Health Promotion Competency and Practice among Nurses in Primary Care Services, Southern Region of Thailand

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed to study level of health promotion competencies, and   practices among nurses who provided health services at primary care level in   Southern region of Thailand. Sample was 138 registered nurses who worked in primary care unit. Research tool was self-reported questionnaire including 3 parts, personal data, health promotion competencies, and health promotion practice based on Ottawa Charter. The questionnaire’s content validity had been confirmed. Its reliability was tested, and yielded a value of .96-.97. Data were analyzed   by using descriptive statistics, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

The results revealed that the majority of the sample rated their health promotion  competencies in personal characteristics in health promotion, nursing practice in health  promotion, management in health promotion, and development of health promotion network  at expert level (M=1.82, SD=.44; M=1.84, SD=.44; M=1.77, SD=.43, and  M=1.74, SD=.47, respectively). However, research and knowledge management was rated at a basic level (M= 2.32, SD=.47). In terms of health promotion practice based on Ottawa Charter, the majority performed perform health promotion practice including building healthy public policy, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services at a high level (M=2.32, SD=.47); the highest mean score was in health promotion role regarding developing personal skills (M = 2.41, SD = .51).

The findings from this study can be used as guidelines to develop health promotion competencies especially in research and knowledge management, and promote health promotion practice.