In the spirit of enriching the educational experience of new nursing students, the Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) has crafted the 'Shadow Nursing' experience programme, which has become a distinctive feature of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programme. The 'Shadow Nursing' experience is held annually in the first semester of the first year of study, with the aim of providing a valuable opportunity for nursing students to enter the clinical environment as observers before they enter the clinical practice, and to gain a close understanding of the work of nurses, their professionalism and the operation of the whole healthcare team.Since its launch, the 'Shadow Nursing' experience programme has been highly sought after by new students.
Due to the limited number of places available, participants have to go through a selection process, and those who are selected will be given a rare 'one-day pass' to enter Kiang Wu Hospital and experience the daily work of a nurse, thus kicking off their internship journey.
Selected nursing students will be assigned to various departments in Kiang Wu Hospital, including Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Hospice, and will work with nurses to complete a full shift. The students will have the opportunity to observe the workflow of nurses throughout the whole process, from the morning shift handover, patient care assessment and documentation, to daily nursing operations and collaboration with the medical team. This will allow them to experience the diversity and challenges of nursing work. In addition, the students will be able to understand the professional characteristics of different departments and the needs of patients, thus gaining a deeper understanding of the core values of the nursing profession.
''Shadow Nursing'' is a journey of observation and learning, with the potential to assist new students in developing their professional beliefs. Through this programme, students can gain a deeper understanding of the nursing profession, develop an adaptability to clinical work and a passion for professional learning. At the same time, this experience can also provide valuable reference for nursing students in choosing their future professional direction, so that they can plan their learning and development in a more focused manner.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Kiang Wu Hospital for its strong support to the "Shadow Nurses" experience programme, especially to the clinical nurses for their dedicated guidance. Their wealth of clinical experience and professional knowledge provided invaluable guidance and inspiration for the nursing students, demonstrating how nurses can meet the diverse needs of patients with professional attitude and humanistic care. These experiences not only expanded the professional horizons of the nursing students, but also fostered a deeper understanding of the core value of nursing – patient-centred and holistic care.
The "Shadow Nurse" experience programme is a valuable opportunity for nursing students to gain deeper insights into the profession, fostering their confidence and passion for nursing. It is hoped that the incoming class of nursing students will benefit from this year's programme, laying a solid foundation for their future learning, growth, and progress towards their goal of becoming professional nurses.