Supporting sustainable development goals in the nursing education system: Nursing student practitioner, Faculty of Nursing, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University Thailand

Abstract

Nursing education in Thailand is targeted on “stability, prosperity, and sustainability”. In the Faculty of Nursing at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, the focus is on sustainability in nursing education. A “student practitioner” approach is a vital part of the program. The 3 key concepts of this approach include professional knowledge, practicing skills, and social skills. In order to be successful in this approach, the concept of Sufficient Economic Philosophy, which was introduced by His Majesty King Bhumibol as a means of guiding his people to live sustainably, has been integrated and deployed along with these 7 elements: 1) curriculum development which focuses on integrated nursing practice, nursing care in diverse culture settings, nursing innovation, digital technology in healthcare, and ethics in the nursing profession; 2) faculty members and staff development involve fostering and enhancing both knowledge and expertise for the staff; 3) strengthening the learning process which consists of a coaching system for lecturers responsible for the program, defining student competencies, planning supplementary curriculum for practice and social skills, and designing an evaluation system for student competencies; 4) enhancing learning support by promoting the community to be a part of clinical practice and facilitating self-learning technology; 5) new administration and management systems for establishing partnership with clinical partners and collaboration in curriculum design to build and expand student practitioner skills; 6) clinical partner and network collaboration, which follows the concept of “the center for excellence in nursing,” in order to explore the knowledge and practice for health care professionals and to develop broader knowledge through the learning center; and 7) developing a qualifications framework which involves defining professional knowledge competencies, practice standards for nursing skills, and social skills with a service mind.

The student practitioner approach at the Faculty of Nursing, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University would build sustainability in nursing education and create stability in the local community in accordance with the university’s determination statement "Prepare the King’s Nurse".