the Caritas Medical Centre nurses training school in November 1965, for a period of three years.
179. The implementation of the White Paper on Development of Medical Services underlined the need for augmented training of nursing staff, and most nursing schools increased their intake during the year. Though the supply of nurses has grown, the demand for their services has grown even more. In this age of specialization nurses training is assuming an ever more academic character.
180. Eight of the trained staff proceeded overseas during the year for specialized training in various branches of nursing such as hospital administration (nursing); neuro-surgical nursing; operating theatre tech- nique, orthopaedic nursing; chest-heart surgical nursing: and nutrition, in order to use to the fullest extent, all the wealth of specialized experi- ence that each nurse has to offer, thus providing the widest variety of nursing experience for the public.
181. Included in the extensions to Queen Mary Hospital is an Intensive Care Unit, the purpose of this being, to maintain a constant maximum level of medical and nursing care, both day and night, of seriously ill patients and those in the immediate post operative stage. Patients will be retained in this unit for several hours after major sur- gery before being returned to their own wards. During this period there will be a concentration of staff to undertake the routine post-operative treatment and to bandle any emergency situation which might occur.
182. Three trained nurses--one male and 2 females-are in the United Kingdom undergoing special training in this particular branch of mursing: they will gain experience in the treatment of cardiac arrest; cardiac failure, and cardio-thoracic surgery. On their return to Hong Kong they will help to train other nurses in this very specialized work.
183. Many more men are entering the nursing profession and administration is the goal of many of them. A man who takes up a Matron's post is far from being the exception he once was. There are two Male Assistanı Matrons in Government service at present.
Psychiatric Nursing
184. Training in psychiatric nursing is undertaken at Castle Peak Hospital. It is a branch of nursing in which great progress has taken place. Thanks to new drugs and new methods of treatment and to a more enlightened look, the less savoury aspects of the mental hospital—
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locked doors, mechanical restraint and the air of utter hopelessness- are virtually things of the past and the majority of patients enter hospital today of their own volition and are able to live normal lives. This branch of nursing calls for intelligence, patience and human sympathy and it is one of the most rewarding tasks in the nursing profession.
Midwifery
185. For registered general nurses, a one year course in midwifery continues to be conducted and usually commences as a continuation after registration with the Nursing Board. At present a Registered Nurse must also be a Registered Midwife in order to be considered for further advancement.
186. Pupil Midwives without a nursing qualification undergo a two year course, at the Government Tsan Yuk Hospital, in the Chinese language. After qualification suitable midwives are employed to staff Government maternity units.
Nursing Auxiliary
187. Not all work with patients requires professional status and so, it was decided, in 1964 to commence a separate training with lesser entrance qualifications and of shorter duration-that of pupil oursing auxiliary. The training is being carried out at Kowloon Hospital and takes two years; it is an essentially practical training which will fit them for the performance of routine nursing duties, particularly in the care of convalescent and long stay patients and so assist and where possible free the Registered Nurses, with a background of sound general and professional education, to concentrate more on those tasks which require a nurse's training and skill, such as teaching, organizing and supervis- ing the more advanced technical procedures. Twenty Pupil Nursing Auxiliaries are now in training at Castle Peak Hospital where after a specialized 2 years training they will be able to carry out routine nursing duties in the Psychiatric Hospital.
Health Visitors
188. The Health Visitors Course has been discontinued.
Health Auxiliary Grade
189. A new grade of Health Auxiliary has recently been created in the Medical and Health Department to absorb and combine the existing grades of Tuberculosis Workers and Social Hygiene Visitors.
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