Chairman's Message

Professor Sally CHAN

Time flies quickly. The term of service for the current Executive Committee is coming to an end. The election of new Executive Committee for the year 2004-2006 will soon be underway. Please support the election by putting in your vote.

Despite all the turbulence and changes in the past two years, the Society has been very productive in promoting the development of the nursing profession. The Society affirms its position in supporting the four-year nursing education conducted at universities leading to the award of 'Bachelor of Nursing' as the basic requirement to prepare competent registered nurses. An honours degree level education should be the minimum requirement for registration with the nursing regulatory body. With continued lobbying, we are able to achieve an increase of student number targets in the 2004/05 academic year and the next triennium (i.e. 2005/06 to 2007/08 academic years). It is expected that there will be a further increase in nursing degree places in the near future. The Society will follow up the development.

The Society also supports that continuing education is a life long process for nurses. We believe that the nursing regulatory body needs to develop a mandatory system of continuing nursing education for ensuring safe and effective nursing practice. In the past two years, the Society has organised various continuing education activities for nurses in Hong Kong and many were very popular and oversubscribed. The Society will continue to organise quality continuing education activities to meet the needs of nurses. We would also like to collaborate with other nursing groups in such endeavours.

The Society supports the development of advanced nursing practice and is actively involved in the establishment of the Nursing Academy of Hong Kong. The Academy would be a statutory body with the function of regulating advanced nursing practice. We believe that in this era of health care reform and cost reduction, the care provided by nurses is value for money. Nurses could make a major contribution to improving reducing future health care costs. The Government should commit sufficient human and financial resources to support the development of advanced nursing practice.

The Society continues to expand its network with nursing colleagues of the region. On 22nd November 2003, the Society has organised 'The First Macau-Hong Kong Nursing Conference' with the Luso-Chinese Nurses' Association of Macau. The theme of the conference was "Advancing Nursing Practice in the 21st Century". Speakers of the conference included the advisor of the Society, Dr. Susie Lum and many nursing experts from Hong Kong and Macau. Post-conference visits to hospitals and community health centres were arranged. Details of the Conference are reported in this newsletter. This Conference was a significant event for it was the first time nurses in Hong Kong and Macau organised conference together. We will continue our networks with nursing colleagues in the region.

In the past two years, the Society continued to participate actively in matters related to the development of nursing and nursing education in Hong Kong. The Society has been consulted by the Secretary of the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau; Hospital Authority, Hong Kong; the Hong Kong Nursing Council and the Hong Kong Midwife Council on issues related to health care delivery, nursing practice, nursing education, nursing standards, nursing competencies, continuing nursing education and revision of syllabi of nurses' training. The Society will strive to be actively involved in such activities and any future endeavours to ensure ongoing professional nursing development in Hong Kong.

The Society is approaching its 18th birthday, and it needs your support to promote nursing development in Hong Kong. The website of the Society can provide you with more information about our current activities: http://www.fmshk.com.hk/hksne/home.htm.

We would like to invite you to continue your membership or join the Society as a member if you are not. If you would like to join the Society as a new member, please download the 'New Membership Form' from our website and mail the completed form together with the membership fee to our mailbox.

We also look forward to members' suggestions and comments to the Society's future activities. Members can send their suggestions to the Society via our website or to our mailbox:

The Hong Kong Society for Nursing Education
P.O.Box 98898, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

On behalf of the Hong Kong Society for Nursing Education, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!