To enhance the academic ambience of the College, widen students’ horizons, and be consistent with the theme of the celebratory activities of the 90th College anniversary, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) plans to organize a series of Distinguished Lectures in this academic year. Guest professors and honorary professors of the College will be invited to be speakers, to explore and share views on a number of topics with the teaching staff and students of the College. The first Distinguished Lecture “Exploration and Experience Sharing on Life Education For Nursing” was delivered by Professor Lee Tze Fan, Director and Professor of Nursing of the Nethersole School of Nursing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The lecture was carried out in a form of video conference at the College’s Lecture Theatre on the afternoon of 15 October 2012, and was hosted by KWNC Assistant Professor Leong Sok Man. An attendance of nearly 60 KWNC teaching staff and students, and Kiang Wu Hospital nurses was registered.

Professor Lee’s major research expertise includes gerontology and community care. She has published more than 200 articles in important academic journals and conferences. In 2007, Professor Lee was awarded the Excellent Research Award in a symposium organized by the Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong. In the same year, she successfully obtained funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the development of the five-year “Cadenza Training Programme” designed to provide general and professional education in gerontology to the general public, non-professional caregivers of the elderly, and professional social and health care workers of the elderly nursing profession.

In the lecture, Professor Lee introduced the definition and significance of life education and nursing education, and manifested that life education is an indispensable element of nursing education. Life education covers a spectrum of topics related to life. It aims at improving people’s spiritual health, allowing people to explore the significance and value of life, build up a noble character, develop a positive outlook on value and life, learn to respect and cherish their life and enhance their ability of facing adversity. Similarly, aside from imparting students the professional knowledge and skills in nursing, nursing education attaches great importance to cultivating students’ humanistic inner beauty, enhancing their characters and assisting them in developing a correct belief towards life. As a result, Professor Lee believes that life education plays a significant role in executing and evaluating nursing education. Professor Lee also shared some ways of integrating life education with nursing education, including role plays, general education, overseas exchanges and studies, and discussions on social issues. Moreover, Professor Lee emphasizes that teachers play an important role in implementing life education for nursing. The convergence of life education and nursing education does not only rely on one single contributor, but the integration of three important ones – teachers, students and clinical study.

After listening to the inspiring lecture given by Professor Lee, teaching staff and students exchanged views and opinions on the topic of life education for nursing with each other. By clearly explaining the significance of life education and nursing education, and the close connection between the two, the lecture has stimulated participants to reflect upon life and whole-person nursing, and allowed them to understand some specific ways of integrating life education with nursing education.