**********************************************************
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (October 18) invited applications for admission to a two-year full-time welfare-oriented Enrolled Nurse (General)/Enrolled Nurse (Psychiatric) Training Programme.
The SWD, in collaboration with the Hospital Authority (HA), is launching the training programme to meet the manpower demand for these nurses in the welfare sector. The programme will provide 110 training places, including 80 places for Enrolled Nurse (General) and 30 places for Enrolled Nurse (Psychiatric).
"The Enrolled Nurse training programme helps increase the supply of nursing manpower for the welfare sector which will directly enhance the quality of care to the benefit of service users," a spokesman for the SWD said.
The programme aims to prepare graduates to become competent, caring professional nurses through strong clinical and practical emphasis on providing health care for clients in the welfare sector. It covers a wide range of subjects including personal and communal health, psychology, first aid and emergency care, food and nutrition, medical and surgical nursing, pharmacology, geriatric nursing, psychiatry and related nursing. The training programme will be conducted in HA nursing schools, with clinical placement arranged in HA hospitals and welfare settings.
"The applicant must have attained the age of 18 by the time the training programme begins in March, 2006, and must have completed secondary school Form 5 education in Hong Kong or equivalent," the spokesman said. "To encourage existing frontline staff in the welfare sector to upgrade their skills, priority will be given to welfare workers, health workers and personal care workers who are currently working in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or private organisations providing elderly, rehabilitation, family and child care, or correctional services, and who aspire to continue serving in the welfare sector as enrolled nurses after graduation from the course.
"Individuals not working in the welfare sector but aspiring to start a career as enrolled nurses in the welfare sector will also be considered."
SWD will fully subsidise each trainee with tuition fees of $50,000 for the whole course. Each selected candidate is required to sign an undertaking to indicate his/her readiness to be employed as Enrolled Nurse (General) or Enrolled Nurse (Psychiatric) in the welfare sector providing elderly, rehabilitation, family and child care, or correctional services operated by NGOs or private organisations for a continuous period of no less than two years after satisfactory completion of the training. In breach of this term, the trainee has to repay SWD the tuition fees in full or in part.
Application form for the training course can be obtained from the Headquarters of SWD or downloaded from "What's New" of the homepage of SWD (http://www.swd.gov.hk). Application will close on November 8, 2005. For enquiries, please contact the course hotline on 2110 1495.
Ends/Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:01
NNNN
