Uncontrolled diabetes is a major health problem in Thailand. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a diabetes self-management program on glycemic control, coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, and quality of life in 147 diabetic patients (aged 56.8 +/- 10.2 years). Type 2 diabetic patients who met the research criteria were randomized into two groups for a period of 6 months: the experimental group received the diabetes self-management program and the control group received the usual nursing care. The findings indicated that the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease in the hemoglobin A(1c) level and CHD risk, with an increase in quality of life (QOL) compared to the control group. The diabetes self-management program was effective for improving metabolic control and the QOL for individuals with diabetes. Further studies should be replicated using larger groups over a longer time frame.

Nurses should work with management and policymakers to achieve safe staffing levels and good work environments in hospitals throughout the world.

This study was conducted to describe level of conflict, conflict management styles, level of job satisfaction, and intent to stay, and to ascertain relationships among conflict, conflict management styles, level of job satisfaction, intent to stay, and turnover of professional nurses in Thailand. The sample was 354 professional nurses employed in four regional hospitals in Thailand. The findings showed that the overall level of conflict was at a moderate level. The majority of subjects used accommodation most frequently to manage conflict. Subjects were dissatisfied with pay but were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with work, supervision, opportunities for promotion, co‐workers and the job in general facets of job satisfaction. Most subjects had a high intent to stay in their present jobs for 1 year (97.1%) but intent to stay for the next 5 years decreased (78.5%). The result showed some relationships among these variables, but no relationship between intent to stay and turnover of professional nurses.

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The findings generally support the initial work done in the United States of America. There is a need to further refine the various Thailand indicators. This study is the first in Thailand that has attempted to address quality of nursing care.

Education is a driving force in improving the health and welfare of communities globally. Doctoral education of nurses has been identified as a critical factor for provision of leadership in practice, scholarship, research, policy and education. Since the genesis of doctoral education in nursing in the USA in the 1930s, this movement has burgeoned to over 273 doctoral programs in over 30 countries globally. The present article seeks to identify the issues and challenges in nursing doctoral education globally, and those encountered by doctoral program graduates in meeting the challenges of contemporary health care systems. Information was derived from a comprehensive literature review. Electronic databases and the Internet, using the Google search engine, were searched using the key words "doctoral education"; "nursing"; "International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing"; "global health"; "international research collaboration". Doctoral education has been a critical force in developing nurse leaders in education, management, policy and research domains. An absence of consensus in terminology and of accurate minimum data sets precludes comparison and debate across programs. The complexity and dynamism of contemporary globalized communities render significant challenges in the conduct of doctoral programs. Addressing funding issues and faculty shortages are key issues for doctoral programs, especially those in developing countries, to achieve an identity uniquely their own. These challenges can also afford considerable opportunities for discussion, debate and the formulation of innovative and collaborative solutions to advance nursing knowledge and scholarship. In spite of discrete differences between countries and regions, the similarities in the issues facing the development of doctoral programs internationally are more striking than the differences. The harnessing of a global collective to address these issues will likely serve to not only forge the future viability of doctoral education of nurses but to improve the health and well-being of communities. This paper proposes international collaborative strategies to address a number of the challenges identified.

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Objective To evaluate the effects of implementing a healthy eating policy on nursery schoolchildren's dietary practices in nurseries in Phrae Province, Thailand. Design Quasi-experimental action research was used to compare the effects of school healthy eating policy on the diets of nursery schoolchildren in eight intervention and eight matched control schools. Setting Sample was 219 nursery schoolchildren aged four to five years attending 16 schools in Muang district, Phrae Province, Thailand. Method School healthy eating policy was implemented in intervention schools with the active participation of the school board members, teachers and parents. Snack intakes of 219 nursery schoolchildren in intervention and control groups were assessed through direct observation by trained observers and a three-day dietary record. Dietary data on snack consumption was collected at baseline and nine months after implementing a healthy eating policy. Results After nine months, the consumption of every snack item, except non-sugar milk, decreased significantly in intervention schools compared to the baseline ( p < .05), but not in control schools. In intervention schools the mean frequency of intakes per day decreased for cariogenic snacks, fresh fruits, Thai desserts, crispy snacks and sugary drinks. On the other hand, in control schools, the mean frequency of consumption per day of cariogenic snacks, non-sugar milk and crispy snacks increased significantly ( p < .05). In the control schools, no difference was found between baseline and after nine months in consumption of fresh fruit, Thai desserts and sugary drinks consumption. Conclusion Healthy eating policy for nursery schoolchildren was effective in reducing snack consumption in intervention schools.