Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) organized a theme talk on "Experience sharing and inspirations from inter-professional work as a specialist nurse in diabetes" at the Auditorium of Kiang Wu Hospital on March 3, 2017. Graduate of KWNC (as formerly named Kiang Wu Nursing and Midwifery School) as well as Head Nurse and Advanced Specialist Nurse at the Diabetes Centre of Kiang Wu Hospital Ms. Ng In I was invited to be the keynote speaker.
    
Today's mode of chronic disease control has shifted from doctor-guided to patient-guided self management. Alumna Ng In I explained that, the diabetic disease management in Macao has developed into an inter-professional team composed of doctor, nurse, nutritionist and relevant technicians. Appropriate nursing care and guidance are given to patients according to their medical, dietary as well as daily living habits. It then enables patients to gain better knowledge and skills to self manage. Throughout years of working experiences as a specialist nurse, she believes that it is very important to have nurses as members of the inter-professional team. Hence, it is essential for nurses to continuously add value especially in terms of professional knowledge so as to deepen and advance their abilities in assessing health and relevant life issues that bother patients. Through attaining such knowledge, nurses can then proactively help patients seek suitable health facilitation methods, which result in patients' further engagement in health management on their own so as to take better care of themselves, leading to the improvement of ones' health conditions.
    
According to the statistics from Kiang Wu Hospital of recent 3 years, the consultation rate and return rate of diabetes patients to the hospital has increased. Such data has proven the importance of and need for specialist nurses, who have also gained much recognition by the community recently. However, Alumna Ng In I recalled that such journey was not smooth as always. It was particularly challenging when a new health promotion programme was launched, for example teaching older persons to check their blood sugar or do injection, or throwing birthday parties or calligraphy writing session for them. Such non-traditional promotion methods are designed from the patients' point of view, which enable them to learn how to apply appropriate diabetes control in different daily life situations. Taking the first step is always hard, but she believes that it is more important to find ways that help the patients than just saying the theories that they cannot apply or even understand.

She also shared cases of a diabetic mother giving birth to twins as well as a patient who needed foot amputation due to diabetes. Such experiences have well shown the importance of inter-professional team development. Furthermore, Ng had numerous continuing studies overseas regarding foot care as well as enthusiastically taking part in different academic exchanges. She has now become the first and only one specialist nurse who provides comprehensive foot care for diabetes patients. She and her team also create a negative pressure foot care box, which highly increases work efficiency at the same time sooths the workload of the disinfection room in terms of post-care disinfection.

KWNC President Van Iat Kio expressed gratitude and appreciation to Alumna Ng In I for her rich, passionate experiences and sharing with the successors. With the tremendous growth of society, the living standard and knowledge of residents are also increasing. It has also affected the functions and roles of nurses and health care personnel in the community which need continuous enhancement and advancement. President Van therefore encourages nursing students to lay a concrete nursing foundation in order to be well prepared for upcoming challenges.