Impacts of the Unrest Situation on Nurses Practicing in the Three Southern Border Provinces
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Date
2010-07-09
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Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Keyword: Impacts, Unrest situation, Nurse, Three southern border provincesThis qualitative study aimed to describe and explain impacts of theunrest situation on nurses, practice in the three southern border provinces. Theinformants were 11 registered nurses who had been working in the unrest situationin that region. The data were collected by in-depth interview using an interviewguide developed by the researchers, from December 2006 to May 2007. The datawere analyzed using general qualitative analytic methods. Working in the unrestsituation in the three border provinces impacted the nurses’ personal life and work.The impacts on personal life could be classified into five themes: 1) difficulty infinding food, 2) difficulty in traveling due to unsafe public transportation, 3)inconvenience in staying overnight in the hospital after work, 4) having less timefor family, and 5) being unable to take vacation as requested. The impacts on workcould be classified into two themes: 1) in the hospital: excessive workload due toinadequacy of nurses, and 2) outside the hospital: (a) at risk of being injured, and(b) reduction in community-based health services. The problems of working in theunrest situation could be classified into three themes: 1) inappropriateness of thereferral system, 2) inadequacy of medical equipment, and 3) inadequacy ofincentives for nurses who work in an unsafe situation. The problems had beensolved in seven ways: 1) readjusting the referral system according to the situation,2) cancellation of postmortem investigation on-site, 3) improvement of safescreening measures for emergent care on-site, 4) having safety practice guidelines,5) strengthening of the security system, 6) ensuring the adequacy of medicalequipment, and 7) readiness for emergency and implementation of the emergencyscheme. This study provides an understanding of the impacts of the unrest situationon nurses, practice in the three southern border provinces. The knowledge gainedfrom this study should be beneficial in guiding nurses, practice.
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Citation
Ramathibodi Nursing Journal; vol. 15 No.2 May-August 2009