Nursing Workforce Management Situation Analysis at Lampang Hospital

Abstract

     This study aimed to analyze the nursing workforce situation at Lampang Hospital, examine factors affecting workforce management, forecast trends over the next 5 years, and propose policy development strategies. A mixed-methods research approach was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025, involving a population of 969 professional nurses, in-depth interviews with 5 hospital administrators, and focus group discussions with 24 operational-level nurses across 3 groups. The research instruments included a general information questionnaire, interview guidelines, and the WISN (Workload Indicators of Staffing Need) analysis tool. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, trend analysis, and forecasting, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

     The findings revealed that Lampang Hospital faced a nursing shortage of 406 positions out of 1,375 established positions, representing a 29.52% shortage. The medical and other services departments had the highest shortage rate (33.9%). WISN analysis showed that all departments had WISN ratios below 1.0, with the emergency department facing the most critical situation (WISN Ratio 0.67, Workload Pressure 1.50). Nurse-to-patient ratios exceeded TNC standards across all departments. The average turnover rate was 12.3% per year, with Generation Y-Z showing the highest turnover tendency (average tenure before resignation: 3.5 years). Projections indicated that the shortage would increase to 45.8% by 2029.