Preparing Nursing Specialists for Hong Kong
Dr Kelvin Wang | Associate Professor
Hong Kong’s medical system has been playing catch-up when it comes to advanced and specialised nursing. Unlike other developed places, such as the UK and US, Hong Kong does not have formal recognition of nursing specialists. But that is about to change and the HKU School of Nursing has been making preparations to contribute to this important development.
The Hong Kong Nursing Council was invited by the government to formulate the Voluntary Scheme on Advanced and Specialised Nursing Practice, which outlines requirements for being registered as an advanced practice nurse. These nurses will perform advanced and specialised nursing care ranging from the most advanced clinical care to complex community prevention and holistic nursing management.
One of the important advantages of the Advanced Practice and Specialist Nurse designation is to strengthen patients’ and public’s confidence in nurses delivering independent, reliable, evidence-based nursing care. To achieve that, nurses must acquire higher level education. HKU’s Master of Nursing (MNurs) programme is a key provider of the required training for registration.
The MNurs programme was launched more than two decades ago to equip students with advanced knowledge and skills for various specialities. In recent years it has been adapted to fulfil the anticipated requirements of the government’s Scheme.
Among the changes we have made is to work much more closely with the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing and its colleges on competencies for specialty nurses in our curriculum. Our programme provides clinical, community and management specialised tracks that allow students to acquire both theoretical understanding as well as clinical practicum experience as required by the Scheme.
With this focus on specialist nursing, we have seen enrolment in our MNurs programme rise steadily and it has also attracted international students. Students can pursue specialist tracks such as critical care, surgical care, management and leadership, and community and public health nursing, and to dive into even more specialised tracks such as paediatrics, gerontology, infection control and perfusion science. Each of these tracks are prepared to fulfil the competencies required in the respective colleges of the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing. Students are also free to choose elective courses beyond their speciality to broaden their understanding of increasingly complex medical and nursing procedures, which can be practiced in our hightech simulation laboratories.
Evidence-based practice is also a signature component of the programme, which incorporates the most update research evidence of each specialty practice. For example, in the capstone experience (e.g. dissertation), students will review the latest evidence, assess the transferability and feasibility of implementation and propose a new guideline for nursing practice with a rigorous evaluation plan.
The HKU MNurs programme will continue to work with local and international nursing specialists and academia to contribute to nursing specialisation in Hong Kong. Having taken steps to ensure that our programme will meet the requirements for registration as an Advance Practice and Specialist Nurse when the scheme is implemented, we believe that the benefits will extend to both students and society as a whole.