demographic questionnaire, a caregivers’ knowledge scale, a caregiver’s attitude scale, a caregivers’ social support scale, and a caregivers’ caring ability scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product moment correlation.
The results showed that caregivers’ knowledge, attitude, social support, and caring ability scored at a high level. There were significant relationships between knowledge, attitude, social support, and family caregivers’ caring ability (r = .197, p < .01; r = .229, p < .01; and r = .217, p < .01, respectively).
The results of this study could be applied as basic information for promoting knowledge, attitude, and social support so that family caregivers can improve quality of care for chronic illness patients in their communities.

The Effect of a Tele-Nursing-Based Self-Management Program on Health Behavior of Persons with Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus in a Community

2023-04-27T09:18:32+07:00

Self-management encourages people to adopt appropriate health behaviors. This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare health behavior averages, before and after receiving a program, and between groups of participants who received either a tele-nursing-based self-management program or normal care for 8 weeks. The sample group of 50 uncontrolled diabetic people from a community was divided into 2 groups, an experimental group and a control group, with 25 participants per group. This study took place in Nathom and Banpeang Districts, Nakonphanom Province. The research tools used included 1) the tele-nursing-based self-management program, developed from self-management theory by Kanfer and Garlick-Buys, and the tele-nursing protocol; 2) the official Line application including a handbook on self-management for diabetic persons available on the Google platform, a video for diabetic health promotion, and a health behavior record; and 3) a graphic info presentation for health behavior promotion in diabetic persons. The research tools used for data collection included a questionnaire on demographic data and a questionnaire on health behavior for diabetic persons, with a content validity index of .98 and reliability of .80, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and independent t-test.
The study results showed that the group who received the tele-nursing-based self-management program had significantly higher average health behavior scores (M = 134.04, SD = 10.70) than before receiving the program (M = 103.88, SD = 8.25) and higher than the control group who received normal care (M= 104.96, SD = 8.00) with statistical significance (p < 0.001).
The outcomes of this study showed that a tele-nursing-based self-management program is recommended for health behavior modification. In addition, it can be used by people with uncontrolled diabetes to encourage appropriate health behaviors.

The Development of an Empowerment Model for the Elderly and Related Persons to Promote Attendance at Health Region 5 Elderly School

2023-06-23T09:16:47+07:00

The government promotes the development of elderly schools for improving the quality of life in elderly people. This research and development studied elderly-school conduction, the roles and participation of related persons in promoting the elderly to attend the school, and create a model for enhancing the community, the elderly person’s family, and the elderly to attend the health region 5 school. The research population was composed of the elderly, the school conductors, the community leaders, and the elderly’s family members. Nakhonpathom and Phetchburi provinces were sampled using simple random sampling resulting in 96 representatives for focus group discussion. The data, collected by interviews with the elderly who had finished learning and those who did not attend, their family members, the local administrator, community leaders, and school conductors, were analyzed by content analysis.
The research revealed that the “Not falling-Not forgetting-Not Depressing-Tasty Food” course was driven by the community’s social and cultural capital, the local administration, and community leaders. The empowerment model for elderly and related persons for promoting elder attendance in elderly school was as follows: 1) enhance knowledge for community leaders about learning in the elderly school; 2) create pride in the elderly; 3) thoroughly publicize the school for the elderly in the community; 4) facilitate the elderly to learn; 5) have knowledge of the family and were aware of taking care of the health of the elderly; 6) encourage the elderly to persuade friends to study together; and 7) adjust the learning style to suit the elderly group with barriers to attending school.
The research results could be applied for conducting elderly schools, developing the performance of related persons, and enhancing understanding of the elderly way of life in staying with their family.

The Development of a Long Term Care Fund Management Model in Public Health for Elderly Dependents in Toei Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Muang Sam Sip District, Ubon Ratchathani Province

2023-07-21T13:56:52+07:00

Thailand is becoming a complete aged society, in which the government increases funds to support the elderly. This action research aimed to study the situation of fund management and to develop and assess a fund management model. The research process consisted of three steps: 1) study the situation of fund management, 2) develop a fund management model, and 3) assess the fund management model. The participants in the study consisted of 40 key informants who were fund committee members and stakeholders in Toei subdistrict, Muang Sam Sip district, Ubon Ratchathani province, selected by purposive sampling. The data collection tools were: 1) a questionnaire consisting of three parts: general information, fund knowledge, and a fund management questionnaire; 2) focus group discussions; and 3) in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed by content analysis, descriptive statistics, and paired t-test.
The results revealed that, regarding the Long Term Care (LTC) fund management, the fund has not yet approved an individual patient care plan. Caregivers have not performed their roles yet. The fund has not disbursed the budget resulting in an outstanding balance. Moreover, there is a lack of coordination and cooperation between the LTC fund subcommittee and various network partners. In this regard, fund committees still do not understand their roles and responsibilities whilst they have unclear directions for the development of the fund that are congruent with the objectives of the fund establishment. Regarding the fund management model development, the CARE TOEI model consisted of having a joint plan with clear goals and responsible leaders as well as the presence of a well-defined fund committee that employs effective monitoring and evaluation procedures. Additionally, the availability of clear and up-to-date information is evident. According to the findings, the participants had knowledge and understanding of the fund at a good level (87.50%) and overall management practice was at a high level. The format was appropriate at a high level. After using the developed LTC fund management model, the mean difference of the sample’s overall fund management score (M = 159.07, SD = 16.82) increased by 27 points (95% CI = 17.33-36.66). For performance, the average score (M = 33.87, SD = 4.73) was considered the most appropriate with an increase of 7.37 points (95% CI = 4.59 -10.15), and organizational leadership had an average score (M = 41.9, SD = 5.56) with an increase of 6.55 points (95% CI = 3.70 - 9.39).
The findings of this study are beneficial to the fund committee members who can apply this fund management model so that elderly with dependents can receive comprehensive and quality health care, ensuring fairness.

The Effect of Symptom Management Promotion together with a Motivation Interviewing Program on Nutritional Symptom Cluster Experience, Nutritional Behavior, and Nutritional Status of Hematological Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

2023-09-07T11:16:24+07:00

Most hematological patients receiving chemotherapy experience the gastrointestinal side effects of their treatment. This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effect of symptom management promotion together with a motivation interviewing program on nutritional symptom cluster experience, nutritional behavior, and nutritional status of hematological patients receiving chemotherapy, based on Dodd et al.’s Symptom Management theory and Miller and Rollnick’s Motivation Interview theory. The sample consisted of 47 patients who were diagnosed with hematological malignancies and received chemotherapy for the first time at Thammasat University Hospital or Siriraj Hospital. They were selected by purposive sampling and divided into an experimental (n = 25) or a control group (n = 22). Data were collected between October 2020 to December 2022. The research instruments consisted of the following: 1) symptom management promotion together with a motivation interviewing program, 2) a personal data questionnaire, 3) a nutritional symptom cluster experience assessment questionnaire, 4) a nutritional behavior question- naire, and 5) the Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) nutritional assessment questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and paired t-test.
The results showed that the experimental group perceived frequency, severity, and distress from the nutritional symptom cluster experience at significantly lower levels than the control group (p < .05). Moreover, the experimental group had significantly better nutritional behavior and nutritional status than before participating in the program, and better than those of the control group (p < .05).
The results of this study include recommendations that nurses or healthcare personnel should consider, such as applying symptom management promotion together with a motivation interviewing program for hematological patients receiving chemotherapy to improve their nutrition.

The Relationships Between Health Beliefs and Infection Prevention Behaviors Among Patients with Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy

2023-08-18T10:24:51+07:00

Infection in patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy results in a high chance of death. Appropriate behaviors can prevent infection. This descriptive correlational research aimed to examine the relationships between health beliefs and infection prevention behaviors among patients receiving chemotherapy. Using a random number table, 72 patients receiving chemotherapy at the Cancer Clinic in Roi-Et Hospital were selected. The research instruments were the Health Beliefs and Infection Prevention Behaviors questionnaires, which had reliability of .82 and .84, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product-moment correlation.
The results showed that health beliefs in the dimensions of perceived susceptibility to infection and perceived benefits of action had a statistically significant positive correlation with infection prevention behaviors (r = .34 and .38, p < .05). Perceived barriers to action had a statistically significant negative correlation with infection prevention behaviors (r = -.19, p < .05), and perceived severity of infection did not correlate significantly with infection prevention behaviors.
The results of the study indicated that health beliefs in the dimensions of perceived susceptibility to infection, perceived benefits of action, and perceived barriers to action correlated with infection prevention behaviors. Therefore, healthcare providers should create strategies to promote these perceptions with emphasis on perceived severity of infection, and encourage appropriate behaviors to prevent infection.

The Effect of PITS-Based Education to Enhance Health Literacy on Self-Management in Older Adults with Physical Multimorbidity

2023-03-08T14:06:32+07:00

Self-management is important behavior for older people with physical multi- morbidity to control their disease. This experimental research aimed to examine the effect of PITS-based education to promote health literacy on self-management among older adults with physical multimorbidity. The sample group included older persons, diagnosed with both diabetes mellitus and hypertension, attending Thungyai district health services in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province. Forty-eight subjects were randomly selected and assigned to either the experimental or control group (24 subjects each). The experimental group received PITS-based education, consisting of four group education sessions and one individual education session over three weeks, while the control group received routine care. The tools used for data collection included 1) a personal and illness data recording form, and 2) the Patient Assessment of Self-Management Tasks questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, indepen- dent t-test, and dependent t-test.
The results revealed that the experimental group, who received PITS-based educa- tion, had a significantly higher self-management mean score than before participating in the intervention as well as a significantly higher mean score than that of the control group (p < .001).
Therefore, healthcare providers can apply PITS-based education as a guideline for health education in older persons with physical multimorbidity to improve self-manage- ment.

Health Literacy and Psychological Well-being Among Older Adults with Chronic Illness in Sukhothai Province

2023-09-25T14:02:10+07:00

Health literacy is important for psychological well-being, especially in the elderly with chronic illnesses. This descriptive correlational study aimed to study the relationship between health literacy and psychological well-being among older adults with chronic illness in Sukhothai Province. The participants were 138 older adults with chronic diseases receiving treatment at Sukhothai Hospital. The participants were selected based on the inclusion criteria, and a simple random sampling method was applied. The instruments consisted of a personal information questionnaire, the Health Literacy questionnaire, and the Elderly Psychological Well-Being questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
The results showed that the participants had good levels of health literacy. Psychological well-being scores among older adults with chronic illness were at the highest level, and their health literacy had a statistically significant positive correlation at a weak level with psychological well-being (r = .30, p < .01).
The results of this study could be used as basic information to plan for improving health literacy in older adults with chronic illness to increase their psychological well-being.

Factors Predicting Self-Management Among Older Persons with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease

2023-08-06T20:06:44+07:00

Chronic Kidney Disease Stage III is a condition which affects the elderly physically, mentally, and socially. Self-management is a way to enable these patients to develop skills for managing their illnesses which can slow down kidney deterioration in the end-stage. This predictive descriptive research aimed to study health literacy, self-efficacy, social support, and self-management as well as the predictive power of health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support for self-management in the elderly with chronic kidney disease stage III. A total of 120 elderly people with chronic kidney disease stage III, who received service at Khlong Thom Hospital in Krabi Province, were selected by non-replaceable simple random sampling between August and September 2022. The research instruments include a Personal Information Questionnaire, a Health Literacy Questionnaire for the Elderly with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage III, a Self-Efficacy Interview, a Social Support Questionnaire for the Elderly with Chronic Kidney Disease, and a Self-Management Behaviors Questionnaire for the Elderly with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage III. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and normal multiple regression statistics.
The results of the research found that levels of health literacy (M = 46.11, SD = 6.74), self-efficacy (M = 53.72, SD = 8.38), social support (M = 70.19, SD = 8.49) and self-management (M = 97.75, SD = 16.13) were high. Health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support could jointly predict self-management among the elderly with chronic kidney disease stage III at 40.70%, with social support predicting self-management the most (β = .345, p < .001), followed by health literacy (β = .262, p < .001), and self -efficacy (β = .205, p = .029).
The results of this research will provide information for health personnel involved in the care of the elderly with chronic kidney disease stage III to integrate social support, health literacy, and self-efficacy in self-management promotion activities among this population.

The Relationships of Parenting and Family Relations with Executive Functions in Early Childhood

2023-09-01T11:10:58+07:00

Executive functions are high-order cognitive abilities which enable children to manage and control their thoughts, emotions, and behavior resulting in their achievement of goals and adaptation to life situations. This correlational descriptive research aimed to investigate executive function development in early childhood and the relationships between parenting, family relationships, and executive function development in early childhood. The sample consisted of 95 parents of children in early childhood. Data were collected at 7 child development centers in Mueang Lampang, Lampang province from October to November 2022. The research instruments included 1) the caregivers and children's personal information questionnaire, 2) the parent’s report scale, 3) the family environment scale, and 4) the assessment of executive functions in early childhood form. The reliabilities of the parent’s report scale and assessment of executive functions in early childhood, determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, were .81 and .80, respectively. The reliability of the family environment scale, demonstrated by the KR20, was .83. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.
The results of this study revealed that:
1. The executive function development of the children in early childhood was at a good level (M = 57.56, SD = 11.67). In determination of each dimension, it was found that three aspects were at a good level: working memory (M = 56.12, SD = 8.87), inhibitory control (M = 56.72, SD = 8.30), and emotional control (M = 56.41, SD = 8.78). The other two aspects were at a moderate level: shift/cognitive flexibility (M = 55.85, SD = 8.82) and planning and organizing (M = 55.80, SD = 9.18).
2. Parenting showed a statistically significant positive correlation with executive functions at a low level (r = .209, p < .05) while family relationships had a statistically significant positive correlation with executive functions at a moderate level (r = .306, p < .01).
The findings of this study can be used as information for parents to strengthen good parenting behaviors which are particularly appropriate, such as disciplining children consistently, raising children without abandon, and building good family relationships for enhancing the executive functions of children in early childhood.

A Comparison of Preventive Behaviors Against Respiratory Infection Among Caregivers in Child Development Centers

2023-07-06T10:16:12+07:00

Respiratory infections are common health problems in child development centers, affecting children and caregivers in many dimensions. The objectives of this study were to study the level of preventive behaviors against respiratory infection and compare these behaviors against respiratory infection levels classified by the backgrounds of caregivers. The sample included 396 caregivers working in child development centers under a local government organization. The research instrument was a questionnaire on preventive behaviors against respiratory infection. The content validity of the questionnaire for each item (IOC) was between .67-1.00, and questionnaire's reliability was tested by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, yielding a total value of .92. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance.
The results revealed that caregivers had a high level of preventive behaviors against respiratory infection (M = 62.66, SD = 5.65) and most of the behavioral aspects were at a high level, including hand cleaning (M = 13.66, SD = 1.54), protective equipment (M = 10.35, SD = 1.74), environment care (M = 16.38, SD = 1.59), and respiratory hygiene care (M = 22.26, SD = 2.25). Background factors affecting the level of behaviors with statistical significance (p < 0.05) included education level. Caregivers with postgraduate degrees had the highest mean scores.
Caregivers with higher education are more likely to lead to more preventive behaviors for respiratory infections in children. The study’s results could provide a baseline to further develop the effectiveness of caregivers' behaviors.

Effectiveness of Using an Electronic Media Tutorial for Nursing Student Preparation in a Child and Adolescent Nursing Practicum Course

2023-07-07T15:01:35+07:00

The use of electronic media as a teaching assistance tool is considered an effective alternative that improves the learning process among students. It is also currently integrated into the teaching of the tutorial preparation for the Child and Adolescent Nursing Practicum course. This quasi-experimental study used a one-group, pre-test/post-test design. The objectives were to 1) develop an electronic media tutorial for the Child and Adolescent Nursing Practicum course; 2) study the effectiveness of the electronic media tutorial and nursing students’ achievement; and 3) assess the nursing students’ satisfaction with the electronic media tutorial. The sample included 59 third-year nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, who enrolled in the Child and Adolescent Nursing Practicum course for the 2022 academic year. The instruments were the electronic media tutorial preparation, an achievement test after using the electronic media tutorial, and a questionnaire that measured students’satisfaction towards the electronic media tutorial. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and paired t-test.
The findings indicated that: 1) the efficiency of the developed electronic media tutorial was 82.35/84.63 which was higher than the standard level of 80/80; 2) nursing students’ achievement was significantly higher than before the electronic media tutorial application (p = .001); and 3) student satisfaction with the electronic media tutorial was at a high level (Mean = 4.31, SD = 0.91).
Suggestions from the study include applying the electronic media tutorial for nursing student preparation in other nursing practicum courses in the nursing curriculum.