From women in white to scholarship: the new nurse leaders in Thailand

The nature of nursing in Thailand has changed dramatically since World War II. The field is now led by a cadre of women who make nursing one of the largest occupational concentrations of women who hold doctoral degrees in the country. In this article reflections of these nurses on their profession, on their reasons for entering it, and on their contributions to it's development are discussed. The findings are derived from a survey of 16 nurses with doctoral degrees and from participant observation. The women and their parents who guided their choice of a career were attracted to nursing by ideals of social service and family obligations. They were also attracted to nursing by its cultural definition as a female career and by the pragmatics of university entrance examinations. Most of the informants attributed their career success to hard work, family support, a strong sense of responsibility and commitment, self-sacrifice for the common good, and a calm demeanor. A minority of informants stressed new values of scholarship and management skills such as long-range planning and independent thinking. The emergence of these new values suggests that nursing in Thailand is on the verge of a new stage in its rapid evolution.