Newsletter No. 209

CUHK Newsletter No. 209 19th October 2002 3 New Department Heads Series Psychologist, MBA, Social Scient ist But First and Foremost, Nurse Forty-seven-year-old Prof. Dav id Thompson, the n ew d i r ec t or of the Ne t he r so le School of Nursing, is not only a qualified nurse w i th extensive e x p e r i e n ce i n c l i n i c a l n u r s i n g as w e l l as orthopaedics, cardiovascular, general, and mental health nursing, he also has a Ph.D. i n psychology, an MBA, and an M A in social policy. He has worked i n bo th the UK and i n Canada and has taught at and headed t wo nursing departments i n the UK. A versatile man of ma ny capabilities. Prof. Thompson believes his MBA helps h i m maintain a clear focus on strategy whereas his psychological and social policy training alerts h i m to the psychosocial aspects of his job. His career is marked by a special leaning towards clinical practice, wh i ch he calls the 'raison d'etre' of nursing. He has remained c l i n i ca l ly i n v o l v ed even at u n i v e r s i ty and his research focus is clinical practice, particularly i n the field of cardiac care and rehabilitation. A n d a l t hough he has no n ew plans for the n u r s i ng school yet, hav i ng been at C U HK for on ly eight weeks, he is certain that emphasis on the clinical aspect of nursing wo u l d i n f o rm his running of the Ne t h e r s o le School of N u r s i n g. ' A p a r t f r om b u i l d i ng on the teaching and research that have been carried out i n the past, I w i l l try to fine-tune the clinical focus of research, to strengthen links be t ween the n u r s i ng school and hospitals and c ommu n i ty centres, and to increase interaction between academic and clinical staff,' says Prof. Thompson. He w i l l also explore the possibility of having academics spend time on clinical practice and clinicians on teaching. Trends that have been affecting the n u r s i ng profession these days are an ageing population, the a v a i l a b i l i ty of advanced t echno l ogy, c hang i ng societal expectations, and increasing professionalism. The primary function of nurses to provide care — ' mo p p i ng the fevered b r ow' so to speak — wh i le still very important, can no longer stand alone i n the current health care climate. 'Nurses i n the US, UK, Australia, and Canada are assuming increasingly important roles. The impact is felt i n Hong Kong too. The rigid barriers that used to exist between the roles of nurses, doctors, and other medical health workers are gradually being removed. Nurses are taking on doctors' tasks, and together w i t h other health care professionals, they wo r k as a flexible team for the benefit of the patients,' Prof. Thompson says. Wi th blurred lines of responsibility between doctors and nurses, it is essential to t r a in quality nurses w i t h h e i g h t e n ed f l e x i b i l i ty a nd i n n o v a t i v e n e ss i n operation and motor skills, and whose knowledge is i n pace w i t h the current trends i n the profession. Despite the economic d own t u rn i n Ho ng Kong, P r o f. T h o m p s on is n o t t oo w o r r i e d a b o ut placement for graduates of the school. He believes t hey are h e l d i n h i g h r ega rd b y the Ho s p i t al Au t ho r i ty and the local cluster of hospitals who, he believes, are keen to emp l oy them. He is also highly positive about his school and the University. 'There are lots of opportunities here. Resources are better than i n the UK i n terms of manpower and equipment. The University Library is excellent. M y s t a f f are h a r d w o r k i n g a n d m o t i v a t e d . A department is only as good as its staff, but there is always potential to make it better,' he says. A l t h o u gh this is his first job i n Ho ng Kong, Prof. Thompson has been visiting the territory from time to time over the last one and a half decades. He likes Hong Kong and has friends who live here. He was i n fact an external examiner for the nursing departments of CUHK and the University of Hong Kong d u r i ng the last four years. Ha v i ng chaired the nursing department of the University of York since 1998 and helped it achieve the status of the top research department for nursing i n the UK, he felt it was time for a change. A n d so here he is w i t h h i s m i n d set o n s ome t h i ng s i m i l ar f or t he Nethersole School of Nursing. Piera Chen 宣布事項 ANNOUNCEMENTS 教學僱員考績報吿 Appraisal Reports on Teaching Staff 教學僱員二零零一至二零零二年度的考績程序已經開始。人事處剛通函知會各系主 任有關安排，並於網頁 ( http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/personnel) 刊載考績制度的詳情，以供同事 參考。查詢可聯絡人事主任利順琼女士(內線七一八三)或顧佩芬女士 (內線七二四九）。 The 2001-2 appraisal exercise for teaching staff has commenced. A general circular has been issued to all department chairmen announcing the relevant arrangements. Further information on the Appraisal Scheme is available at the Personnel Office website ( http://www.cuhk.edu. hk/personnel). Enquiries on this subject can be directed to personnel managers Ms. Corinna Lee at Ext. 7183 or Ms. Margaret Koo at Ext. 7249. Mission Hills Golf Club Membership From the Bursary The University is a founding member of the Mission Hills Golf Club (MHGC) in Shenzhen. Staff from the University may be nominated as a member of MHGC. Terms (A) and equivalent staff are invited to bid for the privilege of being the University-nominated member (with effect from 1st February 2003) on the following terms and conditions: 1. The minimum bid (monthly charge payable to the University) is HK$ 1. 2. Membership is subject to the nominee remaining a full-time Terms A/equivalent employee of the University. 3. The new member pays the non-refundable nomination transfer fee of HK$20,000 charged by the MHGC. The fee can be paid via payroll deductions over a period of two years. 4. The minimum term is two years, which can be extended for another year at the request of the member, subject to agreement by the University. 5. The vice-chancellor has discretion over the assignment of membership. In the case of similar bidding prices, preference will be given to those who have not been a nominee before. 6. In addition to the monthly charge payable to the University, the nominated member is required to pay a monthly membership fee to the golf club concerned, plus other usage charges. 7. The member is required to abide by the rules of the MHGC. MHGC has five 18-hole courses, with night golfing available on two of the courses, and a five-star resort hotel plus facilities attached to the golf club. Members can arrange accommo- dation at discounted rates. The club operates a shuttle bus service from their parking lot at Sheung Shui and it takes about 50 minutes to travel from the parking lot to the club. As a founding member, the University has a private locker available for the nominated member's use. The nominated membership also covers spouse and children under 2 1 years of age. Eligible staff members who are interested should submit their bids to the Tender Board, c/o Business Office, G/F, John Fulton Centre, indicating the amount he/she is willing to pay to the University as the monthly charge. Bids should be submitted in envelopes marked 'Application for Golf Club Membership' and must reach the Tender Board before 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 5th November 2002. Applicants will be informed of the results in due course. Please contact Ms. Jacqueling Cho at Ext. 7887 for any further information and visit the Business Office's homepage at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/bus/MHGCbidding.pdf to download the bidding forms. World Trade Centre Club Membership The University holds a membership of the World Trade Centre Club (WTCC). A staff member nominated by the University to take up membership is eligible to use the club's facilities including the function rooms, the sports facilities located at Excelsior Hotel, and the reciprocal arrangements the club has with the Grand Royal Club, the Shatin Race Course private box, and a number of golf clubs. Full-time Terms (A) or equivalent staff members are invited to bid for the privilege of being the University's nominee with effect from 1st January 2003. The minimum bid, i.e. the monthly charge payable to the University, is HK$150. In the case of identical bids, preference will be given to staff with longer service. Membership, subject to the nominee remaining a full-time Terms (A) or equivalent employee of the University, has a minimum term of two years and can be extended for another year at the member's request and with the University's agreement. The new member pays a transfer fee ofHK$3,000 charged by WTCC as well as a monthly membership fee of HK$880 (inclusive of spouse and children between 16 and 21 years of age). The transfer fee is refundable if the staff keeps his/her membership for over two years. No pro-rata refund will be made. Eligible and interested staff members should submit their bids to the Tender Board, c/o Business Office, G/F, John Fulton Centre, in envelopes marked 'Application for World Trade Centre Club Membership' before 2.30 p.m. on 5th November 2002. Applicants will be informed of the results in due course. Please contact Ms. Jacqueling Cho at Ext. 7887 for further information and download the bidding form from http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/bus/WTCCbidding.pdf.