The Happiness of Nursing Students and Staffs in Phrapokklao Nursing College and the Opinions for Contributing to the Happy Workplace

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to explore the happiness of the nursing students and staffs including officers and nursing instructors at Phrapokklao Nursing College and their opinions for contributing to the happy workplace. The 645 participants included the student nurses, officers, and nursing instructors of the academic year 2016. Research instruments were the demographic data, the happiness self-assessment questionnaire (the HAPPINOMETER) with the reliability at .89, and the questionnaire of opinions about how to contribute to the happy workplace. Data were collected from September to October 2016. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The opinions about how to contribute to the happy workplace were analyzed using content analysis by organizing a number of codes into categories and subcategories and then using frequency for ranking.

The research results revealed that the mean score of participants’ happiness was at happy level (X = 73.87, SD = 6.91). The domains with very happy level were the happy body (X = 76.36, SD = 8.92), happy heart (X = 75.88, SD = 8.86), and happy soul (X = 75.88, SD = 13.37); whereas, other domains were at happy level. The factors relating the happiness from participants’ opinion were the personal factors, interpersonal relationship, and the environment. In addition, the opinions regarding how to contribute the happy workplace included: 1) the unity and participation; 2) the teaching and learning strategies; and 3) the residential management, fundamental factors of the human being, and public utilities.

This research suggested that the chief executive of nursing college can use the findings to encourage the happiness among nursing students and staffs by considering their needs and expectations, and the suitable organization and its context.