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ชีวประวัติ Associate Professor Dr.Vichien Thavilab is a prominent leader of the nursing profession in Thailand. She was the first nurse to be awarded a doctorate degree from Boston University, USA. In her subsequent official government service, she has made great efforts and sacrifices in applying the pressure necessary to develop nursing and midwifery education in Thailand to meet the standard of university education and conforms with international standard. She was a leader in the drafting and submission of the First Nursing and Midwifery Act of Thailand Nursing Council, which is the legislative body responsible for regulating professional standards, quality and code of conduct of nursing as well as protecting the rights and benefits of patients. This has been of great beneficial for all people of our society. Dr. Vanvilai Chandrabha is a key leader in the development of the health system, improving quality nursing service and promoting of profession not only in Thailand but throughout Southeast Asia. She was the second nurse in Thailand and the first from the Ministry of Health to be awarded a doctorate degree from Pittsburgh University, USA. Throughout her service as an academic educator in the Nursing College Division and as Director of the Nursing Division at the Ministry of Health, she has maintained the firm intention of developing the standard of care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels; these efforts have been instrumental in improving the levels of efficiency in the health services of our country. ที่อยู่/ที่ทำงาน ประเทศ Thailand |
Associate Professor Dr.Vichien Thavilab is a prominent leader of the nursing profession in Thailand. She was the first nurse to be awarded a doctorate degree from Boston University, USA. In her subsequent official government service, she has made great efforts and sacrifices in applying the pressure necessary to develop nursing and midwifery education in Thailand to meet the standard of university education and conforms with international standard. She was a leader in the drafting and submission of the First Nursing and Midwifery Act of Thailand Nursing Council, which is the legislative body responsible for regulating professional standards, quality and code of conduct of nursing as well as protecting the rights and benefits of patients. This has been of great beneficial for all people of our society
Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab has more than 50 years experience in the nursing profession. She has worked in a variety of crucial positions, such as Head of Nursing Department, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing at Mahidol University, President of the Nurses Association of Thailand for three terms and Vice President of the Thailand Nursing Council. Her performance in every capacity has been vital in enhancing the development of the nursing and midwifery profession in Thailand.
As an educator, she has made great efforts to improve the quality of nursing education by playing a key role in establishing national standard for nursing curricula at the bachelor’s, master’s as well as continuing education levels. These standards have been accepted as benchmarks for nursing programs in all institutions by the Ministry of university Affairs as well as Thailand Nursing council, resulting in greater uniformity of standards of nursing education in country.
She has also created a semiextramural articulated program for capacity building of the RNs. Who are working throughout the country. As a result, the Government has been able to save budget by allowing nurses in remote areas to enroll into the program without having to leave their work for full time study. In addition, she also initiated the first master’s program in clinical nursing to prepare advanced practice nurses. This initiative was adopted as an exemplar model for designing master’s program in nursing in all universities throughout Thailand. The model has been very beneficial to the overall quality of service. Moreover, her initiative idea of establishing the Kingdom’s first Nursing Research Center for the profession which has become an institute for creating and Collecting an extensive body of knowledge for the nursing profession.
In addition, Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab was invited to serve as a project director establishing a School of Nursing, Faculty of the Medicine, Chiang Mai University. The School rapidly progressed to become a full status of the Faculty within the Chiang Mai University and has now become one of the premier Faculty of Nursing of the whole of Thailand.
Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab foresaw that in order to strengthening the quality of nursing, it would be necessary to integrate theory into practice. As a result, she established a Cooperative Project for Quality Nursing Care between Faculty of Nursing and Nursing Service Department of Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Under this project, nursing care standards, and care management model have developed and implemented. The nursing administrative system has also developed to include a structure of organization as well as the job descriptions of nurse executives at all levels. The project was proved highly successful and has been adopted as best practice for other nursing organizations and the World Health Organization has promoted the idea in other countries.
In order to enhance the efficiency of nurse administrator on a national basis, Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab worked collaboratively with the Nursing Devision, Ministry of Public Health, to develop short course training in nursing administration. As a result, the Nursing Devision has been able to improved quality of the nursing service through effective management. The first textbook on nursing administration authored by Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab become a classical textbook and has been used extensively.
Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab has long been admired for her vision in professional development at both the national and international levels. She was elected as President of the Nurses Association of Thailand for three terms and also elected to serve as a member of Board of Directors of International Council of Nurses(ICN). She has also worked with Dr. Vunvilai Chandraba in organizing a number of National Nursing Conferences and their resolutions have been accepted as guidelines in formulating nursing and service police policies thereafter.
After retirement, she returned to her home in Nakhon Sawan province and at once began to organize numerous kinds of social development activities, being particularly active in the development of democracy for local people and working on projects aimed at developing community well being, women’s status and occupational development. She established and was named President of the Nskhon Sawan Province Rotary Club, the President of the Women’s Development Provincial Society, Deputy President of the Democracy Development Group and membership of numerous other committees, as well taking leading roles in many other activities. Perhaps most importantly, she continues to be a pillar of the Thai nursing profession and has continued to provide valuable consultation for the profession.
Her accomplishments in development of nursing education, practice, research and policy development have distinguished Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab as an outstanding leader in nursing profession.
Associate professor Dr. Vichien Thavilab truly deserves the honour of being Conferred with the Princess Srinagarindra Award for the year B.E.2545 (A.D. 2002).
Dr. Vanvilai Chandrabha is a key leader in the development of the health system, improving quality nursing service and promoting of profession not only in Thailand but throughout Southeast Asia. She was the second nurse in Thailand and the first from the Ministry of Health to be awarded a doctorate degree from Pittsburgh University, USA. Throughout her service as an academic educator in the Nursing College Division and as Director of the Nursing Division at the Ministry of Health, she has maintained the firm intention of developing the standard of care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels; these efforts have been instrumental in improving the levels of efficiency in the health services of our country.
Dr. Chandrabha improved quality of service at the primary care level by initiating the profect for the Best Practice Model for a Community Hospital. The model including the guidelines for improving administration and management, nursing practice guidelines and capacity building for nursing personnel. This project has proved successful that the Ministry of Public Health adopted as a baseline for policy formulation in regulating national standards for Community Hospitals. Dr. Chandrabha has also emphasized on capacity building for personnel working at a sub-district health centers. She co-operated with university educational institutes to establish a nurse practitioner training program to enhance performance capacity. The manuals for physical examination and primary medical care practice have been developed. These initiatives were widely accepted and a number of health centers in the four regions of the country were subsequently upgraded. The Ministry of Health thereupon formulated the Health Center Development Plan on a ten year basis and Dr. Chandrabha was appointed as an advisor.
For the improvement of quality of care at the secondary and tertiary levels. Dr. Chandrabha has established a system for Infectious Control in Hospitals and also developed the Quality Assurance Program in Nursing Care for the MOH hospitals. She worked collaboratively with the Faculty of Nursing in universities to develop short courses training for nurse administrators. This facilitated the improvement of management skills of nurse administrators.
Besides her devotion on improving nursing service, Dr. Chandrabha also had a crucial role in the development of nursing education in Thailand, She co-operated with others nurse leaders in up-grading nursing education under ministry of Public Health to revise its curriculum from the diploma program to follow a four-year program equivalent to a university program successfully. She was invited to join the team to establish a two-year articulation program for nurse teachers at Chulalongkorn University. This facilitated nurse teachers in the Ministry of Public Health to meet the requirements for teaching in the Bachelor’s program in nursing. She was also invited to join the founder team to establish the Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University where she was actively participated in curriculum construction and faculty preparation. Currently, the Faculty of Nursing has become one of the leading nursing institution in the country. Always on the forefront of innovation, Dr.Chandrabha conducted a feasibility study for distance learning for nurses. Based on her findings, the program was established and, to date, more than six thousand nurses, many from remote rural areas, have graduated with the Bachelor Degree in Nursing. She has authored 7 chapters in requirement textbooks for Nursing Program, Sukhothaithamathirat Open University, in variety of subjects i.e. Concept and Process in Nursing, Pediatric Nursing and Community Health Nursing. These textbook have been used as principle learning materials for nursing students throughout the country.
Another achievement of Dr. Chandrabha’s distinguished career was her collaboration with Associate Professor. Dr. Thavilab in the establishment, by law, of the Nursing and Midwifery Act, which was passed by the National Legislative Assembly in 1985. She served as the first General Secretary of the Thailand Nursing Council. She has also closely collaborated with Associate Professor Dr. Thavilab in organizing numerous National Nursing Conference which the resolution were adopted as guidelines in nursing policy formulation in Thailand thereafter. Her industrious efforts for professional development has been obvious, she had joined various committees of the Nurses Association of Thailand and was elected as the Vice President of Thailand Nursing Council for three terms.
With her lengthy experience and expertise, Dr. Chandrabha was invited by WHO to serve as a technical advisor for nursing development in various countries in South East Asia.
After her retirement, Dr. Chandrabha has been invited to work as a consultant for various organizations, including the Ministry of Health, the Nursing Division, the Nurses Association of Thailand and the Thailand Nursing Council. She has been actively participated in professional activities and provided valuable consultation.
For all of these achievement, Dr. Chandrabha is indeed a national treasure. Her wisdom, scholarship and concern for the health and welfare of the people are reflected in her many contributions to health care and nursing.
Dr. Vunvilai Chandrabha truly deserves the honour of being conferred with the Princess Srinagarindra Award for the year B.E. 2545 (A.D. 2002).