Halfway through master’s study: students’ thoughts
Ms Yuk-lam Li and Ms Louisa Chin, registered psychiatric nurses, are both serving in public hospitals and studying the School’s Master of Science in Nursing programme (part-time). As selected recipients of the Sir Robert Black Trust Fund Scholarships, they and their seniors in the hospitals, who highly recommended them for the scholarship, have high hopes on their studies. Halfway through their 2.5-year master’s study, it is a good time to reflect on their progress and talk about what comes next.
Yuk Lam (left) and Louisa (right).
Are you gaining more specialist skills into your area of study?
Yuk Lam: [Mental health nursing specialism]: The subject Advanced Medication Management has given me deeper understanding on medicine administration, the relationship between the doses and side effects, consideration factors for medicine switching, etc. With these knowledge, I am more capable to give practical advice and management tips to my patients when they expressed their worries about the side-effects of their anti-psychotic medicines. For example, my patient complained about drooling after medicine taking. I learnt in the course that this problem could be drug-induced and I suggested the patient wearing a mask for improving physical appearance and chewing gum to manage the amount of saliva. Later on, I recommended him to seek medicine adjustment. The subject has given me better medicine knowledge and more understanding of patient’s worry.
Louisa [Mental health nursing specialism]: The subjects Advanced Medication Management and Recovery-focused Counselling Skills for Severe Mental Illness are impressive. The medication management subject has provided me with sufficient statistics and more in-depth knowledge to convince patients who are unwilling to take their prescribed medication. I got the opportunities to have hands-on practice of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques with my classmates. The CBT techniques allow me to explore the needs of patients. During my Master’s study, I have successfully managed a patient diagnosed with delusional disorder. She presented with deterioration in mental condition due to medication non-compliance. During a home visit, I noticed that hand tremors was one of the reasons that made the patient refuse to take the medicine. I have learnt in the medication management subject that a high dosage of the medicine is the cause of hand tremors. I helped her to seek medication adjustment. After several home visits and providing her with enough support, she gave me her trust and decided to take her medicine again (with lower doses, more frequent intakes). Her mood and condition is now stable.
What’s next? How could these skills be applied in your future practice?
Yuk Lam: After earning a master’s degree, I will be qualified to pursue a career as an advance practice nurse (APN). I have learnt plenty about the latest evidence-based recovery programmes for psychiatric in-patients and would like to introduce and coordinate these programmes in my hospital. The activities provided in public hospitals now, such as light exercises, paper crafts, etc., lack integrated approaches and coherence. I am planning to introduce horticulture therapy in my hospital as its therapeutic effect is scientifically proven. Using dried herbal plants to create patients’ life stories can be a good activity. For dementia psychiatric in-patients, I suggest i-Pad activity to engage them with fun and cognitive stimulation.
Louisa: Previously, I worked in a psychogeriatric ward. I have encountered many caregivers who did not know how to manage their older family members with mental illnesses. If the caregivers have more knowledge, skills and a positive caring attitude to support the well-being of their beloved older family members, the re-admission of patients will be reduced.
I am working on a dissertation about dementia attitude and support to caregivers of persons with dementia for reducing their stress and caregiving burden. I hope that the findings of my research study can create an impact and be implemented in local hospitals or community settings. When I become an APN, I will advocate the setting up of caregivers’ mutual support groups, as well as organising regular and structured educational talks for family caregivers of persons with dementia in my hospital.
Lousia presented her thesis proposal at the Postgraduate Conference on Interdisciplinary Learning.
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