Abstract
The next International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) Congress will be a celebration of its 100th anniversary, held in Milan, Italy from June 11 to 16, 2006. With significant improvements in the understanding of occupational health at the international level, it is hoped that all occupational health professionals throughout the world can celebrate 100 years of progress and accomplishments at this Congress. With this goal, the AAOHN Journal has been running a special series of articles focusing on “Exploring the World Through International Occupational Health Programs” organized by OiSaeng Hong, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor and Director, Occupational Health Nursing Program, Division of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is the fourth article in the series.
The purpose of this study was to examine the service quality of nursing units in Bangkok textile factories. Descriptive survey research was combined with a qualitative design using participative observation. The sample consisted of factory managers, nurses, and employees. Data were collected between November 2001 and February 2002 using questionnaires, observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Nurses' education levels and quality of design and arrangement of nursing units explained 15.7% of the variance in service quality. Furthermore, qualitative data supported clients' satisfaction with service quality, except for the tangibility of the service. These findings suggest that the quality of nursing service units could be improved by management's attention to unit design, arrangement of nursing units, and nurses' education levels. Hiring registered nurses and restructuring nursing units are recommended.