In order to create an academic ambience for the nursing team and promote extensive exchanges and cooperation between nursing education and nursing practice, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) and the Nursing Department of Kiang Wu Hospital (KWH) jointly organize d the “2012 Kiang Wu Nursing Symposium” (the Symposium). This is the 3 rd time that KWNC and KWH cooperate d to organize the Symposium. Carrying the theme “Enhance the development of specialist nursing, promote the interaction between teaching, learning and research, and strengthen clinical nursing practice”, this year's Symposium was held on the afternoon of 2 June 2012 at the Lecture Theatre on the 14 th Floor of KWH Specialist Medical Centre. KWH nurses of different rankings, KWNC teaching staff and students have published a total of 16 oral reports and 21 posters for the Symposium, sharing the achievement s in nursing research. Through producing the publications, it is hoped that the quality of nursing and teaching will be heightened. Guests invited to the Symposium included Supervisor of Nurses of Hospital Centre S. Januario Fan Wong Iao Ha, Assistant Programme Coordinator of the School of Health Sciences of Macao Polytechnic Institute Chan Yok Man, Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors and Secretary-General of Kiang Wu Charitable Association Ung Pui Kun, KWH Director Wang Tinghuai, Assistant to KWH Director and Chief of the Nursing Department Fok Wai Lan, KWNC President Van Iat Kio and Assistant to KWNC President Xing Zhihong. Reviewing scholars included KWH Director Wang Tinghuai, KWNC Nursing Education Consultant Shen Ning, Professor Luk Leung, and specialist nurse and Guest Assistant Professor Yeung Siu Ming.

In the Opening Ceremony of the Symposium, Chief of KWH Nursing Department Fok Wai Lan indicates that Nursing is a highly empirical and practical subject and is based on clinical nursing practice. We may improve our nursing skills effectively only if we conclude our experiences gained from clinical nursing in a timely manner. In addition, nursing is a science which requires innovation. Innovation is the core element and intrinsic requirement for all scientific researches. To keep pace with the development of clinical medical science, nursing must acquire the attitude and sense of innovation that science requires. Only through innovation, can we promote the development of the nursing subject. “Closing the Gap: From Evidence to Action” is the theme of this year's International Nurses Day. The International Council of Nurses appeals to nurses around the world that they must continuously strive to provide nursing services in the foundation of evidence-based nursing. Chief Fok also emphasizes that evidence-based nursing requires nursing professionals to obtain the ability to prudently evaluate the evidence of scientific researches, provide the best nursing services and safeguard patients' safety and maximum interest. The Symposium is exactly an effective platform to support this kind of evidence-based nursing.

In the Closing Ceremony, President of KWNC Van Iat Kio delivers a speech on behalf of the organizing committee. She expresses that this year the academic articles and posters published for the Symposium have increased in terms of both quality and quantity. Moreover, compared with the previous year, the topics covered by the articles and posters are more in-depth and diversified, including hospital health management, patient safety management, different specialist nursing, needs and requirements of patients, nursing intervention particularly initiated for health problems, experience and conclusion in nursing, and clinical instructors' investigation on promoting students' learning through more effective means, etc. This proves that the Symposium has received attention and participation from a greater number of peers including the teaching staff and students of KWNC who are working hard to enhance the quality of nursing. From the academic papers and reports, we can witness the achievements of KWH's clinical specialist nursing, and diabetes specialist nurses' sincere contribution to provide appropriate care and guidance to each patient. These achievements have highlighted specialist nurses' professional level and the advantage of possessing specialist skills. The academic reports have also embodied clinical nurses' care and guidance to students, their love for nursing, their love for patients and their commitment to heighten ing the quality of nursing. President Van encourages our nursing peers to be more united under the current situation of manpower shortage. Through consistent reflection and evidence seeking, we should try to shorten the distance between theory and practice, elevate the standard of nursing and care, and collaboratively promote the development of nursing profession.

Facing the growing medical standard in Macao, it is an inevitable trend for health care personnel to develop themselves towards the specialist field. The precise aims of this Symposium are to combine academic research and clinical application, promote and train specialist nurses. Teaching, research, clinical practice and specialist development indeed intertwine closely with each other. Coordination of these four aspects will consummate the nursing work in Macao. By organizing this Symposium, KWH and KWNC hope to deepen the knowledge of nursing staff and students, stimulate the development of scientific research, improve teaching quality and techniques, and provide Macao residents with professional nursing services of higher quality.