History

Siriraj School of Midwifery and Nursing evolved from the Medical Midwifery and Female Nursing School, which was founded on January 12, 1896, by Queen Sri Bajarindra. At that time, medical nursing had not yet been clearly separated from general nursing as a distinct specialty. Later, between 1926 and 1935, Miss Alice Fitzgerald and Miss A.B. Porter served as heads of the Nursing Department and reformed the curriculum to include medical science and medical nursing practice. They appointed Instructor Sanan Sukkhawat (Phiangsiri), one of the first nurses to graduate from the curriculum reformed by the American instructors, who received a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship to observe the work of ward heads in the Philippines for six months in 1928, to serve as head of the medical building and appointed her as assistant teacher and inspector of the medical department in 1932 until 1942 when she resigned. Instructor Pha-op Phisalayabutra from the surgery department was then appointed as inspector of the medical department and the Mahidol Waranusorn Ward instead. Later, Khunying Phinphak Phittyaphet requested Instructor Pha-op Phisalayabutra to help with the nursing school and appointed Instructor Saardsri Semarasut to act as inspector of the medical department. Later, in 1952, she received a scholarship to study in Australia. The person who later served as inspector of the medical department was Instructor Srisang Phachirat, with two assistants: Instructor Samniang Maleerat and Instructor Saliwan Siniman. In 1967, Miss Bangon Pholnuangma transferred from staff nurse at Asadang 3 building to join as another instructor.

The School of Midwifery and Nursing was elevated to the Faculty of Nursing in 1972, becoming the 13th faculty of Mahidol University according to the Royal Gazette Vol. 89, Part 103, dated July 7, 1972, with Ajarn Sanguansuk Chantawong as the first dean and Ajarn Srisang Phachirat as the head of the medical department. Later, the internal administration of the Faculty of Nursing was divided into 6 departments and 1 office. The medical department was then changed to the Department of Medical Nursing and Mental Health on February 28, 1974, with Ajarn Srisang Phachirat as the first head of the department, serving until 1980 when she resigned before retirement. Miss Bangon Pholnuangma was appointed as the next head of the department from 1980 to 1987, during which psychiatric nursing education was still included.

List of Department Heads

In 1986, the Faculty of Nursing established the Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing. Consequently, the department was renamed the Department of Medical Nursing from then until the present, with the following heads of department in order: