Community Testing Centre (CTC)

In February this year, nursing students were recruited to work as swabbers at the To Kwa Wan Sports Centre Community Testing Center. They performed assessments for citizens to evaluate if their physical condition was suitable for sampling and explained the sampling procedures before collecting the sample. They also helped maintain order and crowd control to prevent infection.

The students faced an unusual test in that Hong Kong was experiencing a major COVID-19 wave at the time and people were frustrated over long waiting times for sampling. As medical staff, students were expected to maintain a professional attitude, explain the sampling procedures, and patiently handle the public’s emotions. They also learned to communicate with people of different races or deaf or hard of hearing people by simplifying their messages or using different means of communication. This was all good practice for their future as nurses must be able to serve and communicate with people from all walks of life.