Seminar on a ten-year prospect for the tertiary nursing education in Macau

On Jan. 16th, 2010, the Seminar on a ten-year prospect for the tertiary nursing education in Macau was held by KWNC at Lotus Hall on 14th Floor of Dr. Henry Fok Specialist Medical Centre in Kiang Wu Hospital. The cross-straits representatives of medical communities, specialists and scholars respectively from the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, Nethersole School of Nursing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Taiwan were invited to give keynote speeches in the seminar. Tens of guests, social figures were present at the conference including Deputy Director of Health Bureau Dr. Chan Wai Sin, Director-general of the Labour Union of Macau and member of Legislative Assembly Mr. Lei Chong Cheng, Director-general of The Chinese Educators Association of Macau and member of Legislative Assembly Ms. Ho Sio Kam, member of Legislative Assembly Ms. Chan Mei I, representatives from Macau Polytechnic Institute, CHCSJ and KWH as well as other relative medical societies.

President Van gave welcome address to the Seminar
Dr. Chan’s speech on the development of Macau’s health system and nursing role)

KWNC President Van Iat Kio pointed out in her welcome address that the old and new problems have still affected the tertiary nursing education of Macau for the past ten years since her handover. The medical and nursing personnel are facing the issue of how to work out a better planning of the higher nursing education to cope with the change of society in future. She suggested an exploration from three aspects: 1. The direction and approach of the tertiary nursing education in the coming ten years; 2. Demands from different walk of life as far as health service is concerned; 3. The requirements for nursing education raised from the change of community needs. The seminar was expected to collect opinions and advices from various experts so that further proposal could be made to the government for support and assistance in the field of resources and policies.
Prof. Jiang’s speech on the reform of nursing education system in inland China
Prof. Lee’s speech on the development of Hong Kong’s higher nursing education and specialist nursing in a population aging society

Then the explorations launched deeply among the attendees, first a briefing was given by Dr. Chan of Health Bureau on the status quo of Macau’s health systems development. The problem of population aging is getting more and more serious, with an expected proportion of aged people up to 11% of total population by 2016. Meanwhile chronic disease are another main problem facing Macau’s public health area. Thus the nursing service development and health education work permit of no delay. The current ratio of resident to nurse in Macau is 1,000 to 2.58; ratio of doctor to nurse is 1 to 1.1, which reflects the shortage of nurse manpower. The newly amended Regime da carreira de enfermagem will be beneficial to attract more people devoting into the nursing career. He called on the enhancement of nurse team construction including an increase of clinical nurses and formation of a clinical nurse team of more stabilization and stratification. Through continuous training the quality and competency of nurses in-service could be strengthened and so were the satisfaction to nursing work and sense of achievement among nurses.
Tutor of Ph.D. student Jiang An Li from the Shanghai Second Military Medical University gave a description of the nursing education reform and development in inland China, indicating the emphasis should be put on the government’s dynamic support to predominate the situation. President Lee Chi Fan of Nethersole School of Nursing took a five-year project being conducted in Hong Kong for example, which has led the aged people to greater height by planning five-year courses open for the general public involving cross-generation integration, caring in physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects, chronic disease management, hospice care, senile dementia care, community care and residential home nursing, so as to cope with the population aging problems in Hong Kong. Deputy CEO Yin Che-Chin from ICN Taiwan introduced the change experience of Taiwan’s nursing education and the development in nursing industry through the strong support of ICN.
Second Vice-President Prof. Yin’s speech on the nursing education from the angle of international and social development

President Van (right first) and Ms. Ng Pui Kun (left first) presented souvenirs to the keynote speakers.

At the last session of the seminar, representatives from different circles gave their speeches respectively on the government’s policies on nursing personnel, the promotion of community nursing education development, the tertiary nursing education programme design such as diversification of programmes and intensification of language competence, and the close clinical and teaching relationship, etc. Many other attendees also gave advice on the issues of demands for nurses, enhancement of the quality of nursing personnel, women’s health problems and juvenile’s obesity, etc. Associate Prof. Zhu Ming Xia concluded from a number of such advices under several main suggestions which indicated the role of nurses in protecting and promoting health is getting more and more important: to make up for a deficiency of nursing teachers; to expand cultivation bases; to perfect the legislation and statutes.
Finally the seminar came to a successful end in a warm atmosphere. The success depended on the great support from all walks of life and the enthusiastic preparation of the College staff.