Guidelines for Developing Roles of the Care Manager Nurses in Caring for the Elderly in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand
Creators: name: Nawasanan Wongprasit
name: Jirakul Krobsorn
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Role, Nurse, Care Manager, the Elderly.

description: Abstract

This research is mixed methods research. Its objectives are: 1) To explore the current conditions, problems, needs, and solutions regarding the roles of care manager (CM) nurses in caring for the elderly in Chachoengsao Province; 2) To analyze and determine ways to develop the roles of CM nurses in caring for the elderly in Chachoengsao Province; 3) To recommend policies and guidelines for developing the roles of CM nurses in caring for the elderly in Chachoengsao Province.  For qualitative research, key informants were 11 nurses who were the care managers for the elderly in Chachoengsao Province, and 11 caregivers (CG) who were taking care for the elderly and had passed the 70-hour Elderly Caregiver Training Course of the Department of Health. The key informants had given information through in-depth interviews. Five experts in the focus group discussions included executives from the provincial social development and human security, CM nurses’ representatives, CG representatives, and academic representatives. The key informants were selected those who had qualifications as the research objectives set, and snowball technique. For quantitative research, the sample group included 476 elderly people in Chachoengsao Province. The sample size was determined using the formula for calculating the sample according to the tables of Krejci and Morgan, the confidence level was set at 95%. Once the sample size was obtained, the researchers used simple random sampling to obtain the samples according to the specified amount. The tools used for data collection were in-depth interviews and questionnaires. Data obtained were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and analysis of variance (f-test). The results of the study were found as follows. 1) Most of the elderly were female, widowed, and had chronic diseases. They were in a social group. Their family income was less than 15,000 baht. The problems encountered included that CM nurses caring for the elderly still lack knowledge and understanding in accessing health information to keep up with diseases occurring in the present era, that there were still insufficient numbers of nursing managers to care for the elderly for the number of elderly people, and that the solutions to the problems were to support and promote training to review previous knowledge, supporting new knowledge to CM nurses caring for the elderly or relatives taking care of the elderly according to the current situation continuously and regularly, at least 1 - 2 times a year, and monitor and evaluating results according to actual conditions to obtain true information. This could lead to solutions that matched the problems, or open for recruitment to increase more many nurses in this field, to relieve the needs or relieve the duties of former nurses. 2) Results of analysis and establishing guidelines for developing roles of CM nurses in caring for the elderly in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand, guidelines for developing the roles of nursing managers in caring for the elderly included in the following: (1) CM nurses’ potential should be continuously developed at least 1 - 2 times a year; (2) There should be follow-up and evaluation according to actual conditions to get true information; (3) There should be more recruitment for elderly care nurses than before in order to meet the number of elderly people to relieve the needs or relieve the duties of former nurses; 4) Participation in caring for the elderly in every sector should be promoted; and 5) Morale and spiritual encouragement should be built for CM nurses and operation team.