Preparedness by Nursing Service Strategy for Approaching ASEAN Community of Nursing Divisions, General Hospitals, Southern Thailand

Abstract

This descriptive qualitative research aimed to explore the preparedness, problems and predisposing factors of preparedness for approaching the ASEAN community of nursing divisions, general hospitals, southern Thailand. Informants were 10 directors by 6 head nurses, 1 assistant of head nurse, 1 supervisor and 2 head ward. Data were collected by interview with semi-structured questions developed by the researcher based on the Thailand’s 5 strategies for nursing services aims to be ASEAN community 2013-2015 were developed by the Nursing Division, Office of the Permanent Secretary. The instrument was validated by four experts. Data were analyzed using content analysis.

                   Results of this study showed that the informants had prepared the promptness for approaching the ASEAN Community based on these 5 strategies with the following 14 themes: strategy I: awareness and understanding of the changes in society, including (1) giving full support for training to allow nursing personnel to be knowledgeable for ASEAN, (2) encouragement for seeking and sharing ASEAN knowledge among nursing staff, (3) after adoption of the policy, formulating the plan for enhancing ASEAN knowledge, and (4) sharing vision focusing on providing service to ASEAN; strategy II: nursing competency for change including (1) heavily promoting two competencies, English proficiency and ASEAN culture, (2) enhancing the expertise of nurse administrators and registered nurses, and (3) setting a system for enhancing the nurses to be skillful, good staff,  and professional; strategy III: nursing human development for AC including (1) comprehensive analysis of manpower promptly for ASEAN, and (2) allocation of the appropriate staffing with the workload for achieving good quality and assuring risk management; strategy IV: development of nursing services for emergency/disaster and emerging diseases for AC including (1) reviewing-rehearsal-shaping of disaster plan promptly for emergent disaster, and emerging diseases, and knowledge about ASEAN, (2) promoting coordination among teams both inside and outside the organization for enhancing nurses’ potential, and (3) lessons learnt from experience and revising the plan for disaster; strategy V: enhancing the level of quality of nursing service to be a leader in AC including (1) maintaining the high standard and correction the lower standard activities, and (2) enhancing the nursing quality to meet the national standard before ASEAN.

The results of this study showed issue of preparedness for approaching the ASEAN community of nursing divisions, general hospitals, southern Thailand with plan to development skill and competency of administrate nurses and practice nurses. That will serve situation and have service ability in the ASEAN community.