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Overview

Scheme Background
Scheme Partners
Scheme Implementation
Community Nursing Scholarships
In-Service Community Nursing Continuing Education Training
Public Health Research Projects
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GEG Community Nursing Scheme

Scheme Background

In recent years, Macau has experienced rapid economic growth and currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the region. This low unemployment rate has contributed to labour shortages across all sectors, including health and social services.  

The nursing profession in Macau, as with the rest of the world, struggles with manpower shortages against the landscape of an ageing population with increasing chronic diseases, and the ever-expanding roles of nurses, aggravated by a limited number of health sciences programmes and related enrolment being offered at local tertiary institutions; the only two nursing schools in Macau graduate just over 100 nurses each year.  As such, Macau has had to heavily rely on hiring graduate nurses returning from abroad or qualified professionals from overseas, most of which choose to enter clinical settings.  

Nursing in the community (such as in elderly day-care services, nursing homes, rehabilitation clinics, home care services, etc.) faces an even more acute manpower shortage since many qualified nurses tend to prefer to work in hospital or clinical settings due to better pay, support and the availability of structured in-service training.  

Through the Scheme, the Foundation hopes to bring more attention and publicity to the importance of the community nursing profession, both in the academic and professional world, and to highlight the plight of the community nursing situation in Macau. It also hopes to generate a discussion and debate in society – within Government, the health and the social services sectors – which may eventually result in a culture shift that positively changes attitudes towards community nursing.

Scheme Partners

Macao Polytechnic Institute
Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau
Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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Scheme Implementation

Against the backdrop of an ageing community in Macau, the Foundation understands the importance of community nursing when “ageing in place” is becoming the preferred option for our elderlies.  It is the Foundation’s wish to not only encourage more nursing graduates to consider joining the community nursing profession, but at the same time to continue to find ways to improve the quality of community nursing services in Macau.  

The GEG Community Nursing Scheme was therefore initiated with these objectives in mind. Working with nursing schools in Macau and Hong Kong, the Foundation put together the following components of the Scheme in an effort to raise the quality of community nursing care in Macau:

•  Community Nursing Scholarships
•  In-Service Community Nurses Continuing Education Training
•  Public Health Research Projects

Community Nursing Scholarships

A Scholarship Scheme made available for 3rd or 4th year students enrolled at either Macao Polytechnic Institute’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programme or Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau:

  • Full tuition remission for the third and fourth year of study;
  • The opportunity to participate in overseas practicum organized by their respective institutions, of up to two weeks in select overseas locations to broaden their knowledge and gain a wider perspective on the community nursing situation outside of Macau; 
  • A further opportunity to better understand the community nursing situation in the region through opportunities to meet with practicing community nurses as well as participate in activities such as visits to local Macau and Hong Kong non-government organisations.
  • Scholarship recipients are, however, required to commit to seek employment as community nurses upon graduation, and remain employed with a local Macau non-government organisation for a continuous period of not less than two years. 

In addition to offering the scholarships, the Scheme provided for opportunities for scholarship students to learn about the state of community nursing in nearby areas, from their overseas practicum in Australia, volunteering activities in service agencies in Macau and visits to non-governmental service organisations in Hong Kong. Over the years, the Foundation organized a number of activities, from visits to job shadowing opportunities and volunteering at Macau and Hong Kong non-governmental organisations to enable the scholars to broaden their knowledge of community nursing, and to also better understand the work of community nurses in different settings.

Feedback from Scholarship Recipients
“Just a one day visit to Hong Kong has already broadened my views. Previously, I never had the chance to visit welfare agencies in nearby regions. I am very thankful that the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Aging and the Jockey Club Home for Hospice allowed us to visit and explained the work that they do. This has enabled us to better understand community nursing in Hong Kong’s non-governmental organisations. Previously, I had been to nursing homes, rehabilitation agencies and palliative care agencies for my practicum, but this experience has made me realise that there is still room for improvement in Macau, in terms of resources, facilities, location, staffing, legislation, etc.”
Panda Lei (2016-17 Cohort)
“I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to go to Hong Kong to visit local non-government organisations which employ community nurses. Even though I had previously completed my practicum in an elderly nursing home, I felt that I was still able to gain a lot from the visit to the Jockey Club Home for Hospice.”
Jasmine Cai (2017-18 Cohort)
“I would like to thank the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation and Caritas Lok Kan School for their arrangement as it had provided us with valuable opportunities to learn new things in a comfortable environment and interact with special needs individuals.”
Bonnie Lam (2018-19 cohort)
“Volunteering at Caritas Ian Fai Elderly Centre was a very different experience compared to our nursing practicum. We were able to have many chances to interact and communicate with the elderly residents and better understand their needs and wants. Before, when we encountered stubborn, uncooperative elderly patients, we always thought they were just hindering our work. However, through volunteering, we had the chance to view things from another perspective and took the time to patiently communicate with them to understand what they needed to resolve the issue. I believe that the experience gained from this volunteering activity will help us in our future nursing careers.”
Kako Fong (2019-20 Cohort)
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In-Service Community Nursing Continuing Education Training

The GEG Community Nursing Scheme provides opportunities for continuing education and professional development on nursing and public health-related topics for in-service community nurses, training which was not widely available to those practising at local non-governmental organisations.  Academic staff from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Nursing and Macau Polytechnic Institute collaborated to offer advanced community nursing training courses on different topics to practising community nurses.  

Ten courses on eight different topics on community nursing were offered to in-service community nurses free of charge.  Each course comprised 40 classroom hours and took place across five Saturdays.  From September 2016 through December 2019, over 200 in-service community nurses from 20 non-governmental organisations in Macau attended the courses.

The courses offered included:

  • Health Needs of the Community
  • Rehabilitation Nursing
  • Care of Older Persons with Cognitive Impairment
  • Long Term Care for Elderly People
  • Quality Management in Nursing
  • End-of-Life Care
  • Advance Practice in Chronic Disease Management
  • Care of People with Mental Problems in the Community
Feedback from Training Organiser
“With an aging population, many elderlies are actually opting to stay in their own home and so there is increased demand for community support services to help them. Community nurses are a vital part of ‘ageing in place’. I think that the GEG Community Nursing Scheme is very novel as it pinpoints the issue that there is nearly no ongoing training for community nurses in Macau. The Foundation has commissioned the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to assist the community nursing field to provide training for in-service community nurses… I think that this Scheme has a big impact on the whole nursing field in Macau.”
Angela Leung (Associate Professor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
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Feedback from Course Participants

Feedback from participants regarding the courses was positive, with many citing that the courses were beneficial to their day-to-day work as these types of training are generally not offered to community nurses in Macau, especially at no charge.

“There are many different areas in community nursing and we encounter different illnesses in community. For example, there is a very large elderly population in the community, so the community nursing courses can especially cater to the elderly issues in our present situation. The courses organised by the Foundation are taught by both Hong Kong and Macau lecturers so it gives us the opportunity to learn about the experience from a neighbouring region, Hong Kong, experience which are very applicable to our work as community nurses. It doesn’t matter whether we are experienced or are new entrants to the profession; we all benefit from these courses.”
Mok Sut Ieng (Community Nurse)
“This course has given us the opportunity to share our experience and practices. As most of us come from different agencies, we may encounter different difficulties and issues at work. In class, we are able to use these examples for discussions and to come up with ways to solve these issues.”
Chloe Chan (Community Nurse, Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Rehabilitation Centre)
“When working, there are times that I feel I don’t have the necessary in-depth knowhow for the particular situation. Even though we have learned about this in nursing school, we realize that your knowledge is insufficient when you actually start working. I hope to learn more about community nursing through these courses.”
Lei Chun Tai (Community Nurse, Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Workers Clinic, Home Care Service)
“We are able to learn about the practices and treatment options that overseas countries and nearby regions such as Hong Kong has adopted or offers, and then compare the differences to those used in Macau. We can then be able to see if it is suitable for us to adopt these practices for use in Macau.”
Miu Hoi Sim (Community Nurse, Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Workers Clinic, Home Care Service)
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Public Health Research Projects

The Scheme also supported collaborative research projects by the three nursing schools, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau and Macau Polytechnic Institute.  Research was conducted on the Community Nursing Needs in Macau, in particular related to Palliative and Dementia Care in Macau.  The initial research results were announced at a conference held in August 2018, attended by the Advisor on Health at the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, and representatives of Macau Government’s Health Bureau.

Four research papers, in particular on dementia literacy in Macau and challenges to sustaining the health of the population in Macau, were submitted in late 2019 and early 2020, while various presentations on advocating dementia literacy were made at international conferences.  An International Scholar Award by the American Heart Association was also received for one particular research on “The Health Needs Assessment Study of Macau Residents”.  

Research Papers - Submitted

Investigating dementia literacy among community-dwelling adults and older adults in Macau: A mixed methods study. BMC Geriatrics.
Leung, A. Y. M., Leong, C. S. U, Cheong, P. L., Tsang, A. S. M., Lam Nogueira, B. O. C., Liu, M., Van, I. K., Cheung, D. S. K., Xie, Y. J., Fung, O., Yuen Loke, A., Molasiotis, A. (under review). (Impact Factor: 2.818) submitted on 1 Dec 2019. Ref. BGTC-D-19-00932  

The challenges to sustaining the health of the population of Macau from the perspectives of community health leaders: A qualitative descriptive study.  
Cheung, D.S.K., Xie, G.Y., Lam Nogueira, O.C,B., Loke Yuen, A., Tsang, S.M.A., Fung, O., Cheong, P.L., Leung, A.Y.M., Leong, C.S.U., Liu, K.M., Van, I.K., Molasiotis, A. (2019). (submitted Dec 2019). 
 

Relationships between television viewing, computer and mobile phone usage and sleep quality in a Chinese population: findings from the “Healthy living, longer lives” study. Journal of Medical Internet Research  
Xie, Y.J., Cheung, D. S. K., Yuen Loke, A., Lam Nogueira, B. O. C., Liu, M., Leung, A. Y. M., Tsang, A. S. M., Leong, C. S. U, Molasiotis, A. (Under review). (Impact factor: 4.945). Submitted on 5 Feb 2020. 
 
Dementia literacy in the Greater Bay Area of China: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Special Issue: Health literacy and Equity  
Leung, A. Y. M., Molasiotis, A., Zhang, J., Deng, R., Liu, M., Van, I. K., Leung, I. S. H., Loke Yuen, A. (under review). (Impact Factor: 2.145) abstract was accepted. prepared full paper – submitted Dec 27, 2019   

Research Papers - In Preparation

Public awareness and attitude towards depression: A community-based qualitative study in Macao.  
 
The lifestyle characteristics and co-morbidity in Macau residents: findings from the "Healthy Living, Longer Lives" study. 
 
Exploring the perception and expectation of dementia care services in Greater Bay Area: A qualitative study.

Awards

2020 Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award by the American Heart Association. 
Associations of Sleep Quality with Body Mass Index and Obesity: The Health Needs Assessment Study of Macau Residents.   
Xie, Y.J., Yuen Loke, A., Cheung, D. S. K., Lam Nogueira, B. O. C., Liu, M., Leung, A. Y. M., Fung, O. W. M., Tsang, A. S. M., Leong, C. S. U, Cheung, J., Van, F., Molasiotis, A.

Presentations

Public awareness and attitude towards depression: A community-based qualitative study in Macao.  
Leung, A. Y. M., Cheong, P. K., Leong, S. U., Lam, N. O. C., Liu, M., Van, I. K., Yuen Loke, A., & Molasiotis, A. (2018). The 12th Biennial Conference of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery. Cairns, Australia. 18-19 July 2018. 

Understanding of dementia and related services in Macao: A qualitative study.  
Leung, A. Y. M., Leong, S. U., Cheong, P. K., Lam, N. O. C., Liu, M., Van, F. , Yuen Loke, A., & Molasiotis, A. (2018). The 12th Biennial Conference of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery. Cairns, Australia. 18-19 July 2018.  

Associations of Sleep Quality with Body Mass Index and Obesity: The Health Needs Assessment Study of Macau Residents.   
Xie, Y.J., Yuen Loke, A., Cheung, D. S. K., Lam Nogueira, B. O. C., Liu, M., Leung, A. Y. M., Fung, O. W. M., Tsang, A. S. M., Leong, C. S. U, Cheung, J., Van, F., Molasiotis, A.  AHA EPI/Lifestyle 2020 Scientific Sessions, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 3-6 March 2020.  
 
Internet usage and health information seeking behaviours among Macau youths – the preliminary findings from the Macau Community Health Needs Assessment.  
Xie, Y.J., Yuen Loke, A., Cheung, D. S. K., Lam Nogueira, B. O. C., Fung, O. W. M., Leung, A. Y. M., Liu, M., Tsang, A. S. M., Leong, C. S. U, Cheung, J., Molasiotis, A.  The 12th Biennial Conference of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery. Cairns, Australia. 18-19 July 2018. 

Advocating dementia literacy in society: The stakeholders involved and the actions needed.  
Leung, A. Y. M. (2019 Nov12-14) Keynote speech in the 7th International Health Literacy Conference organised by Asia Health Literacy Association. Thu Duc Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

The project ‘Promoting dementia literacy in Zhuhai and Hong Kong’ was selected as the listed project.  
Leung, A. Y. M. (2019 Feb 24-26). The 2nd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Health Cooperation Conference. Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Food and Health Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong SAR, Health Bureau of Macao SAR Government, and Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government. Shenzhen, China.  

Dementia literacy in the Greater Bay Area of China.  
Leung, A. Y. M. (2019, Jan 14). The Inaugural Ceremony and Seminar of Hong Kong Health Literacy Hub cum Asia Health Literacy Association (AHLA) Hong Kong Office. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

Related Videos

GEG Community Nursing Scheme - Part 1

The demand for community nursing care increases against the landscape of an ageing community in Macau.  In view of this, the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation launched the "GEG Community Nursing Scheme” in 2016, with the objectives of encouraging and motivating young nurses to join the community nursing profession, and supporting community nurses working in local Non-Government Organisations through enhancing the quality of community nursing care.  

GEG Community Nursing Scheme - Part 2

Against the landscape of an ageing community in Macau, the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation hopes to encourage young nurses to become community (vs clinical) nurses upon graduation through awarding the "GEG Community Nursing Scholarship".  Separately, the Scheme also offered a "GEG Community Nursing Continuing Education Training" component on various public health topics for in-service community nurses in Macau, allowing them to continually enhance their professional skills, and thus improving the quality of community nursing in Macau.

Related News

7 November, 2018 | Link

【Macau Daily News】GEG Community Nursing Continuation Education Courses attracted over 100 participants

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