Frances Kam-Yuet Wong
(Modified Plenary Session Speech presented in the 14th Annual Nursing Conference:
"Advanced Nursing Practice")
Abstract
In Hong Kong, the Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) role developed is mainly in the capacity of a Nurse Specialist (NS), which this paper will be focused on. The role of NS was developed in 1993 in Hong Kong. This paper will discuss the progress of work of the NSs in the last decade. In consideration of the achievements of the Nurse Specialists (NSs) in only ten years' time, they are to be congratulated. This paper is dedicated to the NSs who have diligently provided services to promote the welfare of patients. This paper will have three main parts. First, the factors that contribute to the development of ANP will be discussed. Then, the scenario of practice by NSs in the early 90s when the role was first established will be described. Finally, the development of NS practice in the late 1990s to early 2000s is outlined. The author will conclude by making some observations and recommendations to the development of advanced nursing practice in Hong Kong.
Key words: Advanced nursing practice, nurse specialist, nursing professional development