Patients' rights 

            Patient bill of Rights, all health care providers, especially nurses must communicate and have close relationships with service recipients throughout the care process. Therefore,it is very important to know the rights of those who come to receive services because nursing practice is based on compassion for fellow human beings, which a goodness that human beings should have towards each other. But every human being is unique, has self-confidence, and has self-worth. Wherefore, there may be some conflicts in the operation. Solving the problems by using ethical knowledge as the main factor in decision-making, by understanding the rights of patients and their own rights, will make the operation go smoothly.

            Patients'rights refer to the rights of all citizens to recieve public health services. The main priciple is human freedom, and this is the basis for each person's right to make decisions for themselves.
            The United Nations General Assembly, which is composed of member states, voted to adopt and promulgate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an important principle for protecting human rihgts of the world community on December 10, 1948 in Paris, France. Although, this Declaration is not and international treaty, it is the most important piece of customary international human rights law, which states are required to respect for the human rights principles enshrined in this Declaration. Whereas this Declaration is also the basis of many other international human rights treaties and laws, including the internatioanl Covenant on Civil and political rights and the international Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
Thailand has stipulated the rights of Thai citizens in the Constitution of 1997, which are human rights that are accepted internationally and have been eatablished as the rights of patients. As a result, health professional organizations announced the recognition of patients' rights on April 16, 1998. The main points are as follow:
1. All patients have the basic right to recieves health services as stipulated in the Constitution.
2. Every patient has the right to receive health services without discrimination due to differences in status, race, nationality, religion, society, political beliefs, gender, age, and the characteristics of each individual's illness.
3. Every patient has the right to be informed and understand medical treatment information sufficiently and clearly, so that they can make an informed decision to consent or not to consent to healthcare providers treating them, except in urgent or necessary casses.
4. Patients in critical condition have the right to receive urgent assistance without having to ask.
5. Patients have the right to know the name, surname, and type of healthcare provider they are receiving.
6. Patients have the right to seek opinions from other professionals and have the right to request a change of provider and service provider.
7. Patients have the right to have their information about them kept confidential, except with their consent or as requried by law.
8. Patients have the right to be fully informed when deciding whether to participate in a research study.
9. Patients have the right to know information in their medical records upon request.
10. Parents or legal representatives can exercise their rights on behalf of sick children, mentally, or physically disabled persons who are unable to exercise their rights.

Afrer the announcement of patients rights, the Nursing Division established a model for protecting patient rights (Thai Nursing Division, 1999), including:

1. Providing information related to patients, such as rights, symptoms, treatment plans, benefits, advantages, and disadvantages that patients will receive.
2. Service and support in decision-making help increase patients' ability to be independent in self-care by assisting and supporting them in making their own decisions.
3. Protection is taking precautions and preventing harm that may occur to patients and helping patients receive quality care from all personnel.
4. Patient representation in cases where the patient is unable to act, the nurse will act as a representative in expressing the patient's problems, needs and advocating for their rights.

            It can be seen that the protection of patient rights that Thai Nursing Division has prepared in writing, which was originally the role of nurses that has been practiced regularly since the time of Miss Florence Nightingale until the present. Because nurses are the professionals closest to patients, and the first person a patients tells about what a patient needs or what their symptoms are is the nurse. Therefore, nurses have a duty and responsibility to care for patients so that patients receive the greatest benefit by protecting and demanding rights for patients if they are treated unfairly.
As with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which contains the preamble:
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom fo speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of living in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Reference Information: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights