The Study of Field Hospital Nurse Competency in Vajira Hospital

Abstract

This Ethnographic Delphi Futures research aimed to study the professional nursing competencies of nurses working in field hospitals at Vajira Hospital by the Delphi method. The study included a sample group of 19 experts who were divided into four groups: Group 1 consisted of infectious disease or respiratory system specialists; Group 2 comprised nurse administrators; Group 3 consisted of experienced nurses who collaborated with practicing nurses in field hospitals; and Group 4 comprised experienced practicing nurses in field hospitals. The research tools were semi-structured interviews and two sets of questionnaires. The quality of the tools used in the interview demonstrated a high level of consistency between the questions and the objectives, with a value of 1.00 representing perfect agreement. The research process was performed by conducting interviews with experts regarding the competencies of healthcare professionals practicing in field hospitals at Vajira Hospital. Then, the data obtained from the interviews were used to create questionnaires, and the results were analyzed to confirm the overall quantitative competencies using statistical methods, namely: percentages, means, medians, and interquartile ranges.

The research findings revealed that the majority of the sample group of 19 experts, with an average age of 38 years was female 84.22%. The largest number among the sample group obtained a bachelor's degree 63.15%, followed by a master's degree 26.32%, and a doctoral degree 10.53%. The competencies of healthcare professionals practicing in field hospitals at Vajira Hospital comprised eight main dimensions, namely: 1) exemplar and public spirit (MD = 4.68, IR = .37), 2) teamwork and collaboration (MD = 4.56, IR = .63), 3) specialized nursing practice (MD = 4.51, IR = .64), 4) leadership in nursing (MD = 4.51, IR = .70), 5) infection prevention and control (MD = 4.48, IR = .63), 6) problem-solving and decision-making (MD = 4.45, IR = .77), 7) system perspective and urban health (MD = 4.29, IR = .78), and 8) utilization of information technology media (MD = 4.24, IR = .85). These dimensions also encompassed a total of 88 sub-items. In particular, the dimensions of being an exemplar and having a public spirit, teamwork, and specialized nursing practice were significantly important as they contributed to effective nursing practice in epidemic situations.