Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1992

over 1,000 nurses in 1991 and 730 this year competing for the 50 full-time and 40 part-time places offered annually. Preparations for Postgraduate Programmes under Way In September 1992 the department will offer an M.Phil, programme in nursing. This will be the first such programme to be introduced i n the territory and will do much to enhance the academic and professional status of nursing i n Hong Kong. Like the Bachelor of Nursing Programme, the M.Phil, in Nursing was initiated in response to the need to provide suitably qualified nurses with opportunities for advanced academic and research training within the discipline of nursing. The major requirement of the M.Phil, in Nursing is the completion of an independent research thesis on a topic of direct relevance to nursing. The establishment of M.Phil , studies in nursing is consistent with the mission of the Department of Nursing to become the leader in nursing education in Hong Kong, and to achieve international recognition as a centre of teaching and research excellence. Already staff are involved in a number of scholarly and research activities of relevance to nursing and health care in Hong Kong. The plan is to continue to raise the research profile of the department by establishing an innovative nursing research programme and collaborating with other faculties and departments in the University, health agencies, and international colleagues on contemporary nursing and health issues. Using video equipmen t and role play techniques to teach health counselling skills Staffed by an InternationalTeam of Experts The department comprises five academic staff members (a professor, one reader, one senior lecturer, and two lecturers) and three support staff. By September 1992 this number will double with the appointment of an additional senior lecturer, five lecturers, a coordinator for the Nursing Arts Laboratory, and further support staff. A noteworthy feature of the staff of th e department is its international flavour, having representation from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia, an d Hong Kong. Such a mix offers a variet y of nursing perspectives, a wealth of clinical and teaching experience, and considerable expertise across a wide spectrum of nursing practice and specialization. The clinical expertise of staff includes such nursing specialities as community health/primar y health care, mental health/psychiatric nursing, maternal and child health, paediatrics, gerontology, oncology nursing, intensive care nursing, as well as health counselling, health education and research. Thus staff are well qualified to meet the educational needs of Hong Kong nurses, establish research programmes in their specific areas of interest, and contribute significantly to the professional development of nursing in Hong Kong. Tasks ahead What are the future plans of the Department of Nursing? In the short term the primary goals are to consolidate and further refine the Bachelor of Nursing Programme, introduce the M.Phil, in Nursing in September, make preparations for Ph.D. programmes in nursing, raise the research profile of the department by securing research grants and establishing collaborative research endeavours, and continue to recruit high quality staff and students to the department. The department does however have the potential to offer a great deal more. With appropriate funding and support, it can offer specialist nursing programmes at a postgraduate diploma and/or coursework masters level, establish a centre for nursing research, and work collaboratively with the nursing profession to meet the continuing educational needs of Hong Kong nurses. In this way the Department of Nursing can do much to ensure that the people of Hong Kong receive the best possible standard of health care. • Department of Nursing 14