OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR ROTARY NURSING SCHOLARS
Address the acute shortage of registered nurses in Thailand. Rotary scholarships will encourage more young adults to consider this profession. We will support nursing students in financial hardship
An aging society is the primary cause of the nursing shortage. Data from the Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council (TNC) indicated that the country currently has 170,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) working in public and private health services, which translates to a nurse-to-population ratio of 1:400. However, Thailand needs at least 200,000 nurses based on an aging population of 13.75 million of which 1.175 million are dependants and 200,000 bedridden patients. Supply will be further strained under government regulations that require nurses at tambon organizations and factories. Schools have filed requests for nurses to be sent from the Public Health Ministry. The government is also expanding specialized clinics across the country, particularly in rural areas.
Additionally there are risks from a health related pandemic that may strain our health system.
Thailand has entered into an aging society since 2005 and is currently ranked second in ASEAN after Singapore. In Singapore the ratio of nurse-to-population is 1:130 while in Malaysia the ratio stands at 1:300. With more than 20% of the population categorized as aged by 2023, Thailand will enter the ranks of countries with mature aging societies. By 2040, 31.4% of the population will be classified as aging citizens with half of those over 70 years in age.
ROTARY will provide scholarship assistance to nursing students at:
1) Kuakarun Faculty of Nursing, Navamindradhiraj University
Currently 4 students are receiving our rotary scholarship for nursing.
On average the tuition fees will amount to Baht 50,000 per year per student for a 4-year bachelor degree program.
The Rotary Club of Bangkok’s selection committee process is as follows:
All applications are first screened on a needs basis. Candidates will be interviewed to assess their family financial situation, interest in a nursing career and commitment to maintain good academic grades.
Our aim is to provide each successful candidate with a Rotary Scholarship amount of Baht 25,000 per annum.
We encourage the students to also seek ways to help themselves.
The club maintains a close connection with our Rotary Nursing Scholars and they are periodically invited to attend our club meetings to keep us informed of their progress.