Hong Kong Adventist College (HKAC) is proud to announce our new nursing program, Higher Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (General) Program, has been approved by both the Nursing Council of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualification (HKCAAVQ) in September of this year. This locally licensed two-year nursing program will accept 48 students each year. All theory courses will be taught at the campus of HKAC, and all clinical practicum will be conducted at the two Hong Kong Adventist hospitals.

The college has been working on this nursing program accreditation for more than five years, since October 2016. Prior to this approval, we had submitted the accreditation application to the Nursing Council of Hong Kong twice, but our applications were rejected. We were extremely excited that our third application was approved by both the Nursing Council and HKCAAVQ.

It is a part of the Hong Kong Adventist College's strategic plan to develop more locally accredited programs. Nursing and allied health has long been a value of Adventist education. Almost all Adventist colleges and universities worldwide offer nursing programs. As the concern for nursing shortages continues to grow in Hong Kong, it is very obvious that we need more nurses. To educate nurses, we need more nursing programs. 

It has been 30 years since Hong Kong Adventist College and Hong Kong Adventist Hospital collaborated to offer a nursing program. We are making history here. With the right people on the team and right timing, the college was in a good position to offer a nursing program. The birth of the Department of Nursing and the Higher Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (General) program is a result of hard work and great team effort.

As we were recruiting the first cohort of students for this new nursing program, we received close to 250 applications. On average, we were able to select one student from five applicants. With such a high-demanding program, we are preparing to accommodate more students in the near future. Furthermore, an Enrolled Nurses (EN) to Registered Nurses (RN)/Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) conversion program is being planned so our future nursing graduates will be able to advance their nursing education from EN to RN or BSN. A master’s degree in nursing is also on the five-year horizon.

The nursing student enrollment is estimated to be increased from 50 the first year to around 400 in five years. In Hong Kong, there are far more students who want to study nursing than all the nursing schools can accommodate. We hope to build a new Nursing and Allied Health building to accommodate more students. This is a great opportunity for HKAC.

A new Nursing & Allied Health building has been proposed to be built on the Clear Water Bay campus. This 4-story building will consist of around 21,000 square feet, with 2 large lecture halls that will accommodate over 100 students each, 6 classrooms with a capacity of 50 students each, 4 nursing skills labs, 2 science labs, 2 simulations labs, a library, faculty offices, a conference room, and 2 consultation rooms. With this building, it will be quite comfortable to accommodate over 500 students majoring in nursing or allied health.

The establishment of the Department of Nursing would not be a reality without the support from our church organizations, the administrators, board members, colleagues, and friends. The nursing program would not exist without the dedication of our faculty, staff, and the nursing students. We are glad that many young people have decided to pursue their nursing education at Hong Kong Adventist College. We are here to help them reach their dreams and achieve their goals.

This nursing program is designed to educate students to become professional nurses and provide care to individuals, families, and communities. Through the Higher Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (General) program, we aim to prepare students to meet the core competencies that are specifically required for enrolled nurses and ensure that students are able to fulfill their roles competently and ethically in a variety of healthcare settings, as the mission of the college states: "To empower students to grow spirituality, physically, and intellectually." We will work together to achieve that.

We have come a long way, and I know many of you have also been waiting for this moment for a long time, too. It is not by chance that we are here to celebrate this new nursing program. This is more than a special event—more than a strategic plan; it is a mark of a new beginning for the Department of Nursing of Hong Kong Adventist College. The faculty are committed to provide quality education to students who would become competent and ethical nurses in the future. I am grateful that we get to witness this together.

We would solicit your support for this new nursing program and your prayers for God’s blessings to be upon it. I am confident that this nursing program will be able to train good and competent nurses who will provide great healthcare services to the community of Hong Kong.

The original article was provided by the Chinese Union Mission.