Ms. Uraiporn Chanta-ummau, Director of the Nursing Division at the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), commented on the proposal to solve the nursing workforce issue by changing shifts from three 8-hour shifts per day to two 12-hour shifts per day. She said the nursing workforce under the MOPH remains insufficient, with high resignation rates and losses due to retirement. It is difficult to find replacements because of heavy workloads and increasing service demand. This leads to more frequent shifts and nurses working double shifts or 16 hours per day, exceeding 40 hours per week, resulting in fewer days off and less rest time. This disrupts nurses' biological clocks and negatively affects their health and quality of life over the long term. Somdet Phra Buddhalertla Hospital in Samut Songkhram Province has used 12-hour nursing shifts for over 10 years, including during COVID-19. Many MOPH hospitals adopted 12-hour shifts and found benefits such as reducing the number of nurses needed by 24%, cutting maximum daily working hours from 16 to 12, decreasing shift change frequency, thus reducing errors and improving continuity of patient care. Nurses also have more time with patients, allowing for better assessment and systematic care planning. Although 12-hour shifts might seem longer than 8-hour shifts, given staffing limitations, 8-hour shifts often force nurses to work 16 hours with only 8 hours rest between shifts and just two days off per week, whereas 12-hour shifts provide longer rest periods.
Ms. Uraiporn added that this proposal is only a short-term workforce management option during personnel shortages and can be adjusted as appropriate. However, before implementing the proposed shift system, nurses' willingness must be surveyed, as it may not suit everyone or every department. For a long-term solution, the government must increase investment in personnel, especially nurses, by expanding training, raising compensation, and enhancing career advancement opportunities to replace and retain as many staff as possible within the system.
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