A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS DIFFERENCES AMONG NURSING STUDENTS, COLLEGE OF NURSING UNDER PRABOROMARAJCHANOK INSTITUTE

Abstract

          The objectives of this research article were to explore the 21^st-century skills level among nursing students at the nursing college of Praboromarajchanok Institute, Ministry of Public Health, and compare it between nursing students at the College of Nursing of Praboromarajchanok Institute, Ministry of Public Health. The participants were nursing students who studied in year 1 to year 4 in the 2019 academic year of five colleges: 1) Boromaratjonani College of Nursing Buddhachinaraj, 2) Boromaratjonani College of Nursing Udon Thani, 3) Prachomklao College of Nursing Phetchaburi Province, 4) Phrapokklao Nursing College Chantaburi, and 5) Boromaratjonani College of Nursing Nakhon Si Thammarat. The 163 nursing students were systematically sampled to join this study. The data were collected by questionnaire then analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, and T-test statistics. The results showed that nursing students have a high level of all 21^st-century skills. However, comparing the personal characteristics between those samples found that the different ages had different skills such as information, media, technology literacy, creativity, innovation skills, and learning skills. Moreover, the different years of study also had different skills such as life skills, information, media and technology literacy, communication skills, creativity and innovation skills, and learning skills. This study recommends that the nursing college’s student affairs should organize activities that improve the 21^st-century skills of nursing students. Moreover, they should prioritize the nursing students’ skills from the first year until graduation.