The shortage of medical and nursing manpower in Hong Kong is a serious problem, and the government proposes to amend the Nursing Registration Ordinance to allow qualified non-locally trained nurses. Huang Jinyue, Chair Professor of Advanced Nursing Practice, believes that the shortage of nurses is caused by brain drain and suggests that strategies be put in place to retain nurses and provide them with professional development opportunities. The number of nurses in Hong Kong has increased steadily over the past 10 years, but the loss of talent remains the biggest issue. To become an advanced practice nurse, clinical experience of 5 to 10 years combined with specialist training and relevant specialist experience is required. Nurse training and professional development ladders in community settings should be introduced to attract nurses and support a coherent and sustainable medical system. The government proposal to introduce overseas nurses should be checked once morest professional standards set by the Nursing Council, and priority should be given to local applicants. With a rapidly aging population and increasing medical needs, investing more resources in primary medical care can help prevent and treat diseases early and alleviate the burden on hospitals and institutions.
There is a serious shortage of medical and nursing manpower in Hong Kong. The government proposes to amend the Nursing Registration Ordinance to introduce qualified non-locally trained nurses. Huang Jinyue, Chair Professor of Advanced Nursing Practice and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Social Sciences of the Polytechnic University, pointed out yesterday that the shortage of nurses in Hong Kong is caused by brain drain. He believes that Hong Kong needs to have strategies to retain nurses and give them enough space for professional development, including for the community Working nurses provide a promotion path, because community primary health and hospital services are closely related. If more resources can be invested in primary medical care, the public can better prevent and treat diseases early, and the burden on hospitals and institutions can be relieved.
The number of nurses in Hong Kong is increasing every year, from more than 41,000 nurses in 2011 to more than 64,000 in 2021, an increase of more than 20,000 in 10 years, and the ratio of nurses to a population of 1,000 is 8:6. The golden month is on the radio According to the above, the proportion of nurses in Hong Kong belongs to a relatively high area. She believes that the number of nurses continues to increase, and the number of nurses trained each year is 3,200. Therefore, she believes that the biggest problem of the “manpower shortage” of nurses in Hong Kong is the loss of talents. However, Hong Kong currently lacks a set of standards for certifying specialist nurses.
15 years to become an advanced practice nurse
She explained that to achieve the level of a specialist advanced practice nurse, 5 to 10 years of clinical experience is required, combined with specialist training and at least 3 to 5 years of relevant specialist experience. At present, the Hospital Authority has a ladder for the development from specialist nurses, senior nurses to consultant nurses. Unfortunately, nurses working in the community currently lack a similar professional development ladder. She believes that it is necessary to provide incentives for community nurses, train grassroots health specialist nurses, and cooperate with the development of professional paths, so as to attract nurses to work in the community and help a coherent and sustainable medical system.
Regarding the introduction of overseas nurses proposed by the government, Golden Moon believes that the Nursing Council should check according to the professional standards set by the employer, rather than by the employer. When hiring, local applicants should be given priority. In order to ensure the safety of care recipients and maintain professional standards, there can be a mechanism to formulate an annual manpower requirement limit.
To sum up, the shortage of medical staff in Hong Kong is a serious issue that needs to be addressed urgently. The proposal to introduce qualified non-locally trained nurses is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to retain nurses and provide them with enough space for professional development. As the population ages and medical needs increase, investing more resources in primary medical care and providing incentives for community nurses can not only relieve the burden on hospitals and institutions but also help create a coherent and sustainable medical system. Moreover, setting standards for certifying specialist nurses and creating a professional development ladder for nurses working in the community can attract more nurses to work in this sector. In conclusion, it’s time for the government and healthcare professionals to work together to tackle the shortage of medical staff and ensure the health and well-being of every individual in Hong Kong.
