Meet our students: Inthira Roopsawang

Hometown: Thailand

Year/Program: 3rd year Ph.D. Nursing

Inthira Roopsawang

What is your research/areas of interest? Frailty, Aging, Musculoskeletal conditions, and Quality and Safety

Do you have a faculty mentor? If so, whom? Prof. Dr. Basia Belza and Prof. Dr. Hilaire Thompson

Are you a scholarship recipient? If so, please list the scholarship(s). The Mahidol University Scholarship, The de Tornyay Aging scholarships, McLaws Scholarship

Why did you choose nursing? No one stays with the patient and their family firmly through every stage of life from the first day of birth to the last day of life, but NURSES have that opportunity.

What has been an unforgettable experience during your time at the School of Nursing?  The best and unforgettable experience during my time at nursing is that I always have invaluable advice, encouragement, and support when I meet with faculty or others in the School. I have been exposed to an excellent working environment that stimulates my creativity in both clinical and research aspects.

How has your experience at the School of Nursing helped you with your career trajectory? The excellent working environment can stimulate the creativity in both clinical and research aspects. As an instructor and clinical specialist, I intend to employ the faculty role and provide a good academic environment to all of my students and colleagues. The creative environment fosters innovation which is significant to my career trajectory.

What are your plans after graduation? My future plans are divided into short and long-term planning. The short-term planning is to complete the dissertation work and graduate on time. For the long-term planning, I intend to be a good representative of the UW School of Nursing, by being an aging specialist in both clinical and research area. Also, I plan to participate in the aging conference and join aging research team to improve aging care in Thailand, then Asia. My ultimate goal is to be one of the experts in the aging field to change and enhance aging care by translating science into nursing care both locally and globally.

Anything else you would like to share? Some people think that nursing is a job, but that is not my definition. For me, the only way to do great work is to love what you do; consequently, I value of nursing care because it humanizes care.