Remain Open to Every Opportunity for Self-fulfilment No Matter How Strong the Opposition or How Impossible It May Seem

Dr Carol Yuen Yuet-sheung | Nursing Officer
Master of Nursing (HKU) 2009, Doctor of Nursing (HKU) 2014
Fellow of The Hong Kong Academy of Nursing
(Community and Public Health – Public Health) (Gerontology)

2007 was a remarkable year for me. I attended a briefing by Professor Agnes Tiwari, former Head of School, on the Master of Nursing Programme and came away deeply inspired. This marked the start of my higher education journey and my introduction to the School of Nursing, and I would overcome some of the biggest challenges I had ever faced.

I undertook a translation research project on “Educational and Promotional Guidelines to Improve Influenza Vaccine Coverage of Health Care Workers”. I had much enthusiasm and encouragement to strive for a more advanced level of study when Professor Tiwari and Dr Daniel Fong Yee-tak, as the Module Directors, gave me full credit for this project.

Evidence-based research skills are invaluable assets in healthcare and there are many ways to spread knowledge and enlightenment in the nursing profession! I enjoyed the opportunities to learn from leading academics, policymakers and professional experts through my readings and interactions. The saying that “little drops of water make the mighty ocean” certainly applied here. For all these reasons, I was highly motivated to take on the challenge of the Doctor of Nursing Programme, which I began in 2009 after graduating with my Master of Nursing qualification.

Professor Marie Tarrant had a significant influence on the landscape of my career. I started to realise more than ever how exploring scientific evidence would enrich me immensely. Professor Tarrant has been my respected mentor throughout my career and we share the same vision. It was very uplifting working in partnership with her to investigate “Influenza Vaccination during Pregnancy”.

The output from my Doctoral project was beyond what I could have imagined. Funding for the study was provided by the Health and Medical Research Fund, HKSAR Government. I organised and analysed more than 2800 sets of quantitative data and 32 sets of qualitative interview transcripts. I am especially grateful that I was able to publish six journal manuscripts, four of which arose from my Doctoral thesis.

HKU School of Nursing, I am really so grateful to have you in my life!